welder/welding

Did anyone mention practice? Haha....welding takes hours and hours of practice. And once you think you've got it down, practice some more.

My dad taught me on an acetylene setup years ago, then I went to wire feed using flux core. Flux core welds (especially as a beginner) look terrible compared to some of the other processes. You get a lot more spatter and you have to chip away the slag afterwards. As @Charrlie_S mentioned, flux core is good for outside welding where a breeze might blow away your shielding gas.

You may need to adjust your settings. Too cold (not enough amperage) or too hot, wire feed speed wrong, travel speed wrong, wire stickout, gun angle, preparation of your material, all play a critical role in your results.

I agree on switching to a mix for mild steel. I only use argon for MIG aluminum and TIG, then I use 75/25 or 100% CO2 for MIG mild steel.

I like to illuminate my area with some sort of spot type light (not just overhead shop lighting) -- helps me see the puddle better and where I'm going without lightening my lens too much. I know guys who strap a headlamp to their hood, and someday I'll remember to get one.

Post some pictures of your welds, and hopefully someone smarter than me can decipher them.