Stick Welding Aluminum

[@hogtownhenry]

My Dad used to stick weld aluminium. The best I saw was when he did a 360 degree complete weld on a Ferguson tractor which broke in half from hitting a stump with a plough. This was welded in situ. ( didn't disassemble ) He ground out cleaned up , realigned and completely welded while still on the trailer. Didn't leak, didn't break. He was a self taught country engineer/mechanic. Old school. Proud of my Dad.

[@general5104]

It's amazing how smart our dads are...the older we get!

[@dustinandtarynwolfe5540]

What kind of tractor Implement is made out of aluminum?

[@rydershane6126]

instablaster

[@gazzaa9341]

Love a Ferguson

[@Unexpectedperspectivesnow]

What was the component that broke?

[@robertforster9736]

From Manitoba Canada here. We led aluminum for many years. I found that stick welding requires more heat and faster travel with tight arc. A fillet weld like that I would make 3 passes switching direction of travel. I have used tig and mig alot, but in some field work repairs, stick had to be used. I found good results with preheat, clean with stainless brush then heat and clean again. I think the key is to get the oxidation, oil etc completely off. I enjoy your videos. Am retired after 30 years in the trade. My motto was to make every weld a good one. I just loved to tig stainless. By watching your videos, I know that you took alot of pride in your work 👍

[@tommccarron324]

With the little bit of experience I have with stick welding aluminum, we had great success by having a second person applying heat with a torch. Having them heat the piece before the weld starts, during the Weld and for a little bit after the weld. We also found a lot easier start by heating the rod with the torch also.

[@drewgormley6933]

Preheating aluminum is necessary, yes, and it's very hard to get it right. I'd advise a digital thermometer gun nearby to keep you in the sweetspot.

[@dergeneralist7106]

I had preheated the aluminum but not the rod, cause my rod wasn't able to start an arc at all for longer than 0.5 sec.

[@chrissample3047]

Nice heat work piece n rod

[@xtal567]

Your aluminium welds look better then my steel ones.

[@Jayrod1020]

Haha his welds look better than my mig welds lol

[@juhopeltola2561]

Its good if it holds. Looks don't matter much imho.

[@Taiwandragon0828]

then you can't weld, I did upright and overhead and passed bother with butter legs and passed both.

[@Taiwandragon0828]

So I was top of 2 in my class to weld bridges.

[@xtune5731]

Sean John cool story I guess, no one really cares all that much though.

[@carlsullivan994]

Thanks guys. I work on aluminium punts in salt water. Our boats / trailers are ally as well as pretty much all of our tools. In the past we've had to travel 60km to fix even the smallest issues. When it's a boat issue it becomes a pain dragging 5m wide boats up the highway. thanks to this I am able to do some of the smaller jobs. saving time and money. cheers. Carl from Mooka oysters

[@evolvedego673]

I went to Ark City Cowley College in 2017-2018, was in the Automotive Program so I saw Bob quite a bit! Great welder, he is smart!

[@terryfromsouthcarolina4601]

One day one of my shop hands and I had to weld a broken piece back onto a 32inch diameter by 1 inch thick cast aluminum plate. We were going to use the mini spool gun but the tank had been left on and it was empty. No worries, get a new tank. Spin one in, go to clear the valve....nothing! Great! The supplier stiffed us with an empty tank! We looked at each other and said now what? The plate was needed yesterday.....in my cabinet from a previous shop supervisor was aluminum arc welding rods. I asked my hand if he had ever used it before and in his 30 plus years of welding said no. I hadn't either, so I got on the computer and looked it up. Mostly worried about shelf life, it was fine as long as kept dry. So we screwed up our courage and gave it a shot. I had some high helix rotary files that really got. A workout. We spent a lot of time digging out our mistakes but in the end made a passable repair and put the part back into production. Over our welding table we had a very large exhaust fan so through extensive air quality tests our underwriters determined that we did not need respirators, in fact the fan was a pain when using shielding gas as it would pull it off the welds. We kept the fan on as the rod was real smoky. Danged if the next day the floor crew broke another disk so we went at it again. The next day I felt like crap! Hard breathing, nausea and headache. My hand called in sick. Several weeks later we had another one come in and our minigun was already in use. We reluctantly got that rod a nd wen t for it again. The next day we were both sick but both of us made it to work. We started comparing notes and realized we both had the same symptoms and had been doing the same thing and got sick before. I looked at him and told him we weren't going to use that stuff again as long as I ran the shop. I put in a request for a second mini and welder that day. From that I must say if you are e going to use aluminum arc rod make sure you have valid MSDS and know what you need to protect your health. This rod we used was likely around before the data was even thought of. Thinking back on it it was stupid we even thought of using it, it could have cost us our lives. Please be careful out there. We both were very experienced welders.......but not with that. Be safe and have fun! Terry from South Carolina

[@seanlavelle344]

Thank you for the heads with safety. I'm interested in practicing with aluminum stick welding.

