Need tips and suggestions for Arc welding

[89roadster]

I'm trying to arc weld some trim holes closed using the stitch welder. The welder is a Campbell Hausfield 110v arc welder and I'm using fast fill rods rated for 115v and 20amps (breaker rating I am assuming). My problem is that I'm not getting a good puddle of molten metal - it kind of piles up like (sorry for the imagery) a pile that my dog leaves in the backyard. If I turn up the amperage at all past the 45-55 amps, I start loosing the original sheet metal quickly.

Any tips or suggestions? Please don't suggest a MIG or TIG, I would love to have one, just don't have the $$$.

Thanks in advance.

[JRM]

can you put any type of backer behind the holes? In the past when i had to stick weld sheetmetal holes I would fish a plain sheetmetal screw from behind and stick the point out the hole and hold it with vice grips. start my weld and then remove the grips and finish the weld. Then take a cut off wheel to the tip of the screw to make it fluch then wizwheel the remainder flush. Follow that with a DA and 80grit to finish smoothing it. After all holes were done put a thin skim coat of lead or bondo over the area and final sand the faint waves smoothe.

[89roadster]

can you put any type of backer behind the holes? In the past when i had to stick weld sheetmetal holes I would fish a plain sheetmetal screw from behind and stick the point out the hole and hold it with vice grips. start my weld and then remove the grips and finish the weld. Then take a cut off wheel to the tip of the screw to make it fluch then wizwheel the remainder flush. Follow that with a DA and 80grit to finish smoothing it. After all holes were done put a thin skim coat of lead or bondo over the area and final sand the faint waves smoothe.

Thanks for the advice, on some the holes are accessible from behind, but on most there is a U-channel that covers the back of the holes.

[dasman]

sounds to me like you have a few things going on.......1st where do you store you rods? sounds like they might have moisture in them? second slow down on your feed rate move slower and in overlapping circles kinda pushing the weld into place if you follow,try dropping down to 3/16 rods.