Welding Tips and Tricks

New at this and practicing. As per videos I've been watching, seems that people are running 7018 1/8 vertical at around 120 amps. I was attempting this, varying between 115- 125 amps (DC electrode +) and things just seem to be running wild. I have an old 250 amp AC/DC transformer, and just out of desperation, I backed off to 95 amps and yeah, things seemed to start coming together. Jody's right...being a beginner I was not running a tight enough arc at first, but now that I'm paying attention to that, I see hope. My question is: could the amperage adjustment on this old thing be that far off? Other procedures seem to follow conventional amperage guidelines, but even I can appreciate flat is very forgiving and probably accepts about any amperage I throw at it. The welder itself seems to operate OK in general.
Thanks,
Clifford

Every power source welds slightly different. Different brands of rod can weld slightly different. Every welder can have a slightly different technique. So what you see and read is a start point which you have to tweek relative to the above to find your own sweet spot. Get to know your power source with practice, it's probably a good one.

Any given welder (unless calibrated) unlikely. Will be either spot on or 10 amps off either way. Rental machines are always a gamble but we weld with them however they come. Just focus on what your seeing as you weld and what it looks like after you flip up your hood.

Well, what I'm SEEING does not look too bad - it's not like a real welder did it - but I don't have a lot of lumps, no spatter, and relative to my first efforts it's smooth. But do you think all this can happen and I still don't have viable penetration? At 95 amps, give or take, can the process take place and still give a strong weld?

There’s a lot of variables. Base metal thickness, rust, or mill flake, size of the part, angle of rod, travel speed, or width of the bead your trying to lay. But with 7018 it’s usually pretty obvious if you have lack of penetration. You would see it at the toes of the bead it would be cold looking/ not tied in.

Thanks everyone for the input. I can see there's no substitute for just burning rod - try and do it every day if I get a chance.