re: Anyone ever stick welded aluminum? (Boat repair/patchwork)

I’m not a welder but you’ve just gotten to the point that everyone fooling with an old aluminum boat gets to eventually. The short answer is yes, you can stick weld aluminum, but it’s probably not going to work out like you’re envisioning it. The correct way to weld aluminum is to TIG weld it. YouTube will point you towards some ways it can potentially be done, but all will start with a disclaimer that it isn’t supposed to be done this way.

Brazing and rivets will work out much better in the long run. There’s plenty on YouTube about that too. I’ve brazed several things on my boat and have been very impressed with the results.