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What Red said .......... you'll want the thicker material to be a bit hot. From tacking and grinding off or a torch? But the flux core won't have to work as hard if it's already halfway up to temp. I usualy set 3 tacks going around making sure it's postioned just right. And then gring them down one at a time and do a longer run out. Letting the heat penetrate a bit by going slower on high setting if your using the h.f. mig......(each brand of wire acts a bit different too)................ Soon as your done welding one short pass. Hit with the wire wheel to clean it up. Then right away while it's still hot grind the other tack down to almost smooth and run another longer weld. Going slow again pointing slightly more at the thicker material to make the heat penetrate..... If your lense if not scratched up and all. You should be able to watch your puddle pool out............Gravity does play a hand in welding too. It's much easier to weld something if your able to put it in a vise or turn it so your work area is on top.

Not sure if your welding a sissy bar or tabs. But just for shits and giggles. When I make my curved sissy bars out of like 7 round pieces all cut and curved. I nail them to a piece of plywood after coping each connection. And slightly back grinding each end also. For a place for the weld to build up. I put a heavy tac at each junction. Pull the nail hammer anything out of line from heat flast again. And flip it over nail it again and then heavy tack on the other side. Then I start the above procedure................With lots of grinding....... A good wire wheel makes a world of differance when using a flux core welder. All that slag and splatter have to be GONE before making your next pass........ I keep 3 angle grinders at the ready whenever I'm welding. Cutting wheel, grinding wheel, and a good wire wheel. And I use the wire brush on my electrode tip after each and every pass to keep the tip clean.