John, you're almost there on the prep. Grind those joining ends almost to a point.You need to be sure the first tack gets to the center of the rod. It's obvious that your "welder" neighbor didn't understand the prep necessary. If you have a piece of aluminum angle, that's a good thing to use to keep the parts in alignment for welding. Clamp each piece in the trough of the angle. Once the first pass is done, then remove the angle and finish the welding just a little proud of the original surface.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
