Welding Tips and Tricks

Well they say a person has to start somewhere. I decided to build me a stand for my 10" drill press. It is not quite finished yet but I wanted to share it here.
I used some free scrap metal that I had laying around. It will have two swivel castors in the front and 2 small wheels on a welded axle in the rear.
I am going to cut out a section in the front for a handle.
The electrode I used was 1/8" 6013 and my machine set @ 80 amps. I ended up blowing through in some spots at the edge of the tubing.
I have included a picture of two welds = 1 weld is horrible and the other is acceptable. Not sure what I did wrong so maybe you can help.

Please, let me have it = Any suggestions/comments are needed. Thanks

Jesse

Thumbs up for your first project. It works and you're happy, thats all that matters.

Looks sturdy and the weld looks not too bad but I'am no expert because I haven't used stick for many years. One thing I would suggest is to securely clamp or bolt the drill to the base and test how stable it is. Most of the weight will be in the drill head which make it top heavy even without whatever stock you are using on the table. Any equipment that takes less than a real good shove to topple is a potential danger in my mind. Just a thought.

I'd be wary of the center of g being about 3" from the rear, when it is 5 - 6 feet tall it doesn't take much to pass the center of g.

If you have tip over problems just weld a tray in the bottom and stick some old weights from your barbells in it. Or eld a round bar across the correct place down there and add weights just like you would put them on a bar bell or a dumbbell. Good job for a first project.

I like it !!

I have a Delta brand drill press that looks identical to that one.
I've been beating the hell out of it for 13 years and it just keeps on going.
Best 100$ tool I ever bought. Nice stand!

All painted, got the rear axle and wheels on, added rubber stoppers to the front. Now it leans slightly forward to eliminate the worries of it tipping over in any direction. Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

NIce work! It's very handy to have things on wheels.

Some 1/2 inch plate on the bottom will help with c of g issues, it also acts as a shelf for "stuff" and unfortunately a swarf catcher.
Nice first project.