I don't know the best way to implement this content into the wiki or if the author is on the forums here, but I discovered that the README file in this git repository explains how to build OpenWRT images and create your own custom packages better than what I've found on the official documentation sections:
Specifically:
https://github.com/mwarning/openwrt-examples/raw/master/README.md
The README file renders better if you go to the main Git repo than going directly to the file linked above.
Check it out - it explained some things I had been wondering about.