Thanks for all the input and the excellent advice. The original post was from December, 2007, and I've made significant progress since then, but some of the items posted in the last two days are also new to me. Particularly using using muriatic acid to remove the zinc. The polarity was wrong in the photos I had posted; Shenion was the first one to mention it to me and correcting it made a huge difference.
Shenion, I have a bed frame to play with, but when you say "stainless steel" wire, what exactly would I ask for at the welding supply shop? So far, I only use L-56 or the equivalent.
Shenion, I have a bed frame to play with, but when you say "stainless steel" wire, what exactly would I ask for at the welding supply shop? So far, I only use L-56 or the equivalent.