wikipedia says welding aluminum by means of stick welding is possible but i have always been told TIG is the only way to weld aluminum. what do i need in order to stick weld aluminum? BTW i have a Lincoln Electric AC 225 Stick Welder
You can buy aluminum welding rods for stick welding aluminum but it is hard to weld on thicknesses less than 3/16 of an inch with stick without practice. TIG is your best bet on lighter material. You also have to match the rods to the same alloy of aluminum base material you are welding.
aluminum stick rods are available in various electrode thickness ranges and can be used above 1/8 thickness with an AC machine. The fact that you have an electric machine makes it easier bc the amps and volts stay more consistant than a gas powered unit. I prefer to warm the base metal to about 125 to 150 degrees F prior to welding. Clean the surface area with a STAINLESS STEEL wire brush to remove the oxidation, strike the arc in the normal pattern and then lay the rod back almost parallel with the material and cross arc or long arc against the base metal to allow the material to heat up but not overheat...the weld metal will carry across the arc and drop onto the melted base metal. Good Luck
you can weld aluminum with stick, tig, or mig processes. We use mig to weld aluminum bus sections for power houses. I agree that stick is a difficult way to weld aluminum and the results are often less than desirable. Look into renting a mig machine and getting the proper gas and wire.
