Comparison of Stick Electrodes for Arc Welding Aluminum - Part 2

[shovelon]

I feel Rick became quite proficient towards the end of his endeavor. The additional input from readers was educational as well. As an affectionado of the aluminum welding process, I found the entire diatribe quite interesting.

Some people collect stamps.

[jbmprods]

personally i think Rick shows honesty and good character regardless of experience. he is comfortable enough in his abilities to show the worst and the best and listen to constructive criticism to make an attempt to improve. i'm sure that if his level of welding were to to reach perfection he would still be humble, unlike some of the weld gods that would never show anything but their best welds on here in order to retain their cloud walker status. as the saying goes, "to error is is human". i guess i'll never find that staircase to

[soutthpaw]

Guys.
What the experienced guys are trying to say to Rick is that his experiments lack merrit due to the fact the Rick doesn't have the skills to weld with stick. He continues to make bead after bead of awefull looking welds. By the look of every picture he has posted of his welds he is consistant at being inconsistant with his travel speed, rod angle and arc length..all no no's with stick welding.
A skilled stick welder may make one bad bead, then he makes an adjustment to correct his poor actions. Rick just continues to make poor weld after poor weld which shows his inexperience. I would be embarased to post pics of welds that looked like Ricks on an online forum.
The inexperienced newbies will continue to cheer on Rick for his actions but the experienced and skilled guys can see right through all this.
These aluminum stick rods are very expensive and absorb moisture faster than 7018 does if improperly stored. If Rick wishes to continue waisting his $ on a process he will never use and noboby uses, it's entirely up to him.
I just cant justify it myself.

If you followed Ricks threads here you would see that he has taken the advice of the "experts" and is currently enrolled in a welding class at community college. He does it as a hobby and enjoys learning they taking a class purely out of his own desire to learn But as its not a career I suppose you would say he is wasting hie $500 on taking a class. geeze get a life

[joebie]

If you followed Ricks threads here you would see that he has taken the advice of the "experts" and is currently enrolled in a welding class at community college. He does it as a hobby and enjoys learning they taking a class purely out of his own desire to learn But as its not a career I suppose you would say he is wasting hie $500 on taking a class. geeze get a life

Amen.

[Knappweld]

Rick has probably had more hood time with SMAW aluminum than 99% of the people on this forum. Yall are just jealous he has time to spend having fun making metal melt together!

[soutthpaw]

Rick has probably had more hood time with SMAW aluminum than 99% of the people on this forum. Yall are just jealous he has time to spend having fun making metal melt together!

The joys of being retired
Now that he as finished his stick welding class we should see another round of welds on this at some point now Rick can put down a decent bead...

[Scott Young]

Mark,

Wow, first post and you want to stick your wizzer in a electrical socket. Way to make friends!

[martyman5000]

I was looking on the web for anything about welding Aluminum with a Arc and found those silly Youtube videos and almost gave up. After going through part one and two I was really impressed with Rick V . I can't wait to make an Aluminum skid plate for my motorcycle and this information was excellent. I almost spit out my coffee when I read this

If I have time I'll still futz around with the alum rods I have, but I'm not going out of my way to do so.

Over the last 10 years I've learned so many things from doing searches on the internet. After trying a few times to clean a motorcycle engine found a thread on using Muriatic acid...worked fantastic. Bought a used motorcycle that was like new sitting in a garage for 8 years because the owner couldn't get it to go in gear. Found out it was a safety switch that took 5 minutes to adjust, paid $1200 for a bike that was worth double from information on the internet.

When I read some of the negative comments and then saw some guys saying "keep going" I was glad some people are not so negative.

[Scott Young]

Marty there is alot of grissle on here, but stick around and listen. You will find great info especially from some of the girssle.

[tenpins]

Want to weld aluminum?

Buy a freaking tig machine or buy a spoolgun for the mig.


The reason you "don't see more written" about stick welding aluminum, is the pro's know it's a second rate welding process.

I have yet to see a bead (from any poster) that I would call "acceptable". Yea, and blowing a hole in your base metal always results in a "strong weld". LMAO.

I guess some people still feel the need to stick their hand in the fire, even though they've been told it's hot and they'll get burned.

Both the "pro aluminum stick welders" would be better served learning to stick weld properly on steel rather than futzing around with aluminum.

Funny how ****heads like you seem to think you are obligated to read every thread and respond. It doesnt make your dick bigger, in case that's what you were thinking. Take a note from your ridiculous conservative ideology, express your "freedom" to not participate in his threads.
Also, if this is what Rick wants to mess around with, where's the problem? this is a H-O-B-B-Y after all. But if you acknowledged that perspective, you wouldnt be able to go into work tomorrow and tell the other guys how stupid Rick is, and how badass you are. Bet I hit the nail on the head there.

[hog]

heres some bird droppings for sunshine to make fun of,

[hog]

Alright,i posted my aluminum bird droppings. lets see some more .

