Hi Jimmy, used to be in the gas industry so it was all heavy gauge pressure vessels and structural steel, now it's a bit of all sorts. Cars, bikes, random ornaments made from crap.
Welcome to the forum
Welder/fabricator? Lightweight or heavy gauge metals?
Back in the day I was a plater in the shipyards and I see that's sometimes called a fabricator nowadays
1/ Unless the two fork stanchions are connected by an equaliser, then yes, they should be the same.
2/ I think the error was that you took it to a cowboy for a service...