I still remember my welding instructor telling the class "practice, practice, practice, there are no excuses, just the lack of practice, practice, practice". That was 45 years ago and I remember it like yesterday.

Again, not trying to criticize... But, 45 years ago it was not a good practice to keep going over welds to smooth them out and fill large gaps. Maybe things have changed, but back then we would have removed the part and starting over with a better fit and weld..

Sorry, but welds especially in stress areas need to be as good as they look (stack of dimes), your life and possibly someone else's may depend on it. Might be time for a welding refresher course.. JMHO