Hey Mike,
I can only confirm Castlenock - it is a painful process to learn!
And I can add that there is no way around it!
You have to do it yourself because only you know what exactly you need and want.
There are probably as many workflows out there as there are 3D sculptors.
They are also often called artists, and that is for a reason! 
I think reconstruction is probably the easiest way to go in most cases, especially with artificial (and therefore geometrically regular) objects.
How about trying a simple CAD or sculpting program?
If it is a Hobby, of course SektchUp is a good free option.