[@SouthernGround]

As a HT in the Navy on a big sub tender I and my shop friend was ordered to climb the tallest mast (about 100 plus feet straight up a little ladder attached to the mast to this little platform) we had to weld a aluminum bracket to the aluminum mast, neither of us had been that high up and nobody in the repair shop had ever stick welded aluminum. So here we are both practicing in the shop with rod given to us by the ship yard people (no clue what the rod was) we were able to do it in the shop now to climb up and do it out in the open in the real world, imagine two 19 year old scared shitless sailors humping welding cables and tools free hand straight up, the most dangerous welding job I had ever done without safety gear in my life, we did it, we got the bracket welded on, prep work was a complete bitch and the weld wasn't much better but we both felt confident it would hold, we didn't want to go back and do that again. that experience broke me of my fear of heights, which served me well later in life. Think of the welders hanging iron on bridges, buildings ect everyday, it ain't a job it's an adventure 😉👍

[@notyouraveragegoldenpotato]

Was a steel erector for years (ironworker if you will) lemme tell ya. Walking beams all day isn't an adventure. It gets to the point you feel like you're just rolling the dice- theres NO shortage of sketchy operations to be completed, that's a standard operation. Is today the day to fall or get maimed by beams that weigh several thousand pounds swinging in the wind you're trying to grab and bolt in/weld? Over time it not only is BRUTAL on your body, but it grinds on your mind until you realize, this shit isn't worth it🤣 give me some air-conditioning and a chair, I'll draft the plans be done by 5 every day no weekends and make 8x as much money with full benefits🤣

[@msamour]

What coast was that? The wind is really chilly in Halifax even in the summer. I have to pre heat my pieces to get the aluminum to stick. It's not fun, and it looks like crap.

[@SouthernGround]

@@msamour East, it was hot out, that I remember.

[@msamour]

@@SouthernGround Ah, that would have been the summer. The West Coast is more temperate. It gets a bit chili in the Winter, but not as cold as the East. It's also cooler in the summer a bit.

[@gateway8833]

The more I watch your vedios the more I realize I don't know. Thank you for making us smarter.

[@Mikey-ym6ok]

Crayons effecting your spelling there bud

[@fabiancreates1]

"Affecting."

[@JonathanElsea]

Bullshit if you know how to weld you can run an aluminum stick rod as long as you preheat the metal.A carburized flame doesn’t help you enough to make a difference however it’s all in the preheat

[@JonathanElsea]

However you should remove the oxidized Surface with wire wheel, Tiger Paul, Ryan and rock wire brush pile

[@JonathanElsea]

It does help to clean the oxidized surface however if your metal is preheated All you have to do is cram that rod uphill downhill horizontal or on 45, Manipulate the puddle by whipping your rod and you can fill it up while creating a uniform beed

[@prebaned]

When a experienced welder makes a weld that looks like poop in a controlled environment, you know that's the best that can be done with stick aluminum. TIG is where it's at for me.

[@JuanDavid-ts8ur]

I wouldn't be so sure about that, even he said he hasn't done it in 3 years, plus there are other things one could add to the process for better heat control such as welding stick with pulse. Not an expert, just my opinion.

[@nox_chan]

This is the Hickok45 of welding

[@yurimodin7333]

I was thinking more like the Bob Ross of welding

[@danielsan4847]

Tomas Valdez l

[@WoodenWeaponry]

@@yurimodin7333 Well to be fair hickok45 is the bob ross of guns

[@cmennenger]

Thought the same. The welds look good.

[@downhilldaddy9346]

Tomas Valdez 😂 pretty much

[@accelwell7018]

Somehow I managed to pass a weld test with this exact same process back in the 1980s.it was quite possibly the most horrific test piece that I have ever turned in . I just about through the thing in the trash and walked out but I decided to give it to the wi he told me it looked great I started in that plant Monday and never welded a piece of aluminum again.

[@jamesrush5367]

Aluminum isn't meant to be welded, it is the devil's alloy

[@accelwell7018]

@@jamesrush5367 yes sir

[@daveamies5031]

Sometimes a test like this is to sort out who can from those that sort of can, because it's so difficult only those who are good welders pass the test, I work in IT and have had several interviews where I was the only candidate that passed the coding test in the interview for a senior role where programming daily is required. It's amazing how many people say they can do something yet have never even attempted it.

[@accelwell7018]

@@daveamies5031 it was one of those scenarios where after I pulled it off I remember looking at the man who hired me thinking get the fuck out of here. There's no possible way you're going to pay me 45 an hour for doing something that I don't know how to do and you will never ask me to do. Some days it's just some strange goings-on out here. Two of the closest people to me in this life are in I.T. one isn't mainframes the other is an independent contractor

[@Shaker626]

The aluminum test is the most harrowing for entry welders. Very easy to get porosity

[@panther105]

I never thought you could stick weld aluminum. Learning so much valuable stuff from you guys...

[@richardsmuin7665]

It takes hours and hours to weld it properly

[@ryanjones9305]

Stick welding aluminum is about like trying to push a rope down the street. But that right there, Bob, is about as good as I've seen it done.

[@jolujo5842]

No... It's more like pushing rope up a pipe actually

[@gabotron94]

Both of your descriptions were hilarious to imagine @@jolujo5842

[@dubez3784]

actually its like pissing against the wind.

