new to AC welding

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during my time in the metal shop at school i have become an excellent DC stick welder in fact good enough to pass a few of the certification tests without a problem. however i just picked up an old lincoln 225 AC welding machine, also known as "the tombstone" but i am having some problems with it, first off its much harder to strike an arc without sticking it a bunch of times, 2. i cannot produce a uniform "stack of dimes" quality weld that i am used to seeing on DC. and finally it doesnt matter what amperage the machine is set to, about half way though an electrode it gets cherry red and ruins the rod. so can anyone out there tell me if there is something wrong with my technique on AC or is there a problem with the machine? thanks!
Reply:what rods are you using ? they make AC only rods, and ones that work on AC &DCidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:i tried several different 7018 rods and a few old 6011's. they all have the same problems
Reply:You will find that AC stick is harder to start than DC and the arc is not as smooth- that's just the nature of the beast.Some 7018s just don't like AC, especially "buzz-box" welders which have relatively low open-circuit voltage. Try 7018AC rods, which are available at home despot and other "big box" stores. There you will also find Fleetweld 180, a type of 6011 made for AC welders, and Fleetweld 37 (6013) which is a popular general-purpose rod. These should give you better results with your Tombstone.JohnA few weldersA lot of hammersA whole lot of C-clamps