Any way this isn't a crack?

Cuda416 said

I totally agree the process is more involved than "this works and that doesn't" and largely depends on the situation. I'd juts never seen the "Dye" method before.

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I once worked as a machinist in a company that cast SS and bronze propellers. They used the crack-checking dye all the time to detect surface cracks which appear frequently in the casting process. Once detected, they would grind or electrically "scarf" out the crack till they find solid metal, then weld it back up.