Newb questions about SMAW on aluminum and stainless please.

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Hi, I appologize ahead of time for some newbie questions.  This is basically my first post with some  questions.   Just a little background about myself first:I really know nothing about stick welding.  I've done mig welding with gas and flux wire for about 7 years with two different 120v machines.  I've always wanted to weld with stick and since I'm close to retirement, I thought I'd play with it and scratch that wish off of my bucket list.  (We all start out "new" at one point, right?)  I live in a remote area, I don't have any welding schools for about 100 miles away, nor do I have neighbors that weld or could give me tips.   I'm only welding  for a hobby.  I've have been attending "U of Y" (University of Youtube) for a little home schooling on welding.  That being said, I still have some questions about stainless steel and aluminum stick welding that I thought some of you welding pros and experts have.  Youtube-U doesn't have interaction with the videos.  I can't find any useful videos demonstrating welding stainless or aluminum with a  stick welder.  Everything is pretty much soft steel videos for stick and plenty of  mig/tig videos for aluminum.   I know that tig is best for aluminum with mig comming in second place.  I have zero funds to go out and spend more money on a tig machine or a mig aluminum gun.  (I'm done spending money, since I lost my day job recently due to the economy).  There is one old timer's  video where the guy is STRUGGLING to weld aluminum diamond plate with an old "Chinese cracker box" (as he puts it).  He has a electrode he claims is for aluminum and he's trying to sell those electrodes.  He doesn't mention the brand or any details about the rods he uses.  Plus, his welding looks like... Well I just won't go there.    He doesn't do a very good job and I'd be no better without some tips from you guys here on this forum.  I want to play around with the buzz box if it can weld aluminum and stainless.  I refuse to use any electrodes made or sold by Harbor Frieght or Radnor.  I'm open to other brands.  (Nothing but bad luck with Radnor mig wire.  I don't even want to try their Sticks).My equipment for the below criteria:  Lincoln ac/dc-225/125 smaw box.Aluminum criteria: No thicker than 1/8" diamond plate for a truck bed tool box.  THE QUESTIONS:      1) can I weld aluminum with my little stick welder?  Is my machine powerful enough for aluminum?      2) If "yes," can you recommend a rod size, polarity setting and amp setting to start?         3) An electrode brand name recommendation that works well if it exists too please? Stainless steel criteria:   Nothing fancy for the stainless metal.  I'm basically cutting up an old Home Depot BBQ for it's nice large pieces of stainless steel that the exterior is made of.  I'm going to weld up some around the house outdoor decorations with the steel.  I'm guessing it's no thicker than 1/8" as well.        1) can my buzz box handle stainless welding?        2) What rod, polarity and amp setting would you recommend?      3) An electrode brand name you would recommend for stainless?Thank you and yes I will PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE on scrap before I attempt the job itself.   I won't inhale the stainless fumes either. Thanks for the help.
Reply:aluminum and stainless are both doable on your buzz box. i haven't done stainless in many years with stick so someone else can jump in on that as to what rod is out there today. i did some aluminum a couple months ago as a refresher using (i know) Radnor alum 43 in both 3/32" and 1/8" rod and was pretty impressed on how it turned out. you want to run it fast and be prepared for a pretty ugly mess till you chip the slag. turned out looking nice after the slag was removed. i used the 1/8" on 3/16" up and the 3/32" on thinner. the rod isn't cheap though at about 11 bucks for 5 and 6 rods respectively per pack. 3/32" runs 50-80 amps and 1/8" 75-140 amps both on dc+.225NT bobcatAEAD200LEScott 125mm175, mm252 w 30A, PT225mm211, TA 181iHyper Therm 380, cut master 529100X & XX, Digital Elite6 Victor setssmith little torch, meco midget kalamazoo band sawsteel max saw evoulution circular saw
Reply:Don't hold your breath on this. Alum using stick isn't pretty, and it's not easy. 1/8" is doable but not having any experience with stick, you will not have good results. 1/8" steel with stick is doable with practice. Even guys with lots of experience with steel have difficulties with stick alum. Anything thinner than 1/8" forget it. Alum stick is a hot process. It's really not useful for anything other than heavy sections, and even this could be done better, faster, cleaner with a good sized mig and the right feeder. Rick V here did a thread on alum stick welding. His welds were poor to say the least, but it will show you what to expect from your attempt. It won't be pretty.Trying to do sheet stainless with stick is probably another futile effort with no stick experience. Stick is good for heavy sections. Thin stuff is a real PITA even with lots of experience.Both of these really call for tig 1st, mig 2nd, OA 3rd and stick probably dead last.If you want to glob metal on your project and blow big holes in it, go ahead and try stick on these. That's most likely what you are going to do..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:Originally Posted by DSWDon't hold your breath on this. Alum using stick isn't pretty, and it's not easy. 1/8" is doable but not having any experience with stick, you will not have good results. 1/8" steel with stick is doable with practice. Even guys with lots of experience with steel have difficulties with stick alum. Anything thinner than 1/8" forget it. Alum stick is a hot process. It's really not useful for anything other than heavy sections, and even this could be done better, faster, cleaner with a good sized mig and the right feeder. Rick V here did a thread on alum stick welding. His welds were poor to say the least, but it will show you what to expect from your attempt. It won't be pretty.Trying to do sheet stainless with stick is probably another futile effort with no stick experience. Stick is good for heavy sections. Thin stuff is a real PITA even with lots of experience.Both of these really call for tig 1st, mig 2nd, OA 3rd and stick probably dead last.If you want to glob metal on your project and blow big holes in it, go ahead and try stick on these. That's most likely what you are going to do.