Cannot get my Arc welder to work, any ideas?

[Robotstar5]

i use the earth clamp with plate on to strike and warm rod up before use .note it hasnt been used yet it saves this mess

Or this mess....

 

[Richard.]

Put some pics up of your welds. Do not be worried about how they look . It gives a rough idea of technique and something to offer guidance on.

 

[Adam Devir]

Your electrodes will strike better when they are hot, a lot of stick welders will warm up the rods by striking them on a piece of scrap to break the coating, (often called a splash block or strike plate) before quickly moving onto the joint while the end is still glowing,
another method is to use run on plates, a short piece of scrap tacked to the beginning of the joint so that you can establish the arc properly before you hit the joint, run off plates at the finish can also be used.

Ah ok Paul, Yeah that makes sense alright as I noticed it flowed alot better when it was red hot..So will do that next time! Thanks Alot for that tip!!