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Aluminum · stick

MTC AlSi5 aluminium electrodes Ø 2.5–3.2 × 350 mm

Aluminum rods for a stick machine — a real technique with a narrow window and no room for hesitation.

MTC AlSi5 aluminium electrodes Ø 2.5–3.2 × 350 mm, product photograph

MTC AlSi5 aluminium electrodes Ø 2.5–3.2 × 350 mm

Aluminum rods for a stick machine — a real technique with a narrow window and no room for hesitation.

Alloy
AlSi5
Diameters
2.5 and 3.2 mm (0.13 in)
Length
350 mm (13.8 in)
Process
MMA (stick)
Amazon reference
B08KG9DK1F
EAN
0670036746946
  • Aluminum repair without a TIG set or a spool gun
  • AlSi5 is the same alloy family as ER4043 MIG wire — forgiving and crack-resistant
  • Aluminum MMA is unforgiving: the pool forms suddenly and the rod burns fast

Best for: Field repairs on cast or thick aluminum where no TIG machine is available

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Specifications

Alloy
AlSi5
Diameters
2.5 and 3.2 mm (0.13 in)
Length
350 mm (13.8 in)
Process
MMA (stick)
Amazon reference
B08KG9DK1F
EAN
0670036746946

Preheat is part of the process

Aluminum conducts heat away from the arc faster than steel, so on anything thick the surrounding metal steals the energy and the weld never fuses. Preheating to around 150 °C (302 °F) — hot enough that water spits — puts the section closer to fusion temperature and makes the weld possible.

Clean, then clean again

Aluminum oxide melts far hotter than the metal beneath it, and it re-forms in minutes. Wire-brush the joint with a stainless brush kept for aluminum alone, and weld immediately.

Sources

Every figure above comes from the manufacturer’s published specification for this reference. Fields the listing does not publish are left out rather than estimated. Market availability was verified per market on the EAN.

The questions welders ask

Is stick welding aluminum actually viable?

For repairs, yes — with practice and low expectations of appearance. The difficulty is that aluminum gives no color warning before it melts: the surface looks unchanged and then the pool drops. Rods burn quickly and the technique is fast, continuous and committed. It is a genuine skill rather than a shortcut.

When should I use TIG instead?

Whenever it is available and the part matters. AC TIG breaks the oxide layer under a controlled arc, gives you a foot pedal for heat, and produces a weld you can be proud of. Stick aluminum exists for the situations where the part cannot come to the workshop.

Welders this fits

More stick electrodes

  • STARK Rutile all-round Ø 3 × 350 mm, 5 kg, product photograph

    STARK Rutile all-round Ø 3 × 350 mm, 5 kg

    A hundred and eighty-five rods in a box — the format for a project rather than a repair.

    Type
    Rutile, all-round
    Dimensions
    Ø 3 mm (0.12 in) × 350 mm (13.8 in)
    Quantity
    5 kg (11 lb), approximately 185 rods
    Amazon reference
    B01N07QIID
    EAN
    4402300500550
    • 185 rods: enough for a gate, a trailer repair or a season of practice
    • Rutile all-round, so it strikes easily and works in most positions
    • Even rutile rods absorb moisture — a 5 kg (11 lb) box needs dry storage

    Best for: A project with a lot of welding in it, at 5 mm (0.20 in) and above

    Check price on Amazon
  • Hobart 308L stainless steel stick electrodes

    Hobart H481930-RDP, 308L stainless, 3/32 in

    The only stainless rods in this hub — on a listing whose four bullets are a product type, a parcel size, a country and a weight to six decimal places.

    Amazon reference
    B002AKJ23Y
    EAN
    0715959249836
    • The only stainless electrodes in this hub, either half
    • Names the base metals it is for — 304 and 308 stainless — rather than saying "stainless"
    • The four bullets contain no welding specification at all — product type, parcel dimensions, country of origin and parcel weight

    Best for: Repairing 304 or 308 stainless with a stick machine, where no MIG gas is available

    ≈ $11
    Check price on Amazon
  • Hobart 6011 stick electrodes, 1/16 inch, in their one-pound pack

    Hobart H112216-R01, 6011, 1/16 in

    A deep-penetrating 6011 in the smallest diameter on this shelf, stated for welding through light to medium dirt, rust and paint.

    Amazon reference
    B004USV1RE
    EAN
    0715959286619
    • Stated for welding through light to medium dirt, rust and paint — the one job a clean-metal rod cannot do
    • Publishes a tensile strength: 60,000 PSI
    • A cellulosic coating gives a fierce, spattery arc — this is not a rod to learn on

    Best for: Farm and repair work on steel that cannot be cleaned first

    ≈ $16
    Check price on Amazon

Elsewhere in the workroom

  • Sägeband-Manufaktur M42 1440 × 13 × 0.65, 14/18 TPI, 5-pack, product photograph

    Sägeband-Manufaktur M42 1440 × 13 × 0.65, 14/18 TPI, 5-pack

    Fourteen to eighteen teeth per inch — for thin-wall tube and sheet, where anything coarser tears.

    Type
    Premium M42 HSS bi-metal
    Dimensions
    1440 × 13 × 0.65 mm (56.7 × 0.51 × 0.03 in)
    Pitch
    14/18 TPI, variable
    Quantity
    5 blades
    Amazon reference
    B07VMRV9GQ
    EAN
    4251413656964
    • 14/18 is the pitch for thin-wall tube and sheet stacks
    • A thinner 0.65 mm (0.03 in) backing flexes more easily around small wheels
    • Very slow in solid material — the gullets fill and the blade rubs

    Best for: Thin-wall tube, conduit and light section on a small saw

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  • SIXTOL Welding Mask 1, product photograph

    SIXTOL Welding Mask 1

    Twenty-three euros for an auto-darkening helmet — the cheapest thing on the European half of this site that protects something irreplaceable.

    Type
    Solar-powered auto-darkening
    Modes
    Welding and grinding
    Amazon reference
    B0CL8HN5GM
    EAN
    8595697702129
    • Auto-darkening at €23 — there is no excuse left for a hand shield
    • A grinding mode, so the lens stays clear while you dress the weld
    • No optical class, switching time or viewing area published

    Best for: A first helmet, or a spare so a visitor never welds without one

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  • Spurtar Welding magnets, 6 × 13 kg, product photograph

    Spurtar Welding magnets, 6 × 13 kg

    Six magnets for €20: they hold a corner square while you tack, and they are not clamps.

    Quantity
    6 magnets
    Hold
    13 kg (28.7 lb) each
    Angles
    45°, 90° and 135°
    Amazon reference
    B08GR33SXH
    EAN
    0696177836667
    • Six magnets means both ends of two joints held at once
    • Three angles cover square corners, mitres and obtuse bracing
    • Magnets hold for tacking and cannot resist a cooling weld

    Best for: Holding a frame square long enough to tack it

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All stick electrodes

Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.