Ask HN: How do i best set up a wireless Mesh Network?

The Wikipedia page is rather vague and i have downloaded a bunch of PDFs from all over which i am working through. Is there a recommended primer for establishing a wireless Mesh?

The goal is for me and my buddy, knowing very little about networking and internets, to set up a wireless mesh of off a Townhall's internet connection. We are more concerned with the physical structure of the Mesh Nodes and making them as cheaply as possible with ingredients that can be obtained by most people.