Blue Demon E4043 5/32" x 14" 1LB Tube Aluminum Covered Arc Welding Electrode

***!! WATCH THE FUMES !!***I have been home stick welding on and off for 20 years - this stuff has a SERIOUS plume of smoke, i got the symptoms of short term exposure after just running a few short test beads.. Sore throat / tiredness - 2" of bead will generate a 5ft cloud of blue bad fumes!!WATCH THE FUMES!! Do NOT inhale / wear a 3M mask for fumes!!Now for the rods themselves -Bought a pack of 1/8 and 3/32 rods - cleaned up some volvo penta exhaust pipes I needed to weld. Played around with some settings, on the 1/8 rod I had good control on 1/8 thick butt joint at around 105 amps, on the 3/32 rod around 65-70 worked good..Pic is of my first few beads - despite some deposits the penetration was very good and super strong-Good strike, no preheat needed. I found sticking the tip into the puddle gets you better penetration, My last few runs left an almost flush bead with very good penetration. Overall I still got EXCELLENT results!Im not sure why my 110v wouldnt cut it - despite it being an inverter 125amp welder.. it would strike then the flux would insulate the tip and it dies.. its a dual volt so might wire in a 220 plug and see if the little thing can handle it then,Used dads Lincoln 225 monster and it blazed the beads perfectly...Keep these sealed as they will absorb moisture over time. You have to move quicker than steel, the burn is faster and also the travel speed, but dont overdo it, i found a god balance between lingering and moving - practice on some scrap and you'll have the method down in 5 rods - i promise!

It took me a little practice to get used to it, but each time I run a bead, it's better than the last one. This is pretty nice rod, and for my little projects, it works great. I have a Primeweld 520DP, and it runs this rod no problem. It took some getting used to, since the rod burns a lot faster than something like 6011, but now that I have the amperage dialed in and know what to expect, it leaves a nice looking weld that is strong enough for me to bend the test pieces without breaking the weld. Striking an arc is a little frustrating sometimes, because the flux melts and covers the tip of the electrode. I have to tap the electrode on the work piece to break the flux off and then it starts no problem. Other than that, if you have stick welded before, you should have no problem getting used to this rod and running a nice bead. I have my machine turned up to 80 amps and it welded two 1/4 inch thick horseshoes without a problem.

Although Arc welding aluminum is not an ideal method I was very surprised by the results using these rods. Maintained a nice arc. Weld actually comes out well if you play with your amps and pre heat your metal. Practice on some scrap first as it is hard to maintain an arc and you consume your rod at a rapid rate. Although TIG and MIG welding is superior this rod works well if you are in need of welding aluminum and have no alternatives. I would buy again.

I didn't know if it was possible to stick weld aluminum but here it is. It's a bit tricky to scratch start compared to 6011 on steel but with some practice it's great. I used electrode neg DC like it says and away you go. I'm a weekend welder not a professional but I thought it was easier than mig with a spool gun

This is fantastic. Everyone says you need fancy equipment to weld aluminum. It is just not true. This stuff works great with (DC electrode +). In only have an AC buzz box and thought I'd give it a try. It doesn't work. You can not keep an arch with an AC machine. I rented a DC welder for $35 and it worked perfectly. I was amazed. I am not a good welder and it because of that, it didn't work perfect, but it sticks. I am sure a good welder could lay a great bead with this stuff.

I ordered two boxes of this rod, received them one week apart. One box was the worst welding rod I have ever seen, not usable because flux was in the bag instead of on the rod. The second box was very good. The good one arrived in a red box, Heat 0872-01, lot S04731. The bad one was in a black box, Heat 1225-01, lot S05982,The bad rod's flux was soft and very hygroscopic, the good was hard and not easily dissolved in water. I would like to have another box of the good stuff. Any way to insure I don't get the defective ones?

I too have had the same experience as some others.I absolutely could not get the 3/32" electrode to strike an arc, which made these electrodes useless.I tested, from 40 amps to 200 amps using a DC arc welder. Regardless of the amperage setting, the best I could manage was sticking and sputtering.Upon opening the package a large amount of the "white" coating that should be "on" the electrodes simply fell out of the package as a thick white dust.This manufacturer is shipping good packs of this electrode, and defective packs of this electrode. I received a defective pack.It's a roll of the dice.

I needed to repair a crack on an aluminum collar on a drill press about an inch and half long. Preheated with a propane torch and had no problems with the repair. It was a short bead but looked like a smooth flow.

It was the first time with aluminium electrode, It's a bit tricky to star, With some practice it should be good.There is much fume.

Awful. I couldn't get a bead if my life depended on it. I'm not a pro but I've built enough things with a welder that I know what I'm doing

Great welding electrodes more than I expected can burn them at low amperage. I cut them in half lenghts for easier control when doing precision welds just because they are small. Great product with practice makes nice welds.

welded lite piece well

Bonne qualité