First O/A welds.... be gentle

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So I got my bottles yesterday, set up the torch last night, and did my first welds ever with O/A today.  (As a digression, I did about 30 hours of Aluminum TIG "training" 8 years ago, but it wasn't really all that constructive, so this is really the first welding we're I've had any idea of what's going on...)So, without further ado, here they are:Now, I obviously blew a hole in the third one, and since I welded a box section, I couldn't take pics of the inside (dumb), but whaddya think?  (I'm thinking "more filler", and "more practice" )Thanks!Fox
Reply:I won't bust you.  It's hard if you are trying to OA weld.  I have said repeatedly that if you can learn to O/A weld first,  the rest will come naturally and easily.    Tig is as close as it comes to O/A welding.  The first time I ever tigged,  I did it very competently because it was just like OA but faster.   I think that the most tig people can pick it up reasonably well, but it still takes time.A little more filler, and hold the inner cone just above the work.Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:Sure is a funny looking penny.  Good going.  keep it up.
Reply:It looks funny because it's only .86 of a penny.  Thanks for the critique.
Reply:looks like your using too much oxygen.  Not real sure about the too much oxy, but it is kind of grainy might be because the weld is not clean or the photo.  Also,  too much force in your flame.  What size metal? other parameters?Good luck, keep practicing.
Reply:Metal was about 1/8" bed frame steel.Torch is a Smith AW1A (aircraft style) with the LT106 tip.  Oxy and acy were both at 10psi.  Trying to use dry borax as flux, but not sure how that's working.I'm pretty sure I had a neutral flame... adjusted the oxygen until I had no "feather", just a core little spike of white, then the much lighter blue flame around it.  Looks like the neutral flame from the books.
Reply:Whoaaaa Ok that might be part of the issue. First off, those tips your using are for brazing, and dont have the flame quality needed for fusion welding of steel. They are too harsh and lead to oxidation. You need the AW series tips for welding steels. The LT could work in a pinch if you happen to have a really good one, all of mine were not suitable, which is probably why they are sold as brazing tips. Second, you dont need a flux for what your doing, and its not even the right flux for what your doing, so skip it. Get the right tip design, drop the flux, and use a little feather on your inner cone to avoid going near oxidizing. Start with that and then lets see how you do. Good Luck!
Reply:Gahh.  Well, I guess I'll pick up some of the AW series.What would be the right flux for mild steel, and when do you need to use it?ThanksThe Noob
Reply:Actually solarflux B is used on alloy steels. For your standard "mild" steels, nothing is used. Its mainly when there is a heavy alloying element that is highly reactive to oxygen at elevated temperatures that a flux is sometimes used, and even then its mainly a backing flux. High nickle, and chromium alloys come to mind. Good Luck!