I'm probably the worst person in the world to give you advice on how to properly weld, but my welds do hold, but aren't very pretty. Let me give you my feelings, and then some of the guys who really know this stuff can correct you and me.

Don't butt the parts tight against each other. Leave a gap of maybe 1/8 inch so the molten metal can flow into the valley. After you strike the arc, lean the rod in a 45 degree angle and drag the rod in the direction of the lean, while zig zagging the rod slightly to one side of the puddle then to the other, like you are stitching them together. You have the right amps when you are getting a sound like eggs frying. Go at a slow speed and watch the puddle to see how it is joining the two pieces together. Weld with the pieces horizontal where possible, as it lays down better, especially for a beginner.

Also, wear long sleeves and heavy gloves, and long pants. I just did some cutting with the torch, was wearing nothing but shorts, so I have burns all over the tops of my feet from sparks going into my socks.

You will also get a very bad sunburn from the uv if you aren't covered up.

Now let's see how the experts teach us where this info is wrong, and how to do it better.

Don