Learning Welding

My dad picked up a MIG welder complete with shielding gas tank a year or two ago. The first thing I needed was safety equipment (gloves and helmet). Once I started welding, I noticed that my welds looked bad, so I got a spool of flux core wire. To use this wire I needed to swap the polarity, but this welder cannot be swapped. I got a new welder, but my welds still looked bad. It turned out that the regulator was not allowing enough shielding gas flow. I got a new regulator, and my welds instantly improved. 

My first functional project is a watermelon cage to protect the watermelon in the garden from raccoons. I started with 2 10ft pieces of 3/8 rebar, and then cut it into smaller pieces. After I welded a frame, we attached chicken wire to the outside.