[@jasonburrell3508]

True

[@pt5878]

The video would seem to imply otherwise. He is great but also just a man with skills anyone can learn.

[@Mudsuitable]

i usually have to stick weld aluminum once or twice a month on car trailers and roll backs, someone is always rough and breaking our equipment and I have to run wherever the equipment is and "fix" it to get it home I learned how to weld aluminum this way when I was about nine years old and I like doing it my welds rarely fail and it's just easier for me to make field repairs although not as pretty as tig I can make consistent good looking and structurally sound weld beads but that's only because I've been doing it so long.. I was also taught by my mentors growing up to use carburizing flame to coat sheet aluminum and burn it off before hand forming the aluminum to make air cleaners, fenders, racing seat backs and buckets or just about anything else I've made. it works great to anneal the metal, please forgive my spelling.. don't get me wrong tig can be gorgeous and spool guns are lightening fast and very pretty I can do all I just prefer the quick n dirty and lack of all the extra equipment the other methods require when I gotta load up with tools and run n gun

[@cliffweatherbee6914]

Stick welding is always a life saver in the field. Lol

[@paradiselost9946]

learn how to do it with a stick on a cheap buzzbox, and you can weld ANYTHING... every other technique is just a simplified version from that point. they all have their aspects, but seriously, if you can do good stick welds, you can make the switch with no trouble... *still tends to pull the TIG torch away, unable to get over the first five years of oxy-welding habits...*

[@altonhenderson4120]

Years ago I had to pass an aluminum welding test using stick electrodes . It was a 1/4 coupon butt weld test using 1/8” electrodes . I used starting tabs and runoff tabs that could be broken off after welding . That way you eliminate the problem of porosity at the start and the crater cracks at the end .

[@bigjohn2048]

Would have loved to see bend test on that piece. Bob is one of the best welders living today !!! He can weld a snuff can to a piece of railroad track and it will hold water !!!!

[@OCnStiggs]

THIS viewer appreciated this episode. Love all your excellent videos. As a woodworker for the last 50 years, I always wanted to take up welding. I did a couple years ago, faced with remodeling a few gates on my property. I am HOOKED. What a hoot and a half. I appreciate your southern self-deprecating sense of humor. Say what you will, those of us out here in Internet Viewerland are impressed with your talents. (On our knees bowing in Wayne's World style, 'WE ARE NOT WORTHY!" LOL!) Keep it up.

[@orbitalair2103]

I've been learning and practicing about 3-4 weeks now, using just youtube. Theres lots of tips and help here. good luck, it is fun.

[@billbauer2239]

Dudes all like had a bit of a rough start..lol.. holy crap that is the first time i have ever seen that crap go in and remotely look like a weld... you sir are a damn ninja, good on ya

[@douglasalan7786]

You got that right.That's the best beads I've ever seen with that garbage. I messed with heaps of those about 20 years back on all different kinda machines. I'd almost rather have a kidney stone. ALMOST.

[@paulsabo1720]

Heating it up with oxy/acet is good, but you talked enough to let it cool off ( as you know, alum cools off FAST) If it was hot enough when you actually got to welding, you'd find out the start of the weld would be better quality.

[@elvisalberto5766]

Can I control the rough start

[@YOURFISHINGCHANNEL]

i was so surprised with the outcome. great.

[@jeremymatthews5169]

@@elvisalberto5766 yeah, dont stand there and talk for 5 minutes after your preheat. get right in there and get started.

[@stevemccrea9419]

You are one of the best teachers I’ve ever had to listen to you explain things clearly thanks

[@1nvisible1]

*What rod did he use here? I heard "salty flux" but not the number. Thank you.*

[@toddt6186]

Been welding for 20+ years and NEVER had a aluminum stick rod turn out looking good.

[@johnfitzpatrick2469]

Thanks for the demonstration. G,day from Sydney Australia. The key points; * Flame soot cover 200°c * Heat 400°c Specific Aluminium welding rod (remove flux from end). 🌏🇦🇺

[@manoschag]

congratulations sir. You've just opened my eyes about what's happening in such kind of welding process. Your video is outstanding for me. I was looking persisting for such a knowledge I couldn't find anywhere else. With a lot of respect thanks a lot again.

[@phoenixburns3943]

A brave man running those things. Hats off to you Mr. Moffet

[@laszlovass7326]

Excellent video. I really need this kind of advice as an amateur and your experience is invaluable to so many. Great demeanor for an instructor!

[@dragan3290]

Excellent tutorial! I've worked in Aluminum/ glazing joinery trade for over 20 years. The company I last worked for had a professional welder rig welding brackets for load bearing lovers on highrise building. Terrible welds and weak as!!! Your welds look perfect! Nice job. 🙂👍👍👍

[@IrvinGreene8008]

Mr. Moffatt, you are the "Earnest Hemingway" of welding. I really enjoy watching you teach. Your tone of voice is nice to listen to as well as the way you explain things. I feel more like I can attempt more welding projects.

[@WilliamPayneNZ]

I know a guy who built an entire aluminium inboard recreational fishing boat with stick. It actually turned out really nice. He’s an old timer and obviously learned back in the days when people perhaps used stick on aluminium more often.

