AutoCad 2D :: Layering 1 / 2" Bars

I draw a lot of custom metal products at my work, many times they require an isometric view to fully understand what needs to be fabricated. I need to show what is welded on top of what, which usually involves me drawing out a whole line, and then large amounts of trimming to show what gets layered underneath. It is annoying but not so bad until the design gets changed, and then I basically have to start over again because any changes at all cause all the lines to not match up. Is there an easier way to do this?

I have tried drawing these in 3-d, but my computer freezes up on me too much. I was thinking if there was a way to draw something so that it is solid, I can then use draw order to show which bar is to be welded where. The only way I know how to do that now, uses solid hatching, and then prints the solid area solid black, and you can't see my anything but a black grid, not showing layers at all. I'm attaching an example of what I sometimes draw,

TRASH RACK.dwg