I'd migged alum... V it out and preheat it.. I
normally do both sides.. make sure its clean
Doing both sides not a problem and the crack is all the way through.
Trying hard not to get mad at the kid, don't want to discourage him.
I bet he feels worse then you do. I remember when I was 8, I was washing my dad's car with the very abrasive "Comet" clreaner, couldn't understand why the more I scrubbed, the browner It got (primer)
. Might be a good time to share with him something yiu did as a kid that shows we all do things we are embarrassed about, but life goes on. Its a life lesson that can be fixed. Doesn't look like a highly stressed location, but the pic doesn't show much. I would not mig the crack, tig for me. If it gets vee'd to a point, from both sides, the crack will automatically be clean, regardless, don't get the crack wet without rapidly drying the crack, Drilling a hole achieves little if you are welding it before any use. The brake cleaner suggestions are spot on.