[@johnberry8117]

Very cool! Not to shabby. Excellent video, thank you. I never tried to stick weld aluminum but now I want to try it. Preheat first . I like the carburizeing flame preheat trick, never new about that way! Keep up the great work. I just bought a 145 amp yes welder today and can’t wait to start Tig welding only set me back 159$.

[@thorlo1278]

As you guys know I have 0 experience welding. I am a retired RN so my training is in medical science. But I learned a smidgen about gas and arc welding back many years ago when I was in the 9th grade; I'm now 69. But just from watching your videos I have learned so much. I know to talk to you or see if I can find a pro that can help me if I ever get a MIG unit. 🤞

[@masmainster]

Pretty good weld Bob, I didn't even know you could weld aluminum with a stick welder, braze yes, but not weld. In the end it's a bit spattery and doesn't look as good as a tig or mig weld, but it still stuck two pieces of metal together quite strongly, and that's the whole objective really.

[@acme855]

Well brother you inspired me enough to weld on my neighbor's boat. I mistakenly found some old rod at $2.30 per rod. I couldn't waste any. It was pretty nasty He went to our local hardware store and bought some fresh ones. That was a 100% better. I got it done Thanks.

[@WTFChuk]

"Salt" is exactly what that flux is. It takes a molten fluoride salt, normally lithium fluoride, to chemically remove the aluminum oxide that is always present on aluminum. It's typically combined with chloride salts (sodium and/or potassium chloride), and sometimes has sodium or potassium fluoride in there as well. Then there are the binders and such, with the overall result being the "super bird shit" that another poster mentioned, LOL :-) And yeah, aluminum SMAW is way down on the list of fun things to do.

[@jolujo5842]

Floride, Chloride or Potassium salts actually depending on the metal ions produced by the plasma of the electric arc.

[@Dave5843-d9m]

Fluoride salts are about the most stable compounds in existence.

[@2009mechanic]

That preheat trick is exactly what my welding instructor showed how to do it. You soot the part up , keep heating it up until it's all gone. Kill the torch and strike your arc immediately. Move fast push that rod. I've shown some of our other maintenance techs at work that it can be done but it's not pretty , but it will hold. I did mine on 1/8" aluminum diamond plate , a bit trickier but looks about the same when I got done. The other thing you didn't mention is that the smoke coming off that flux is actually toxic. You NEED a fan blowing at your back when you use it. It's really nasty stuff and you do NOT want to breathe it. Good video and great job.

[@Nudnik1]

welded a broken propeller on my Yamaha outboard one third missing. I used Hobart aluminum stick and a piece of scrap aluminum blended in with grinder still ok after four years in bay even hit sandbars . Nice show

[@robertblackshear8963]

Not bad at all for aluminum stick.After 23 years of production welding this is the best I have seen so far including my own attemps.Good job.

[@boskans7800]

My dad was a certified welded because he worked for the state and had to weld on federal bridges. Although he has passed he taught me a lot about rods and alloys. I really enjoyed the projects we took on as a team and miss him dearly.

[@jackallred8228]

Sorry for your loss brotha. father and son relationships get better over time. I Bet he loved you soaking up all of the knowledge he shared with you.

[@joshawawilliams37]

Damn...I went threw 1Ib of 4043 3/32 aluminum welding rods and I couldn't get my beads to look like that! I missed a step! I didnt pre-heat the material. Awesome video Mr Bob and thanks for sharing!

[@BruceLyeg]

I did it a lot when I worked for a mobile welding company. Sometimes we'd get calls at a few different dairy farms to repair aluminium cattle handling modular fencing. Been about 25 years since then and I still don't miss it.

[@carlsimpson4875]

I served my time in the 1980s for four years in a welding company one of the old hands told me they were welding alloy gangways in the 1940s with stick welding sure there was an american connection to the story that the yanks had shown them how to do it. Well i listened but but doubted what he told me 40 years later i am enlightened thank you.

[@johncoscia5258]

DC welders only for aluminium , then the polarity has to be set by swapping + and - terminals . Now when did these old guys stick weld aluminium ? All the old stick welders i have ever seen have an earth and positive not + and - . If there is an earth it's an AC unit so there's no swapping polarity if you cherish your life and no welding aluminium the last time I tried .

[@KR-hg8be]

@@johncoscia5258 there were AC/DC with both polarities welders in common use at the time of ww2. I learned to stick weld on some ww2 surplus lincolns in high school back 10 years ago that had ac, dcen and dcep.

[@KR-hg8be]

@@johncoscia5258 there were AC/DC with both polarities welders in common use at the time of ww2. I learned to stick weld on some ww2 surplus lincolns in high school back 10 years ago that had ac, dcen and dcep.

[@johncoscia5258]

@@KR-hg8be No such thing as too old , it seems most things have been done before . A lot to learn , thanks .

