1. Keep a 1/4 � 3/8 in stickout (electrode extending from the tip of the contact tare needed for welding on dirty or rusty steel. 6. For best control of your weld bead, keep the wire directed at the leading edge of the weld pool. 7. When welding out of position (vertical, horizontal, or overhead welding), keep the weld pool small for best weld bead control, and use the smallest wire diameter size you can. 8. Be sure to match your contact tube, gun liner, and drive rolls to the wire size you are using. 9. Clean the gun liner and drive rolls occasionally, and keep the gun nozzle clean of spatter. Replace the contact tip if blocked or feeding poorly. 10. Keep the gun straight as possible when welding, to avoid poor wire feeding. 11. Use both hands to steady the gun when you weld. Do this whenever possible. (This also applies to Stick and TIG welding, and plasma cutting.) 12. Keep wire feeder hub tension and drive roll pressure just tight enough to feed wire, but don�t overtighten. 13. Keep wire in a clean, dry place when not welding, to avoid picking up contaminants that lead to poor welds. 14. Use DCEP (reverse polarity) on the power source. 15. A drag or pull gun technique will give you a bit more penetration and a narrower bead. A push gun technique will give you a bit less penetration, and a wider bead.
