General stick welding question

[its_34]

I know it's rather unconventional, but for short welds I like to just hold the electrode and let the stinger rest on the back of my hand. I get better control when the electrode is long. Probably because I usually TIG weld everything. SMAW is one of those things I have to do for a while to get the feel back, if I've gone a long time without doing any.
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That's smart. I was struggling with 1/8" rod, can't imagine how 3/32 or 1/16 would have been. For tig work, I have to keep my hands very close too. Watching people feed rod from 18" away without a wiggle amazes me.

[cbmkr]

That's smart. I was struggling with 1/8" rod, can't imagine how 3/32 or 1/16 would have been. For tig work, I have to keep my hands very close too. Watching people feed rod from 18" away without a wiggle amazes me.

Used to Run 7018 & 8018 1/4" 36" rods repairing winch drums for Armco Steel took some getting used to as your arm was way up in the air.

[youngnstudly]

Used to Run 7018 & 8018 1/4" 36" rods repairing winch drums for Armco Steel took some getting used to as your arm was way up in the air.

Whoa, I bet it took a "few" amps to burn that 1/4" rod! How fat of a bead did that lay down in your particular application?