[@GosselinFarmsEdGosselin]

OMG, Bob.... You've brought back my nightmares!!! LOL 😎 Late '70s, early '80s.. got stuck playing with the old Lincoln AC buzzbox and some 1/8" aluminum rod with blue flux on it.. Being a young hotshot stick welder who had seen more nasty, oddball things to repair than any welding shop in the state.... When a guy said: "can you fix my aluminum.........." I said "sure, I guess so".... LMAO!! My boss, AKA my dad, went to town and brought back a big hand full of aluminum rod, he said the guy in town said, run it low and slow... I swear, I wasted a full rod trying to get it to run!! Finally picked up a piece that had about an inch of flux missing.. I stuck it probably twice?? Then it ran!!!! Freaking nightmare!!! I can probably still do it, but..... I'll stick with the spool gun 😎 I do want to set up a dirty scratch start TIG on the service truck.... I'm sure I'd like it much better than the stick!!! Bob, Thank you for yet another great video!! Learn or relearn something every day!!

[@whatshisname510]

I was told this was not possible. glad to see it done. thank you

[@nicholasparry6859]

Alot of people think they know things they clearly do not 😂 it may not be easy or ideal but it definitely works

[@b20vtecdana]

Thank you for talking me out of using stick for ornamental aluminum with this video.

[@fun_ghoul]

Just tell 'em it's avant-garde.

[@davetruther31]

Man You did good on those beads...Heck I have been fab/welding for 18yrs and I hate with a passion aluminum Smaw ..I had to use it in a crunch a few times in farm hopper repairs and such in the field..I could never get it to lay down good...Thank God for tig and pulse mig for aluminum..God bless...

[@denniz122]

ur totally right smaw aluminium is very difficult the weld pool looks always messy whatever u do, even if its the right temperature and the slag is hard like a rock of course. The welds shown in this video are really good btw. great work Bob awesome video!

[@fredsmith6160]

I saw an everlast video where they tried to stick weld aluminum and it was pretty much the same. You gotta go very fast and it's messy at best.

[@aidanwilson9832]

thanks for the tip. I watched the everlast video and it does look very similar. I doubt I will be stick welding aluminum anytime soon.

[@vincentparker4790]

Jesus is King oil

[@arthurwilson9173]

I have been stick welding aluminum for awhile and welding it with an engine driven machine welds aluminum a lot better than a plug in the wall machine

[@BigJfan]

I've had excellent results with Alluminater brand aluminum electrodes. I've welded truck suspensions, timing cover,boat motor etc.On thicker material,try laying it on fire brick or something non conductive.

[@maddogmcfly5504]

which trucks use aluminium on their suspensions?

[@jackwierback3373]

You sound like a bullshitter dan

[@hotshoter2]

Henderson suspensions has used aluminum walking beams for many many years and freightliner diamond reo and others where using aluminum spring hangers on their trucks back in the 70's

[@josephmorgan8370]

Honesty about material and proficiency. Aluminum stick is difficult under the best circumstances. As Bill Bauer said, that looks very good. And the extra tip on ending a weld is great. I've often wondered about cracks in high stress areas on trailers and other equipment.

[@stevemackelprang8472]

I thought sure the soot deposit was to reduce spatter, which is another old trick, but I learned something new on the 400 degrees! Thanks!

[@nononsenselogic]

I was actually worried about the soot because the only luck that I have with aluminum welding is to have tight joints and SUPER clean surfaces. If my arcs hit impurites, it is all over. Definitely use fresh abrasives that havent been exposed to other things. He is so right about stainless steel wire wheels. A little rust goes a long way off a carbon steel wire wheel or transfered from common steel. I have had some AWFUL results from impurities. I got burnt so bad I won't even use temp pencils, just my IR gun. Bob is WAY better than I so he can pull it off. I have to keep it pristine to have a chance. So I learned something good too.

[@douglasalan7786]

The soot flame is also for annealing aluminum. Take some thin stuff and try it. It turns to taffy

[@johncebula9906]

Agreed, cool trick!

[@Sketch1994]

Before I got to speed with welding I used to always grind, prep, clean and set everything to like you said have a chance, but after a project I did that required me to lay 2 kg of stick electrodes on some deep rusted steel I learned to spot defects and counteract them while still in the puddle. One thing I learned is if you have rust or probably any type of contaminants close to the borders of the weld you WILL get undercut. It's easy to just grind it some but sometimes you can just live with it.

[@glassmakerx]

I suspect he means 400 degrees C. Soot doesn't burn off at 400F. (In fact, even 400C is questionable.)

[@scrapperstacker8629]

Thanks for the tips. As a repair guy I love these type of videos.

[@eddiekawecki2510]

Nice demonstration. I agree with you on being the least liked way to weld aluminum but being a field mechanic/welder on construction equip all my life I always carried some stick alum. rod just for the times when you just had to get it done, especially when the trucks and trailers became more popular being built with alum. So I feel it has its place when you can't stop to get it to the shop or get another type of welder out to the job. Like we always said about some of those welds that weren't so pretty " A little paint covers a multitude of sin"

[@ericbrite4880]

I had a job where my foreman favorite words were "i hired you as a mechanic not a welder, just make sure it doesn't come off and no one cares how it looks"

[@johnw4590]

I think the thumbnail picture of your stick aluminum weld is the nicest sample known to mankind! I tried this many years ago.. and figured stick welding aluminum is as practical as putting a elevator in a outhouse...🤣

[@SynapticFuction]

this video proves yeah.. stick welding aluminum works but its the worst way to weld aluminum. Still very interesting. great video. good job Bob

[@chuckbowen5024]

Very true. I do a lot of boatlifts and docks on location with my Miller Bluestar. It's never pretty.

