[legion]

I think I finally got it dialed-in last night. As we are welding on 1/16" scrap, hot start is not so important (had it on a very low setting).

Arc force was a little more tricky. A "crisp" flame (high arc force setting) helps prevent sticking of the electrode, but results in a crappy-looking weld. I set it as low as I could without the electrode sticky excessively. I went for a setting of 4.2 on a scale of ten.

I also figured out:
1) The electrodes we are using are notorious for sticking. I can't recall the number.
2) The instructor starts up the oven as soon as we walk into the lab. It's better to get electrodes one-at-a-time as each successive one will be drier (and easier to use) than the last. The last class I grabbed 8 while the oven was still cool and had nothing but problems.