Not sure where you live, but if you live in or near a biotech city check out the auctions. Labs are always going out of business and stuff is sold for pennies on the dollar. I’m watching a few sonicators right now, but they always have ultrasonic baths. High end, lab grade, rates for tens of thousands of hours, cost a few thou brand new, go for less than $100. An auction I’m watching just had a VWR go for $30. That would significantly lighten the cost for the experiment. Then you’d have an ultrasonic bath, and I feel like that would be one of those things that every few years would come in outrageously handy once, and then again in a few more years.
www.ssllc.com if you live in New England. Got a lot of high end lab ware for cheap.