All I can say for the last few posts is YES you can learn on your own but then again, it could look great from the outside after you hit the slag off (if your stick welding) and look like it penitrates but you need to KNOW if it is a good weld. Take a bead across some metal, etc with a few different settings. Some will come out good, others wont. Now take those good ones and see which one you THINK did the best. Now take a grinder to that weld and grind it down. You may find pinholes or if you stick weld it you could find slag under it as well. Just make sure your doing it RIGHT not make sure it just LOOKS good and right.
See my point?