Can a stick welder Weld aluminium ?? Answered

No. You HAVE to have an argon blanket. Mig works quite well on ali. TIG is much better, but an AC/DC Tig  will set you back nearly 800 quid even for a cheap Chinese one.

Steve

I'm not gonna lie though, harbor freight does have some pretty trashy stuff!

It depends. I would recommend buying a MIG welder because it is far better to MIG weld aluminum than it is to stick weld it. Yes you need shielding gas but there are cheap gas bottles out there and a cheap stick welder wont have the efficiency or control or precision to weld aluminum. It is more expensive to stick weld aluminum because it needs to be pre heated with a torch and other expensive materials specific only to aluminum welding are needed as well.

CAN A ARC WELDER WELD UP ALUMINUM?

LOL I DO TO THERE TOOL REALLY CHEAP BUT IMA TELL YOU WHAT I HAD BOUGHT THE 90 AMP WELDER LIKE 2 YEARS AGO ITS LIKE THE OLDER IT GETS THE BETTER BEEDS IT CREATES IVE BEEN RESTORING A CLASSIC CAR AND THAT WELDER WORKS WONDERS FLOOR PAN REAR Q PANNELS SO MY WELDER FROM HB FREGHT WAS A GREAT BUY BUT NOW I STILL USE IT BUT I DO GOT A LINCOIN WELDER NOW

I realize this is a rather old thread, but in hopes someone finds it useful here's a link I've had on the subject for a few years. http://www.hildstrom.com/projects/stickaluminum/index.html

Well hey, I bought their cheapest gas-less MIG for my first welder and it works fine. And if it goes sour, I'll just make a portable 110v stick welder with the transformer. If you had just a couple projects in mind for it, harbor freight has a few fair welders. - Dr. 0'Neil

Yes, there are stick welding rods for aluminum. I've never used them though. Look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KELLTrgnUhc

yes a stick welder can weld aluminum...the rods consume very quickly...it's best to use a pronounced weave...you'll never see the puddle as there is a lot of slag/smoke...it's easier to run it  at smoking hot heat levels...once you get it  just trust that you're moving along correctly...when you've figured it out they run pretty easy and look very slick...i've made a lot of repairs in the field on aluminum castings and tanks...and never had a problem...

Despite what some others have said, yes you can weld aluminum with either an AC or DC stick welder.  Go to the library and get a book on it.  To get the correct rods for what you want and your welder go to a welding supply and tell them what you want to weld and the type welder you have.  To make sure you purchase a welder that will do what you want you might go to the supplier and ask first.  (you can buy an import, don't feel pressured, but ask at the welding supplier to find the specs on the machine you need.  A good supplier can give you a lot of information.  Make friends with the person there and they willl help a lot)  You can find information of the Miller welder site and probably on others.  Do a web search.  The people who make welding machines will be glad to help you.       The fumes from aluminum stick rods are more dangerous than most steel welding rods, so make sure you have proper ventillation

like the others have said. I would suggest Mig, or Tig welding.  I've never heard of alum. stick welding.   and once again like the others have said it is hard to weld.   When heating steel it turns red and obviously glows, meanwhile  Aluminium (least when I have welded it) seems to basically be either solid, or liquid and can quickly melt and drop away if to much welding is done in one area until it cools a bit. 

A pro could probably use a stick welder to weld aluminum.

But you? I'll  suggest that you rethink the problem and reconsider buying the insert gas kit to upgrade your dad's system.

You can gas weld aluminum but it's really tricky.  It has a tendency to drop out as it melts instead of welding unless you are very careful with the torch.

Aluminium is tricky, much harder than steel. Steve' is right, but even if you have the right kit it's not an easy job for a beginner.

L