Stick welding aluminum

Does anyone have experience with aluminum welding rods? It seems like a fast way to weld, and it can be done outdoors in the wind.

 

Without the shielding gas... you'll get poor quality welds!

 

Have used, but just for emergency repairs, with low loads on weld, and where no TIG or MIG equipment available. Tricky, different stick positions, very sensible to moisture; work material to be preheated to reduce hydrogen bubbles. Stick material seldom compatible with base material composition, will cause fractures in HAZ. I've held a licence for alu-welding (TIG and MIG) for long, but I haven't seen a stick weld that would pass a bending test or x-ray.

But if nothing else is available, then what...... (add a good quality epoxy like Araldit maybe..).

Edit: ....and besides, the method is veeery slow compared even to TIG-welding!

 

The American Welding Society only addresses the end result for structural aluminum welding. Do the class societies restrict welding techniques?

 

DNV explicitly prescribed TIG/MIG for alu welding in earlier rules (for example in the sc "15 m rule"). Since these methods are industry "gold standard", I never bothered checking later versions. But I would expect DNV to accept f.i. plasma and stir/friction welds if they pass mechanical and X-ray testing. Have no "modern" experience from LR or ABS though; guess Ad Hoc and perhaps Barry have better information for you.

 

Have you seen this test of various types of Aluminium welding and brazing ? It may be interesting,

 

As far as I am aware, it is not an approved process for structural welds in Class rules.

 

I am pretty sure the late member PAR alluded to such methods as a cosmetic rather than structural repairs. I guess if there is damage in an above water element that isn't structurally greatly impaired by it, it has a place.

 

I was pretty sure the Class rules won't allow it. AWS allows any method as long as the weld complies with the minimum requirements..