Quote Originally Posted by rspears View Post
I'd say yes, you're going to need a welder to do your project. Trying to fab things, then take them to a welding shop and expect them to get everything positioned just right for welding isn't going to work well for you.

You would be smart to enroll in a class for basic welding, like here - https://www.csn.edu/programs/welding-technology. A good 220V MIG welder will serve you well.
Thank you. I could fit a welder into my budget and my local makerspace also has lessons for me to learn from. I might go ahead and do both of those things.