Homebrew Circuit Boards: Methods? Supplies?

I imagine this topic has come up before, so my apologies in advance. Do folks have a recommendation for suppliers of circuit board making materials, or a good source of such information? I've found a number of web sites and read them. The difficulty is in knowing which place has better/cheaper/easier supplies than other places--knowledge which generally comes with experience. And several of my other questions are the kinds that generally aren't answered on websites but that one learns from experience. One complication is that I want to make a few different designs which need to be on .050" thick board. Standard board these days is .062", which rules out the affordable proto-type services that I have used in the past. In fact, I have not been able to find precoated board (photoresist coated) in the .050" thickness. So I will either need to use a liquid photoresist or try a toner transfer system. That raises other questions. Are the Toner Transfer Systems reliable (doesn't leave broken/smeared traces)? What resolution (line and spacing thickness) can one generally get with them? The TTS would be simpler. I wouldn't need liquid PR, developer and stripper, plus a UV source. If the TTS is not servicable, then I'll try the liquid photoresist. Would it be better to simply spray on, or should I try to rig a spinner? Do the developer and/or stripper usually turn out to be some commonly (cheaply) available chemical? I would prefer to avoid paying $6+ for a small bottle if I can avoid it. Thank you for any info or pointers to info. Jeff Walther