AsterAnts vs LunarAnts

> Centrifuges are also hard to build, require power, and tend to make what
> ever they are on turn when they start and stop.

I don't agree that they are hard to build, you don't necessarily
have to start and stop them, power is available.

> To put hot metal that will move
> about on them could create a lot more problems.

It's been done...

> Changing from copper to calcium won't making wire-making easier.

Not necessarily easier, I agree, but Calcium is generally more
abundant.

> The "wild temperature swings, no obvious power source for 1/2 the month,
> quite significant gravity and the sharp, glassy dust problems Apollo found.
> Also the moon is quite low on volatiles." are basically because the Moon
> does not have enough gravity to hold an atmosphere and it rotates.

Roughly.

> These
> problems are comparable for asteroids.

That probably isn't the case, the history of the lunar material and
asteroidal material are quite distinct. Many asteroids appear to
contain volatiles, the moon does not.

> The lunar poles, however have a ~ >
> trillion tons of water each (in craters where the temperature is probably
> below 40 K) near mountain tops which are in the sunlight all of the time.

Yes, but at the moment it's believed that this may be spread over
very large areas and may not be economic to mine. More information
is needed however.

> It is harder to get on and off the Moon, but maybe the advantage of
> proximity would be significant enough.

Proximity doesn't change the delta-v though; only the travel time.
If we send people then travel time is important (cosmic ray
radiation dose issues). Otherwise travel time is less so;
but finance can become more so.