best way for me to repair my downpipes?

[aj1soad]

i was checking over my 03 fazer today and i noticed a small hole in the downpipes. i cant really afford to buy stainless stell ones at the moment so i need to try and repair it. am i better off takeing the downpipes off and cleaning the rust off then welding it? Ive checked the nuts that hold the downpipes and all of them can be opened so i dont have to worry about any seized ones. if this is the best option will i need like a new gasket or soemthing to re seal the downpipes? also what paint would you recommend for the downppipes? thanx