First weld, need feedback

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Hello All,    Finally got my setup working and this is the first weld I have tried.  I tried welding together 3 1/8" alumium pieces.  I can't tell if I needed more heat or I was going to fast.  I was worried that I was going to burn though so I was sort of going fast or it felt like I was going fast.  I was also using MIG 1100 wire and it seemed like I need something thicker as I couldn't feed it in fast enough it felt like.  I know the weld looks horrible but if you could point me in the right direction.  I only have a limited amount of scrap metal so would like to limit the obivious mistakes.Also pieces were fitted right next to each other.  Would have been better to use a .040" gap or bevel the edges?  This is my first welder and only going off of instructinal DVD's and books.thanks in advance
Reply:Brent878, welcome to the forum. FYI - the people that can give you feedback will want to know machine settings, materials, and other parameters.  i'm here to learn too, so i can't comment on your welds.  i won't even pretend to be able to. Have a good one.
Reply:Originally Posted by filletheadBrent878, welcome to the forum. FYI - the people that can give you feedback will want to know machine settings, materials, and other parameters.  i'm here to learn too, so i can't comment on your welds.  i won't even pretend to be able to. Have a good one.
Reply:Did you change any settings at all between the welds?  I always screw up by changing multiple variables at a timeI have a magic device that lets me talk to people all over the world.  I mostly use it for nonsense.This future brought to you by TapatalkOwner of a classic car.
Reply:Originally Posted by Mr.AsaDid you change any settings at all between the welds?  I always screw up by changing multiple variables at a timeI have a magic device that lets me talk to people all over the world.  I mostly use it for nonsense.This future brought to you by Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by Brent878No settings were changed between the welds.  Didn't even turn the torch off between welds so the flame was exactly the same size for both welds.
Reply:Originally Posted by Mr.AsaBy no means am I an expert, but it appears that there is a significant change in technique between them.You said you thought you were going too fast, were you holding the torch at the same height?I have a magic device that lets me talk to people all over the world.  I mostly use it for nonsense.This future brought to you by Tapatalk
Reply:I cant comment on speed or heat, but when I was learning my teacher made us start with cold passes, no heat, no power.  He just let us get comfortable with the tools, our grips, and our posture.  Once we started to think about how we planned to weld the piece in front of us actually doing it became a lot easier.I have a magic device that lets me talk to people all around the world.  I mostly use it for nonsense.This future brought to you by TapatalkOwner of a classic car.
Reply:Ok, progress has been really slow.  Been able to pratice 1-2 hours a week which comes about to be about 1.5 hours of prep time and 30 min of actual welding, hehe.  I understand this is how good welding is so I am just getting into the habit of just spending the time to do the prep work even on scrap metal.  But that comes to my problem, I am just not getting alot of "hood" time.  So my goal is to maximize the limited hood time I have so I can progress better.  Also past 2 weeks I have been praticing annealing so my welding time has suffered.  I am looking into welding classes but just don't have the free time.  My community college has a beginner class for around $400, I am seeing if maybe next fall I can make some time.  Is that a average price?  I am a home hobbist with no intentions to make money off of welding but would like to be proficient.  But anyways on to my crappy progress.top:Root:Top:Root:specs:Torch: Meco Midget Torch tip: number 3oxy: 3 psiact: 2 psifiller rod: Tig filling rod (trying out different rods, not sure what kind it is, just spares I had lying around the garage)material: unknown alum (most likely 6061)I am having a hard time telling if I am running the flame too hot or too cold.  Can you tell from the pictures?  I kinda feel like the flame is too cold but don't have enough expiereince to really tell.  Really feels like once I get the puddle going the whole piece gets too hot, espically at the end of the weld (I know it should heat up at the end, just don't know how to control it).  I just don't know if my flame is correct to begin with so I don't know if the problems I am having are caused by me (technic) or becuase I am starting out with the wrong tip/flame size.  Also controlling the heat is hard for me, I used to pull the flame away to control heat but all I have noticed is that it makes the puddle wider.  I saw makoman1860 make a suggestion in someone else's thread to use the angle of the torch to control heat.  That made alot of sense to me but when trying it the way I hold my torch make it difficult to change the angle.  I am working on that now.
Reply:Well, I'm a welding rookie so I can't give you any advice except for:If you are just getting started welding, don't try to learn by trying to weld aluminum with an oxy/fuel setup. Get some steel to work on.