Ok so after looking at that crap I was calling a weld last night, I knew it wasn't going to fly. So after a much needed chat with member Originalthor about welding, I ran down to princess auto and picked up some butt welding clamps. These things are AMAZING and combined with the technique tips that Originalthor gave me, I was able to produce a MUCH nicer looking piece. Just tacked in place for now but Im now confident that I can make it look right. So here are the progress pictures.