Stick welding aluminum questions

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So my dad has a few stick welders and was talking to some of his employees who weld. They told him you can weld aluminum with a stick welder if it's DC and using DCEP. So he bought some 4043 stick rods. Out of the 3 welders he has (lincoln, another lincoln which is a tombstone and a harbor freight one)This is the only one that is DChttp://www.harborfreight.com/80-amp-...der-91110.htmlI tried this and I can't get anything going. I get it to start to arc on an occasion and die out after that. I can't get it to arc for more than 1/2 a second (if I can get it at all)I've tried DCEP and DCEN, and tried a piece of 6061 .063 aluminum. I know it's not ideal to do aluminum but I'm just curious what is the trick to getting it to work. Looks like I melted a piece of a mashmellow on this plate lolTorchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:Chances of you welding .063 alum with stick is almost nil. Stick is WAY too hot to do alum that thin unless you are extremely skilled in stick alum with very small rods.You don't list the size of the rods he bought. It would not at all surprise me if that HF unit simply doesn't have the amps to do alum stick.Alum stick also does not weld at all like "normal" rods like 7018. You have to go super fast and it's tough to maintain the right arc length because the rods burn super fast.Over all I doubt you will have any luck at all with this. Stick for alum is for heavy sections usually, not for thin sheet with an under powered machine..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:I think they are 3/32 rods. Not looking to do anything specific with it, just wanted to see if it could be done.I did try some other aluminum that is probably .090 (ish) and no luck.Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer
Reply:See this:Comparison of Stick Electrodes for Arc Welding Aluminum - Part 2 http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=58760Blackbird
Reply:Well my dad ended up getting a Miller maxstar 150 from a co worker for $300. Tried it on some 1/4" alumium scrap and I couldn't get anything going. Just looked like a melted marshmellow. Is the coating on the aluminum rod supposed to be really brittle?Torchmate 2x2 CNC with Flashcut CNC controlsHypertherm Powermax45 Esab ET220i Razorweld 195 MigRazorweld 200ac/dc TigTormach 770, Tormach xstechRazorweld, Vipercut/Vipermig, SSC Foot Pedal Dealer