O/A weld apperance

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I have just started to learn how to weld with my O/A setup the other day.It seems like O/A welding produces a lot smoother bead than the stacked dime look that you often see on tig welding. Do the difference come from the welding process itself or is it just a matter of what is preferred aesthetically?I'll attach a picture of some of my better attempts below. I've got some porosity on the right when I tacked the pieces together because I put a drop of filler before the base material was hot enough and then overheated it to make it flow out. I think it's the overheating that causes this.I know it's a little wiggly and uneven but comments are welcome nevertheless PS. I used 5/64" R60 filler because that is the only rod I have and the tip was size 1 or somewhere between 0 and 1 (we have different numbers in Europe). Attached ImagesLast edited by Pete.S.; 04-04-2013 at 08:18 PM.Reason: Added details about filler etc.
Reply:the appearance would be technic Dipping versus Laywireyou can produce oxy welds that look just like tig weldsMiller Xmt 350Lincoln Ln-25Ahp 200xSmith Gas Mixer AR/HTig is my Kung FuThrowing down dimes and weaving aboutInstagram http://instagram.com/[email protected]
Reply:Yeah, I'm a plasma welder user and the only problem you'll have is a steady hand.....you can weld most any metals in various combinations with gas.....just don't hang about too long once you get the melt going or the weld pool turns claggy......the metal oxidises and changes it's property.BTW, if you have previously stick welded a job and have a rough weld then going over it with gas will improve the outcome.Ian.
Reply:Tig produces much cleaner looking welds than O/A. If it were the other way around, O/A would be the talk of the town.  In the manufacturing world, mig and tig beat the old O/A method hands down.   Sure O/A is still used, but not like mig and tig.
Reply:looks a lot better than my attempts..you are off to a good start.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:I have a couple of coupons in my shop from my OA classes over 20 yrs ago. I really enjoyed the class. The welds look pretty good, faintly tig like but a bit fuzzier.I do know that no one was talking stack of dimes to us back then, much more focus on tying your toes in and concerns about undercut.  It's been so long since I've tried it. I want to say I was working left to right dragging the torch on the pieces I saved.