i welded in between the gears so that little weld is about an inch and half thick, i use a very thin wire with alot of heat and start it inside the grove and work my way out leting it cake and fill in the gears. so the gears are WELDED together not just tacked in and the plate idea isent needed when you fill in the gears the right way. ur used to poeple that just weld the top pf the gears together and then weld a screw across the gears, witch is useless if you know how to fill in the gears for a super strong weld. the plate i welded on is just for looks.... i saw pbm do it and it gave it a nice look and shows that i care about what im doing
ive been welding for 5 years and i learned from my dad that has been welding for 30 years. on top of that i have close to 15k worth of welding machiens and gear at my house. i can weld from stainless to aluminum. not trying to sound like an ass hole but im legit and very professional about my welding and fabricating so if your not a welder dont say anything bro, i understand what your saying about it not looking strong but it is.