After scouring the internet for weeks, I sure am glad to have found you guys. I did some searching around this forum and didn't find the answer to my question, so here it is.
I have a car that has some rust. I need the area removed, and replaced with new steel. I would love to pay an welder looking for sidework rather than an auto body shop. What do you think is fair? What are hourly rates typically? What certifications should I ask for? I am willing to work with a newer welder. Would this be TIG/spot welding? And would I be mistaken if I thought the welder could do all that is necessary to prepare the area for painting?
Fortunately, I have a step by step guide of EXACTLY what I need. The only exception is that my car is a coupe, as opposed to the hatch featured here. That is relevant because of space between my bumper and the rust is larger, negating the need to disassemble the rear panel.
I apologize in advance if this doesn't belong in this forum, but I just didn't find many resources dealing with this topic.
Here is the step by step article on my repair:
http://www.civic-eg.com/viewtopic.php?t=24