For the 1/4" glass, you can also get U-shaped aluminum channels in the hardware store that finish it off nicely. If you're careful you can mount some handles too.

If you are going to do production runs of one neg in any quantity, a chest type or cabinet type is the way to go. It wouldn't take too much to build one. The commercial photog I used to work for built one for printing 8x10 color negs, complete with filter tray and dodging glass. It worked fine.