[@richardandres5266]

is it possible to weld aluminium using ac welder?

[@matthewflowers3982]

That looked like hammered dog shit.. and he won't STFU and weld

[@wanders278]

@@matthewflowers3982 upload a pic of your aluminum stick welds so we can judge them then, since you're such an expert

[@keithammleter3824]

An old timer showed me this when I was an apprentice in the 1960's: When preheating aluminium with oxy-acet, wipe it quickly with ordinary bath soap. Just at the point where it leaves a brown mark, you've got about 230 - 240 C. Or you can wipe the job with the dead end of a match. If the match chars, you've got about 280 C.

[@bmwfizix1]

Thanks for this! It turned out nicer that I thought it would. I learned a few things in this video.

[@dcw56]

I started welding for a living in the 80s, and have since become a machinist, but welding was my thing. Retired now, but still run my small machine shop. All that to say, in the thousands of pounds of rod I've burned, that aluminum stick rod is the worst. I pretty much hate it. I'd rather have to do stick weld cast iron field repairs than run one more of those nasty aluminum rods. You did as well as the best I've seen, and better than me. That stuff makes us all feel like day one with a stinger running 6011 on a Tombstone Lincoln. And man! You'd better be fast! ;)

[@MFKR696]

It still amazes me how many "welders" I meet that don't bother with stick. Stick is easily the most useful and cost-effective of all the processes. I refurbish old iron bed-frames in my free time and I literally haven't touched my MIG gun in ages. I literally only use the MIG process for filling holes. It's just too expensive to use it for anything else. BTW... For someone who admittedly rarely uses Stick for anything, those beads sure do look nice.

[@richmac918]

That's true and I was one of them. Had an old tomb stone welder many years ago and it was a pain in the ass. Big, heavy, couldn't do much with it as it was limited to 220V and not exactly portable. Bought myself a small Lincoln wire welder and got addicted to it because it could be run on 110/220, only weighed about 60lbs. and could weld just about anything. Got a little 160A inverter stick welder as a present and after trying it for a bit it's now my favorite by a long shot. Welds great, weighs about 15lbs., cheap to feed, sets up in about 1/5 the time the MIG takes to set up. My go to welder now for certain.

[@shanonallen5395]

​@@richmac918Do you have a brand you would recommend?

[@richmac918]

@@shanonallen5395 The one I got was an Amico ARC160. I'm sure it's Chinese and I wasn't expecting much but the thing works (and works well). There are a slew of cheap Chinese inverter welders on the market these days along with a s**tload of KZbin people testing them out. The one I have was inexpensive but there are even less expensive models out there now.

[@johnwinkler6575]

I haven’t stick weld aluminum in 40 years but I’ve got a build housing. I need fixed. Thanks for reminding me what I need to do.

[@devinweilbacherweilbacherd8645]

one thing that helps the weld pattern when i weld stick aluminum is to drag the rod rather than push, i also prefer to us the 1/8 rods than 3/32. 3/32 are flimsy and the rod bends and warps as you weld; 1/8 doesnt have this problem as much. the arc length needs to be close like you said and should sound like bacon cooking. great video tho!

[@totemnihil6099]

I was about to say the same thing, normally i drag it with a little bit more aggressive angle and i get minimal splatter and so decent beads

[@robbiesmith3162]

If it has slag you drag it, if no slag you push it.

[@barleypaw]

Thanks! My dad told me that this is possible, many people don't know. Thank you so much for this video!

[@tahustvedt]

That's about a hundred times better result than I expected.

[@morganweller1491]

Bob makes me feel like I don't know anything and I've been welding steel and stainless pipe for 9 years not a lot I know but still guys a Legend !!!!!

[@agassizbeekeeper]

I do a lot of welding on docks and boat lifts in the field. My portable is and old DC Miller Bluestar 2E. Looks pretty familiar. A 5 lbs. box of those rods is about $130.00 you want to make them count.

[@mactheknife4786]

Why are the docks and boat lifts in a field? Try using the words ‘on site’ to make yourself sound just a bit less of a tosspot.

[@richardmaurer9002]

Welcome to the hair-splitters’ convetion

[@308dad8]

Well I learned something new. I had no idea that you can stick weld aluminum. Seen it done in the shop at a fence company long ago with a MIG machine with a separate box on top and dude was moving fast

[@petersonsawmillservice268]

Learned a new torch trick on this episode! Thanks. Love your videos, keep up the good work

[@autodidacticartisan]

12:00 This part is less about stick welding aluminum than the rest of the video but I think it's probably the most valuable information he can give you

[@Ian-of9oi]

Question #1. What do you think the thinnest aluminum plate a person could realistically stick weld? Question #2. How important is it to keep the aluminum rods in an oven? Great video.

