Simply out of curiosity, I tried stick welding aluminum (1/8" pieces) with DCEP, 100 amps, 1/8" electrode. I wanted to experiment.
To my surprise, I learned that if I drag the rod carefully, along the seam, I receive a workable weld that would be good enough for a garden ornament at least (not that I would trust myself to, say, weld an aluminum trailer or something).
My only issue is electrode sticking to work too much. Maybe using a strike plate would help?
Also, could it be that a weld would look better than it is in reality (ie, no sticking of metal together)?
I am going to play with more aluminum scrap...
i