[Scott Young]

heres some bird droppings for sunshine to make fun of,

You like stirring the pot don't you.

[Scott Young]

Funny how ****heads like you seem to think you are obligated to read every thread and respond. It doesnt make your dick bigger, in case that's what you were thinking. Take a note from your ridiculous conservative ideology, express your "freedom" to not participate in his threads.
Also, if this is what Rick wants to mess around with, where's the problem? this is a H-O-B-B-Y after all. But if you acknowledged that perspective, you wouldnt be able to go into work tomorrow and tell the other guys how stupid Rick is, and how badass you are. Bet I hit the nail on the head there.

Are you that hard up for attention that you have to comment on a post that is a year old? You need to spend more time with your wife or more time investigating the lint in your belly button.

[Frank Chloupek]

All right. Calm down everyone and don't fight on a Sunday.

[zapster]

I was about to put my arm up and call a "Delay Of Game" penalty but the HEAD ref has had his say..

PAY ATTENTION TO IT!

...zap!

[hog]

You like stirring the pot don't you.

Sometimes, but i do think these aluminum rods can be used but they are a pain to keep lit and you gotta move fast with them,real fast. Slightest long arc and they blow a hole instantly in thin stuff.

[[TNT]SPEEDY]

Ok please read fully before a flaming attempt please and thank you....1) First of all Rick good on you for your perceverance and giving other hobbyists and new to welding a heads up on what to do and not to do, what works and what does not...2) To all who flamed him shame shame everyone has a right to post their views just because y'all are professional welders doesn't make this forum all about just you...3) to all the ones who keep saying spool guns that are supposed to be experienced welders ummm sorry but no due to one very prominent issue...the process of welding requires the melting of the parent alloy and the filler a mig moves to fast for this process and will either be weak or brittle with very little penetration and in some cases will not even with pre heating wich if your investing that amount of coin into a machine pre heating unless in steel multipass applications is very redundant will not remove again unless you pre heat and alchohol the oxidation layer wich makes TIG about the only decent affordable and with todays inverter machines, your best bet for hobbyists or weekend warrior welders which so far affordable wise only machines i would recomend would be the everlast 160sth or if in dire straits financially the everlast 140st both are arc/tig inverter tech and reasonably priced under 600 dollars each (140st is 300 without argon reg) only downfall to the 140 for tig is it is a lift arc start only the 160 i believe has option of lift and Hf. Thank you and sry if i offend anyone but bashing on a forum for trying an experiment is wrong no matter which way you toss it and those that were just trying to give helpfull suggestions very comendable the rest need to grow up what are you 5?

[MinnesotaDave]

.3) to all the ones who keep saying spool guns that are supposed to be experienced welders ummm sorry but no due to one very prominent issue...the process of welding requires the melting of the parent alloy and the filler a mig moves to fast for this process and will either be weak or brittle with very little penetration and in some cases will not even with pre heating wich if your investing that amount of coin into a machine pre heating unless in steel multipass applications is very redundant will not remove again unless you pre heat and alchohol the oxidation layer wich makes TIG about the only decent affordable and with todays inverter machines,

your best bet for hobbyists or weekend warrior welders which so far affordable wise only machines i would recomend would be the everlast 160sth or if in dire straits financially the everlast 140st both are arc/tig inverter tech and reasonably priced under 600 dollars each (140st is 300 without argon reg) only downfall to the 140 for tig is it is a lift arc start only the 160 i believe has option of lift and Hf.

Thread is from 2012 btw.

You don't know what you are talking about, spool gun aluminum is done all the time.

You recommend tig for aluminum and then list DC only machines.

[[TNT]SPEEDY]

ummm ok master welder have you not heard of flux coated electrode use with DC tig lift arc i guess you dont know what you are talking about or you would educate before retaliate and i have strength tested TIG vs. spoolgun and using a huge industrial press the spool gun welds failed almost imediately always to cold of a weld do to the speed a mig runs at and if you try to slow wire speed down you get bird**** welds or globbing and or burn through also i didnt even notice this thread was that old.

[SquirmyPug]

ummm ok master welder have you not heard of flux coated electrode use with DC tig lift arc i guess you dont know what you are talking about or you would educate before retaliate and i have strength tested TIG vs. spoolgun and using a huge industrial press the spool gun welds failed almost imediately always to cold of a weld do to the speed a mig runs at and if you try to slow wire speed down you get bird**** welds or globbing and or burn through also i didnt even notice this thread was that old.

*cough* Bullsh..*cough*

[soutthpaw]

Troll??

[AdVirMachina]

So, he's saying he doesn't know how to run a spoon gun and his tests proved it?

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[SquirmyPug]

So, he's saying he doesn't know how to run a spoon gun and his tests proved it?

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Yup sounds about right

[CEP]

I'm just a hobbyist, but I can get pretty good penetration with my spool gun.