[@danielmahoney5736]

Looking for an answer to this as well..

[@derekcollins1972]

Probably around 1/8 and maybe a bit thinner using a backing plate.

[@SpaceBass]

Great to watch you work Bob. Started Welding again and I'm 44.Did my Apprenticeship in Metal Stitching years ago and Machining. At a age where I developed a few health problems but I'm Studying Welding for all Processes at Leeds College of Building in West Yorkshire UK. You are by far the best source of information in my opinion out there... Ryan Schofield UK

[@250-25x]

I would a been calling my Mom out to admire my awesome skills if I could reproduce that weld in my shop! Have fun, G.

[@theminitinyshop3674]

Thank you Mr. Moffatt!! I wish I've had such an incredible instructor for real.

[@ahobimo732]

I know it doesn't compare to TIG, but this is fantastic for something I never thought was even possible.

[@TheTitaniumSkull]

I spent the past 18 years stuck with aluminum sticks to repair leaking diesel fuel tanks, and never had a good first pass. Now I finally got a tig and stuck learning a new way to weld aluminum all over again. lol.. But with tig my welds looking better and haven't leaked yet.

[@dansetango]

you are a very good welder ...i would be happy to have this kind of result with this product....i'm still practicing because it can be usefull when argon is not available...

[@custom67]

I have used these rods many times, welded up a fuel tank for a 1934 ford hotrod with theses rods many years ago so yes they work just fine when you watch the puddle !

[@glennedward2201]

I watched a guy start welding it cold and after he chipped the flux away his welds were beautiful. His biggest mention was to maintain fast mig speeds. He also said you have to break the flux off the tip of the stick before you arc. Edit: He goes in to explain why preheating isn’t necessary. The heat source is the arc between the consumable electrode and the base metal adequately heating the part when you begin welding. With AC TIG it is able to remove the oxide layer on the base metal during the electrode positive portion of the alternating current. Just like MIG welding aluminum, DCEP constantly removes the oxide layer from the base metal while the electrode flux keeps oxides from forming on the electrode metal and the molten pool. The e4043 flux protects the weld as it cools and forms a protective barrier, which works great even in breezy conditions. Try this again without preheating the part, turn the amps up to 100-120 and maintain mig speeds and I suspect you will see an improvement in your welds.

[@MegaBoilermaker]

Mr Moffat, I know that some electrodes are difficult to start but I have found that dipping the tip in to some form of varnish or resin then dipping the tip in to Graphite powder (then allowing them to dry) makes for a conductive tip on the electrode. I have used this technique on both Aluminium stick electrodes, and 6013 electrodes for underwater work many years ago.

[@jlaw8882]

Thanks for this video, about to get stuck into this and good to know what I'm in for. The cleaning & pre-heat tips will go a long way, cheers.

[@ALSomthin]

I have used these but I was never sure if I needed to reverse the polarity. It did the job but it seemed the whole thing was a mess with the slag and spatter. I found it helps to have a piece of metal and start the arc on before running a bead.

[@drakeswake]

Straight and to the point. Very well explained. Thank you!

[@FLQ309L]

i give you props BIG TIME! I use to teach welding before i got my cwi, and i had a student ask me to show them some aluminum stick welding

[@Welddotcom]

It is one of our least favorite processes to run. However, when the viewers ask, we do.

[@radicaledwards3449]

Weld.com why is it the least favorite?

[@aaronwood3540]

wow, if there was ever a guy that ever tried this stuff and could possibly do it as wrong as it could be done. That would be me. I didn't do anything like you did it. I've never seen a electrode disappear as fast as my aluminum rod did. Glad to see a pro like you having at least a little trouble with it. makes a guy like me not feel quite as bad haha.

[@shawncase2755]

aaron wood p

[@LextechLighting]

I've had great success with aluminum stick welding. beads look correct as well.

[@StaineLaSteele304]

Mhmm..

[@chuckbowen5024]

That looks pretty familiar. It's really fun when you're welding on a boat lift that has been in the water for 20 years. That's some crap to get off.

[@tombaker2523]

Devoted student to the art, thank you for the knowledge makes work fun and satisfying.

[@SirMo]

I honestly never knew you could stick weld aluminum before. My mind is literally blown. And I must say if you don't have anything better, the end result is not bad at all. Like it's obviously not production quality welding you would see on aluminum bike frames, but for a repair in a pinch, or work in the field. It's quite impressive.

[@0hypnotoad0]

Even for something more structural I'd say this weld looks really good. If the aluminum is going to be supporting any weight and taking racking forces, it looks like it got very good penetration and coverage.

