I say go for a .45 ACP 1911 model. There's TONS of manufacturers out there that make 1911s, so parts are easy to come by, and unless you're doing drastic mods, easy to work on. A guy with access to a macine shop like you do could do a lot more awesome customization (a lot cheaper) than those of us without. For example, you could take a standard government model slide, and cut different rear serrations, or cut custom checkering into the front/back strap.
Kimber and Springfield Armory are good choices for out-of-the-box performance, but there's a lot of lower end models that get the job done. If you wanna go custom, I'd suggest a cheaper basic model, and employ the help of a good, likeminded gunsmith to do the final fitting. Just like tattoos, you're likely to get better work done by someone who's interested in the project too.
That is, if you change your mind about the revolver.