The welds do not look very good, but after a good old hammer test, they appeared to be reasonably strong.
After this trial I bought some welding spray to reduce the splatter.
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Buying a MIG welder was definitely a good decision, and as I am getting more confident with welding I am also starting to enjoy it a bit more.
I would not be able to do more serious structural welding at this stage, but I am confident that I will learn to weld good enough for this purpose. However, I need to practice a bit more.