stick welding aluminum

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ive been given the task of building 2 BBQ grills for our company open house. theyre being made from 1/8th wall aluminum water tanks that were previously on the side of cement mixers, and used for washdown.  ive had to weld in tabs to hold the racks, etc, made from 1/4x 1-1/2 angle. and am going to make handles from 1/2 round.  im using 1/8th aluminum welding rod and have managed pretty well so far, given a severe lack of expierence with aluminum. only 2 burnthroughs. i basically just jam the rod in there an try to travel as fast as i can.  the welds are only about 1-1/2" to 2" long. just wanted to open this up or any kind of opinion or suggestion.
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Reply:pics? sounds like a fun projectDynasty 200DXPassport plus w/ spoolmate 100victor 315c oxy/(act and prop)Miller digital elitemilwaukee power tools
Reply:Use this project for a good excuse to make the boss buy a spool gun.Tough as nails and damn near as smart
Reply:LMAO  the boss aint gonna buy no spool gun, heck weve only got one wire feeder an one stick welder in the shop. an the past couple days hes put 4 people on seperate welding projects..... havnt quite figured out the logistics of that yet.  ive managed pretty well, ive learned i can slow down a lil but still have to really shove the rod to it to keep a puddle. most everything is small so you stop almost as soon as ya start.  ive been takin pictures but none im proud of yet. ill post up once i get em finished an we get em polished up an lookin decent.
Reply:I know I don't know anything about metals or welding or even barbecuing...but I have to ask...doesn't aluminum melt at wood fire temperatures? I know a soda can melts if I throw it into a fire."To tell which polarity to use go to the bathroom and pour some water down the drain. If it runs clockwise use straight polarity. If it runs counter-clockwise use reverse polarity. Or if it just gurgles use alternating current." -RandomDave
Reply:Originally Posted by SkippiiI know I don't know anything about metals or welding or even barbecuing...but I have to ask...doesn't aluminum melt at wood fire temperatures? I know a soda can melts if I throw it into a fire.
Reply:yeah...aluminum probably isn't going to work there...
Reply:The scariest thing about Aluminum, I think, is Aluminum Oxide.  There used to be a lot of talk, how ingesting Aluminum Oxide caused Alzheimer's Disease.07 Fowler 200D65 RedFace04 Miller TB 302, 22hpMiller 12RCMiller HF 251-1Lincoln SP135HyperTherm PM 380and a few others... Originally Posted by RhynoBut, if I "all of a sudden disappear....  ...." hopefully I didn't suffer too much....
Reply:There are lots of older gas barbeques made from cast aluminum and many are less than 1/8" thick.  I own a 25 year old cast Al unit myself.  Its just that the parts nearest the burners (nearest the charcoal in your case) are made of steel.  Place steel racks to hold the charcoal on your aluminum tabs and place guards to keep the burning charcoal away from the sides and bottom of the barbeque.  Cooking surfaces and grates are steel  Make sure it's vented to exhaust the serious heat above 600 F.  Install a thermometer in the top. You'll be fine.ScottMiller XMT 350 CC/CV w/gas solenoid opt.Miller S-22A wirefeederBernard 400A "Q" gunMiller Spoolmatic 30A / WC-24C-K 200A torch/gas lensWeldcraft WC-18 watercooled torchHypertherm Powermax 30Victor O/A