I agree, welding just takes practice and a little common sense. Having an experienced welder with you to give you a few pointers saves on a few common mistakes and can give you many tips to make you more comfortable much quicker. During tech school we spent 3 weeks on welding and it was pretty easy to get a decent weld after the first day or two. As time went on and you start to learn what works for you may not be the same as for everyone, but the tips you can get from a good welder will help more than anything else besides practice. Those welds look good Dan for how much experience you have. Like someone else said, you could use a little more filler rod but very even and consistent. Keep up the good work, you got some ambition and are very intelligent.