Good bead?

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I am a 16 year old Canadian high school student, I was hoping I could get some feedback from some of the professional career welders. So as I was welding today, another student had entered my booth and was watching me weld, I heard him snicker after I laid horrible butt weld. So to save some face and prove I could actually weld I quickly laid a surface bead with the 6010 rod I was using for the butt weld. After I chipped off the majority of the slag and brushed off most of the rest, this bead was reveled. Keep in mind this was using a 6010 electrode, and I have welded under 10 times. I took it to my teacher, who had worked as a welding foreman up on the patch for 3+ years, he said it was a better then he could do with a 6010.That was the original butt weld, with the slag still on it.
Reply:Not bad at all. 6010 can be tough to make nice looking welds. Just keep practicing..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:If there is one thing I've learned in the short time I've been in class...it is to not worry about anyone but yourself and progress at the rate that is best for you. So you made an ugly weld?...Do it better next time!
Reply:Its the kids that think they weld great, that end up weldink a tree stand or a car improperly, and get hurt from it. The most they will hurt you is your pride. Keep at it. A pretty weld means nothing without proper technique.
Reply:Nice going kid,the people that snicker and laugh at others work,do not go to far in life.You just concentrate on practicing and learning how to do it properly and the jokers will fall by the wayside.Lincoln Electric Square Wave Tig 275JD2 Bender & Notcher Old 3 phase compressor
Reply:Originally Posted by LECONice going kid,the people that snicker and laugh at others work,do not go to far in life.You just concentrate on practicing and learning how to do it properly and the jokers will fall by the wayside.
Reply:Bit of an update I guess. First of all he and I are friends he was just bull****ting with me, we are naturally competitive. Anyways I can lay surface beads like butter now, but I always have too much whip and just the right build, or too much build and just the right whip. But the moment I get into an actual joint weld… well it don't work so good. I think honestly it's just me getting excited just like, "Yes I finally have it right!" aaaand then horrible weld. Even on coupons that don't have a bevel I'm always laying to one side or I have a hard time striking an arc without getting the electrode stuck. Any suggestions?Last edited by CanadianStickTeen16; 06-11-2014 at 12:04 PM.
Reply:Practice.... Big "trick" to welding, whether it's tig, mig or stick, is to learn to read the puddle. Sounds simple, but there's no easy way to do this except to practice. Only you can figure this out. Eventually you will have an "Ah ha!" moment and everything will start to make sense. You just need to keep running beads trying to pay as close attention to the puddle and determining what is and slag and what is molten metal trying to ignore the arc.I've seen plenty of guys who can get by doing flat and maybe horizontal welds using "timing patterns", At best they are 2nd rate welders. As soon as the have to do vertical or over head welds, they just can't make it happen. Once you can read the puddle, everything gets easier..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