Please Critique My First Ever Beads

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I have been setting up my garage to weld in for the last month and today I finally decided to try it out.  I have never welded before but have researched the proper method of how to stick weld.  I am using a Lincoln AC-225 with 6013 1/8th inch Lincoln electrode.It took me a few tries to get the spark going as you can tell in the first pics but after that I got the hang of it.I would appreciate any feedback you all can give.  Am I moving too fast or too slow?  To much or too little distance...etc?   I started at 90 amps then went to 105 and finally to 120First attempt at 90 amps105 amps120 ampsAll of them
Reply:Not bad for first tries Looks like you want to slow way down, and work on being steady. You look a little shakey in places there, but just keep practicing!![Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:My chart shows 6013 on AC should be run between 110-150 amps. One big mistake new welders do is to move too fast. You should be able to lay roughly a 6-8" bead with  one rod of 1/8" 6013 at say 130 amps..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by LanseNot bad for first tries Looks like you want to slow way down, and work on being steady. You look a little shakey in places there, but just keep practicing!!
Reply:I burned some more rod today and the 1/2 inch plate I was using to practice on ended up bowing on the front right edge and my 1" table top bowed downwards.  Did I practice too long or not give enough time for the base metal to cool down in between rods?Here are some pics:You can see the bow in the metal in this pic better.
Reply:If your just practicing I wouldnt worry too much about the plate bowing.     When you weld close to the edge there is no where for the heat to escape to causing it to bow.You are doing great for just beginning.   With your machine I'd practice at 120 amps for that rod and 7018 if you have any.  The other thing you can use to practice is flatbar.   You can but them together lap them and make T welds.   Its what I used to learn on when I first started.The one thing i noticed is you have a lot of splatter.   With SMAW you can run a tighter arc Keep your electrode a lot closer to the plate that will eliminate most of the spatter.   Keep the arc the same length as the electrode thickness.“I'm going to do the thing that God put Galen Beasley on this Earth to do:Have Salon quality hair and weld.Nothing like a good cup of coffee and the smell of 6010 burning in the morning. 971-204-3444 cell API ASME Structural NDT and Repair
Reply:Another thing you might try is to make a continuous layer of beads.  Basically the same as you are doing except overlap your beads by 1/3 to 1/2 instead of leaving a small gap between them.  This will help you get the most out of your scrap metal and teach you to tie in your beads.
Reply:Originally Posted by galencwiIf your just practicing I wouldnt worry too much about the plate bowing.     When you weld close to the edge there is no where for the heat to escape to causing it to bow.You are doing great for just beginning.   With your machine I'd practice at 120 amps for that rod and 7018 if you have any.  The other thing you can use to practice is flatbar.   You can but them together lap them and make T welds.   Its what I used to learn on when I first started.The one thing i noticed is you have a lot of splatter.   With SMAW you can run a tighter arc Keep your electrode a lot closer to the plate that will eliminate most of the spatter.   Keep the arc the same length as the electrode thickness.
Reply:I would tie your beads together and weld up a coat of weld bead like you are building up the plate.  if it is 1/4 inch plate I would build it up to 1/2-5/8 inches.  It makes for good practice for when you need to buildup where metal has been wore down.  It also allows you to save some money cause you won't be spending it on new metal to practice with.  eventually you will want to build a project.  I would buy a stick of angle iron and cut it into 4 inch pieces.  I would then weld all the 4 inch pieces together in various configurations practicing all the joint designs.
Reply:I don't see any pics..Just little square empty boxes......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Originally Posted by Scott YoungI would tie your beads together and weld up a coat of weld bead like you are building up the plate.  if it is 1/4 inch plate I would build it up to 1/2-5/8 inches.  It makes for good practice for when you need to buildup where metal has been wore down.  It also allows you to save some money cause you won't be spending it on new metal to practice with.  eventually you will want to build a project.  I would buy a stick of angle iron and cut it into 4 inch pieces.  I would then weld all the 4 inch pieces together in various configurations practicing all the joint designs.