Wow, who ever considered copper to be cheap!? Also our hobbies...
The square pattern block can be made pretty quickly, considering that you got all the tools and accesories at hand and in right amount (not having to run into the store for more cutting discs etc
), for circular pattern I think it would take one third of time more (more drilling and cutting). Five hours total is pretty quick for punching the start holes, drilling, cutting, tapping and assembling. I think that it took me 5 hrs to get to this state of drilled, cutted and sanded block. Skills, skills...
Now the pic, circular, massacred one: