Well, I've got 20 pieces of 0.25" cold roll rod @ 72" long, a welder and an auto darkening helmet... home from work after 5pm and I'll be welding up my prototype stabilizer that is currently held together with zip ties and electrical tape LOL.
If that goes well, I'll be ripping through several more sized for 110/120's and 150's

May also build a 330 H-stand this week... if all goes well tonight LOL

Post some pics.

I would strongly suggest this.

Well, that was a bit of a fiasco LOL. I won't make excuses, I am not good at this LOL.
Having said that, it appears that my two pieces of steel are joined together and quite unwilling to separate... success? Maybe if I hit it with a cup brush?

That looks like some of my early stick welding.
All it takes is practice.

I would get one that can take gas, so you can run mig. They weld alot better and easier than flux core. I got a cheapo that can take gas, and I use it to weld laminations and small stuff around the shop. When it comes to bigger projects, I either use a friends nice miller mig welder, or my stick welder. Either way, you will like the little rig for welding on traps or odds and ends, but ya, it aient a big project set up. Either way, youll know how to run it in less than a day. There is nothing to running a wire welder

Wire speed is simply too fast. Take a piece of steel and clamp the ground on. Put the tip of the gun near it and press the trigger. Adjust the wire speed with your other hand until you hear a nice, smooth, buzz. If its sputtering, its too fast or too slow.

This won’t get you fine tuned, but it’ll get you close.

Yes,adjust wire speed and make sure you have a good ground.

I would also suggest you hold the tip no more than 1" from whatever you are welding and push away from yourself instead of towards yourself while welding.

I'm going to try again in a few days... stay tuned

Not the worst I’ve seen especially for someone just learning, but you may want to take a grinder and clean it really nice and reweld just in case.

Was planning on hitting it with an angle grinder, but it turns out mine is in storage. I thought for sure there would be one here where I am living right now, but no such luck.

I bought one of their little blue welders quite a few years ago it;s still working fine. I did modify it a few years ago and converted it to a DC out put makes less splatter and a little smoother weld. Either way it works fine for all my trapping stuff and small jobs . On mine I have the wire feed set on around 6 and I hold the tip right around 1/2 inch from the work. Being thats its flux core I took off the gas shield nozzle make it a little easier to see what your doing and getting into tight spaces.
J

Nice thread, Slydogx.

You can run gas with flux core also

Yes, but you need to use "dual shield" wire rather than the normal "self shielding" flux core . At least as it was explained to me, I believe the shielding gas from the tank will interfere with the shielding gas inside the wire. Could probably run a decent bead with it, but I think it compromises the quality and depth of the weld.

I'd have recommended waiting and buying a machine that gas shields also, but with some practice, you'll be able to do want you said it's for.
Doubt you'll get as nice of welds but it'll stick together.

I have to wonder how people commenting here have even used self shielded wire very often, or understand how it works and it's purpose. Doesn't seem like very many.

I have used a lot of it. The only real advantage I ever saw was welding outside in the wind. It may get better penetration, but that is not an issue with the type welding he's looking at doing. Any welder will stick 2 pieces of 1/4 rod together, but there is a big difference in the looks of the weld and enjoyably of actual act of welding.

My Century welder was set up for flux core when I bought it. My welds looked like yours for awhile. Try steading your hand with your other hand 2 fingers on the bench. I noticed you missed the center between the rods several times. steading your hand will help that. I converted to gas and my welds look better now. Now as much splatter. Keep practicing.
just