I can't believe how long this thread has been going. Must be the longest active thread here.
I would think the purchase price of a manufacture device would well worth the money if you shock somebody and they die. Always blame the manufacturer, some measure of legal protection. Kill somebody with a home built unit, and its manslaughter, and a judge will decide how justified you were to use deadly force.
To have any chance of being effective, you would need to practice and train yourself to use it effectively in a real situation. I'd think that time would be better spend learning a more effective means of self-defense. I mean, what are you going to do if the batteries are dead? What if you fumble and drop it? Gets knocked out of your hand? Bummer if it gets turned back on you... I just wouldn't want to put much reliance on a single defense. Got to be ready to do what you can with whatever is available...