Dip filler (or let the electrode burn) until the puddle swells slightly above the surface. For stick, this happens automatically — just hold still.
Wire brush off the heavy rust. Don’t bother with acetone; you’re outside. puddle welding
Each puddle tells a story: here the welder paused because a gust of wind hit. Here the rod stuck for a second. Here the base metal was thinner than expected. A continuous bead hides those moments. A puddle weld preserves them. Want to learn puddle welding? Forget coupons. Get a piece of 16-gauge sheet metal. Drill a ½-inch hole in it. Weld it shut with 1/16-inch 7018 at 50 amps or .030 MIG at 16 volts. Dip filler (or let the electrode burn) until
Place the next puddle so that it covers 30-50% of the previous one. For a hole, start at the edge and spiral inward. Don’t bother with acetone; you’re outside
You will blow through. You will curse. You will grind off the bird droppings.
And that, for the people who actually do it, is more than enough.