Ties dont have to be so fancy as what aftermarket offers. They're over engineered in my opinion. A few pieces of about 1 inch wide flat bar will serve the purpose and not as likely to collect gravel.
I'm a Union Sheetmetal fabricator by trade, I had access to the equipment it took about 5 minutes to complete. I think they look as nice as the aftermarket plates, and didnt cost a dime.
