All of this is a lot to take in. My head is spinning.
There is a lot of talk of using a MOSFET driver. This is something I'm looking into and need to learn about.
So far I was thinking of using IR2301 as a driver and supplying it with 5v from a buck converter.
As to the thicker wires. I think I'll knock something up using perfboard so the MOSFET is not directly connected to the breadboard.
I'm really appreciating all this input I'm getting from everyone. It's giving me a lot to think about.