Welding Tips and Tricks

I just got my MM 180 working. I've done a fair amount of stick welding in the past where you 'strike' an arc by making contact between the tip of the rod and the work piece. With the MIG there is now a button to push and there is amount of wire stick out.

So my first attempts were not good. I started the arc by simultaneous moving the wire toward the work piece and pushing the buttom at the same time. More often than not my wire stickout grew and I wasn't even lying. I also must be moving to slow because with 16g steel I got to much build up and too much penetration. Several times I burnt through although I feel much of this was caused by multiple passes in the are of my practice sheet and it simply got too hot. I was using the settling suggested on the welder's placard.

Anyway can someone fill me in on the proper tecnnigue for starting the arc and maybe comment on how keep the stick out correct. I started with a stick out of about 1/2". I know my tip angle are all wrong

Another learning, and read this but needed to experience if for myself, I tried welding clearn metal and painted metal. This seem to create a real mess. I need to get a grinder to clean up after myself.

Thanks for any tips you can share. I will be taking a Miller classt the second week in December but wanted to get some time in before then.

Thanks.

http://welding-tv.com/2014/07/30/mig-we ... cs-part-1/
take a look at jodie videos. start with this one