Thanks for the advice, guys. I've been asking around since I posted this and my suspicions have been confirmed - this is probably something that I shouldn't tackle myself with my limited welding experience. I had been trying to weigh the pros/cons of doing it myself, but I think the final outcome is far too important to get right rather than risk some sense of ego or pride of being able to say "I did it myself."

I've ordered a couple of parts and will be bringing it in to a framer next week. I'll be showing some before/after photos if everything turns out all right (or even if it doesn't, come to think of it...)

Thanks again for the advice.