[@n.b.p.davenport7066]

I think that came out really good for stick weld aluminum, to get any good at that you would have to do that all day everyday for a long time, and get to know all the different Alloys and temperatures thumbs up

[@general5104]

THANK YOU FOR MAKING VERY INFORMATIVE VIDEOS !!! Thru my lifetime, I've tried doing TIG, but EVERY-TIME I've done it, my filler rod has touched the tungston and has LIT me up! So, I'm set up for Oxy/Actlyn., AC stick, and MIG. & thinking about getting a little plasma cutter..((.just for hobbies now)). Occasionally I'll bend some Stainless and get it ready to weld, but I have to take it to our local tech school to have it TIGGED up. The material is usually 1/8" Stainless Steel Wire. QUESTION: Is there any way I can weld this with an aircraft torch? Is there a tiny filler rod and a dipping flux available to do small stuff like this? I like to make cup holders, Racks to hold hand soap dispensers, toothbrushes, etc., to attach to the wall, to make for an un-cluttered neat area. I've made the racks with Hot-Roll, & heavily painted it, and Cold Roll and done several coats of industrial paint, and it still ends up rusting, over several years! CAN I DO IT ???

[@russfisk9161]

I stick welded a lot back in the early 70s for NASA wind generator dog houses. The best results were to drag the rod, running on the hot side of whichever rod size your using. Always run back to your ground instead of away from it, and use a waste metal to start your arc. Oscillate in circles, esp to terminate the weld and fill in the end crater

[@shanonallen5395]

Thanks for the information. I got a old 80's welder with the HF attachment included. Any tips on rods/ thickness/ settings?

[@centralscrutinizer76]

not bad,that mess is hard to use ,almost impossible to control the arc. i worked for a company that ordered the wrong size cable tray ,had me cut it down and stick weld it , complete nightmare . that was almost 20 years ago ,i still have some of the old Aluminum stick rods , i use them for tie wire on fence.

[@blakebrass125]

You did a good job there for not welding aluminum with stick for 5 years I thought. I had to do an aluminum rim repair with these rods and i tell yah. It had me swearing all the way to hell and back lol. But got it done. They burn so ugly and I was using a 60 year old welding machine at my brother in-laws. I still want to practice this old school style with aluminum rods though.

[@themotofixery]

sure appreciate the demonstration! I've seen these rods for sale and I'm glad to see how it works.

[@lanceblack88]

A thousand times better than I’ve managed so far.

[@SM-cg2dc]

I’ve asked several people who weld for a living if you could stick weld aluminum, they all said no... except for one who shook his head and said, “You can, but its uglier than my wife.” Lol. One thing I noticed about welding aluminum, everyone gets real serious about how it looks.

[@justintothetruth]

Thank you learning a lot Learned from Greg Sorri if I’m spelling his name right. Going on 20 years ago. He was or is like you an great welder and great teacher. I’m sorri I didn’t appreciate him like I would today. Any student of this guy here, please don’t be an idiot and take him for granted. This guy is probably well known in this industry and it ain’t cause PRETTY good at what he does.

[@gasmetalarcwelding]

This is the first video I've seen about stick welding aluminum. I've tried this without instructions on how to do it and failed. Now I'm going to take some time and do it again.

[@mikeschmidt7980]

Hi Bob, pre-heat is the key to stick alum rod. Clean it, heat it to around 500. Then weld it.

[@TheWidgetWorks]

I have had the displeasure of stick welding aluminum before several times, and it pretty much sucked every time. My mentor calls the flux super bird shit and he's pretty close to right on the money. My experience is don't weld to the ends start at the ends and work to the middle because as you approach the end of a joint like that the material will be way too hot and you'll have a lot of problems with it washing out and sagging. The other thing that has worked for me is to just pause at the start a bit just off the joint, if you can that is, and let some heat soak for a second then move onto the joint and giver. Make a mess but it's easier to clean up a flat spot beside your start than both sides of a joint! I would like to see this used on a crack repair on say a bell housing or some other real world, probably shouldn't be doing it like this but i'm in to much of a hurry to do it right so i'll do it right next time it breaks, type of repair and see if the results are any good or even possible?

[@georgevillanueva6926]

Hey big brother I’m glad to see u went out of ur comfort zone for us much appreciated for answering our questions n I dare u to do this atleast once a month big brother it’s not bad at all just maybe to u but like u say it’s the action of that metals pools going crazy but I can tell u have it all under ur belt brother thanks again

[@IronWorxllc]

understand, Aluminum cools off fast, also need to preheat it more and burn that rod as soon as the torch is shut off, That's why you had a rough start, it was too cold. I've done this in the field plenty of times where i could not reach with my spool gun. once u do it a few times. it'll work itself out. And it is NOT cheap to buy those rods..

[@user-mt9tn1ni4g]

Do you ever use a rod oven to preheat the rods that makes a big difference

[@chowlynlyn4442]

What rods is that?

[@chriswalker4272]

Thank you for such a wonderful presentation sir. Some panel beaters use your sooty flame technique to re-anneal accident damaged aluminium panels. When the soot just burns off or changes colour, the aluminium is at the correct temperature to become re- annealed and can be reworked without danger of cracking. I need to repair mounting points on my 47 year old Land Rover, I think my only personal option is AC Tig, which is not a cheap setup, but hey you show it can be done, and stick could be useful on thicker parts like a gearbox bell housing non structural hole damage, to fill. Thank you 👍🏻

[@shawnsderbyden1032]

im sure i missed it but what rod are you using im not much of a stick welder but id like to learn how to weld aluminum with stick it would defnetly come in handy

[@Welddotcom]

4043 - DCEP