Yeah the most we did with the welds was a wire brush and buffer wheel on a side cutter. It seald up nicely and didn't cause any issues. No leaks either. I ASSumed when doing all this that the axle seals being on the inside would create the seal and not the mating face of the brackets and axle tubes. Worked out well in my favor!

Oh, were you talking about the green cup rubbing the brackets? There is a tiny gap (still there with the welds) between the green cup and the brackets.