This is a weird and somewhat rare bracket for an enclosed outboard motor. They forgot to tilt the motor up and a speed bump did the rest.
Beveled only through half the face thickness. This keeps the parts from shrinking initially through the tack up stage. I typically trace the item onto my table for a reference throughout.
Then it's just a matter of drilling and welding a couple or a few inches at a time. The half thickness of base metal that was left helps to keep it original shape. Yes, it will shrink, but in many cases the metal had expanded somewhat before it broke. The trick is to shrink that out, using it against itself, if that makes any sense. You get a feel for it if you have welded a bunch of it. Yes, the holes drilled seemingly randomly and without care serve a purpose. Remember, I am welding full on 225 amps with an on/off switch. The way the holes are drilled is a crude, yet effective means of heat control. The welds don't mind it a bit.
Full penetration to the back side. When I have an open casting like this, I like to just get flush or even slightly less penetration just at the back side surface. Again, minimal shrinkage. I then like to groove the root with a die grinder and fuse a slightly built up zipper to it for additional strength. The reinforcement webbing on the back also helped with shrinkage, These can be welded after the original shape is secure. This photo showed that it did hold it's shape, without sacrificing penetration. Nothing worse than hearing that *TINK* after you have it closed up.
