You can fret behind the slide for different chords...tune to open D (D A D F# A D), place your slide at any fret, and put a finger on the 3rd string on the fret below (pitchwise) the slide....voila! - instant minor chord!

Cool, huh?

There are some cool tricks to be done with a short , tight slide on the pinky.
you can fret a couple of notes on the heavy strings and use the mini slide in the light ones.
Raising the nut on a yard saler is a good idea. I've seen an adapter in a magazine, so you can raise the action on a better instrument without modifying it.
It seem important to mention that you might want heavier strings esecially the high E, B, and low E, since those are slacker for open tunings,
I use DGDGBD and DADGBD, because the parallel ocataves have some real punch to them.
If you go for Lap style playing, Aim for tunings that are based around thirds, especially for acompaniment.
O yeah Flat wound strings, less noise more note, althought the tone is a little thinner, it's a smoother ride.