snip really good stuff!
Also, there is one gotcha on MIG welding that a lot of people seem to run
into when beginning to MIG weld. It is possible to lay a beautiful bead
only to find that it's mostly lying on top of the metal rather than having
penetrated into the metal. Don't ask me how I know about this one! :-D

IMHO the best way to learn not to do this is to learn to watch the puddle
instead of just zipping along looking at the cool arc and assuming
everything's working well. In other words, get some scrap and practice a
bit before you start on your project. It won't take long to get the hang of
it and you'll be very glad you did.

Best Regards,
Keith Marshall


Thanks Keith, very informative post. Do you think I am giving up on the AC
stick welder
too soon? Everyone on here says MIG MIG MIG and gives stories about how their 3
y.o.
welds car trailers with it. I wish I knew how the MIG would weld this compared
to the stick.
If it is going to take me 30 hours to weld this with the stick once I learn how
to actually get
the arc started once out of every ten strikes, and spending some cash on a MIG
setup would
mean I can do the job with equal strength welds in 5 hours, then it is worth it.

Sigh,

Rick