Johannes is on a break,  but  from talking with him about some of the work he does, he seems to be associated with several vintage race teams and welds on a lot of rare parts we don't see everyday on domestic autos. Sometimes the repairs seem to not make sense as opposed to just replacing the part because the part is no longer available or so rare that a repair is worth the time and effort.

hope this helps,

Jody

the main reason seems to be that a weave leaves more residual stress and that reduces toughness and overall strength. Also grain growth can happen more with a weave whereas stringers have less overall heat input and tend to temper the beads under them.  

hope this helps,

jody

another option that doesnt require much metal is this simple padding beads drill.  It helps to have 2 pieces so that one can cool off while you weld on the other.  https://welderskills.com/programs/13welderskills-crs-padding-jazzy-end

this video might help https://welderskills.com/programs/13welderskills-crs-padding-jazzy-end

Always is a strong stance. Mill scale varies and on tubing, sometimes mill scale is very light. but on thick hot rolled plate, can be very thick.

I think you will get better results removing it 9 times out of 10.  

A short enough stickout to me is 1/2" or less and that is the distance from the contact tip to the arc.  so if the contact tip is recessed way back in the nozzle, that can be a problem for short circuit mig.  I like the contact tip to be at least flush or slightly protruding for short circuit mig. 

Sometimes the nozzle is adjustable but sometimes its not and this requires trimming the nozzle or buying a separate nozzle depending on the machine.

nital etch is difficult to find.  but good alternative I found is PCB etch with ferric chloride. you can easily order from amazon 

I hope these videos help. All machines are a bit different, but the settings I used should let you get some good ripples and still get good penetration.

best of luck,

jody

merry Christmas to you as well.

Since the Diversion torch is hard wired, this is not a simple task.

I found this video on youtube that I think will help you decide if you want to proceed. https://youtu.be/0BdMI-2dk50?si=VYggV48omNBkW52P

CK super flex cables are really nice but swapping on the miller diversion will require some effort.

best, Jody

since it is scratch start with no switch or amperage control, snapping out of the puddle is the way to terminate the weld.

I would say only use the stickout you need to see the puddle and tip of tungsten properly.

rule of thumb in my opinion is to try not to exceed the cup size for stickout.  So for a #8 cup would be 1/2".  If you have too much stickout, you can lose gas coverage but with a gas lens, its pretty forgiving within reason.

These practice joints could easily be welded using a smaller cup like a #7 with less stickout if you want to save argon.