That's a sad story and I feel for you. I'd come and give you a hand if I was near, but I'm about 3000 miles off.

I will offer some advice though, and that is that it's a really, really, bad idea to even think about welding on an axel flange. The axel and it's hub are forged from one piece of steel for a reason.

Like springs, truck frames, and steering parts, axels are made from alloy steels which are hardenable. Hardenable materials are crack sensitive to welding and when you mix that with cyclic loading you have the perfect recipe for disaster.

I don't want to read in the papers that your kittens are orphans and you were last seen on the interstate driving on 3 wheels.

If you can't get the studs seated then look for a used half shaft. It's not worth the risk.