Welding security grille using L-section

Hello all,

I'm thinking about welding up a security grille for a window which looks out onto a fire-escape at my unit.

My welding experience boils down to someone once telling me "max power and thinnest rod mate". I have a small Einhell arc welder that I was given a while back, along with a mask/gloves etc. To give myself a chance of coming up with something half useful I'm considering making this from mild steel equal angle L-section (40x40x4), as it seems to me it would be reasonably straightforward to layout, clamp and get a few blobs of metal onto the bits I want to stick together.

The welding rods I have are ancient. Worth getting a few new ones? What sizes should I be considering?

I've got a reasonable amount of floorspace to work on, but no nice flat metalworking table. Am I on a hiding to nothing? Maybe go with L-section for the verticals with flat bar bolted across using max-power stud-lock?

It's one of those if they want in, they'll get in situations, the grille is more about making it inconvenient to get stuff out of the window (or forcing any potential ne'er do wells to use the window ledge precariously located over a sizeable drop...)

Wal.

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Bake your rods at 200 for 1 hour in the oven and then test one, they'll usually be fine.