What are the aluminum repair welding rods that I'm seeing that you
just use an OA torch to melt with no flux, shielding gas, etc. ???
Here come the questions:

1. Does it really work?
2. What are the rods made out of?
3. What are the trade offs? I'm assuming it's for general repairs
and not stuff where you have a special alloy with a
strength/flexibility that's critical.

At any rate, the Eastwood catalog shows the stuff and the catalog
blurb claims to even do pot metal. I have also seen the rods down at
the local tractor and supply (US Welding brand I think).

Just to explain, I have aluminum wire and argon for my MIG but usually
keep steel and a 75/25 gas mix hooked up. The thing that raised my
attention is that my OA rig is always ready to go and I have a ton of
tips to manage heat. I'm thinking of using the stuff for small
repairs where swapping out the wire and the gas is a hassle. I also
have flux and wire for critical stuff from Tinman Tech which works
good for thin stuff. (For those who recall some of my past queries,
I've not yet convinced my wife that I can't live without a Lincoln TIG
--- but I'm still working on her :-))

--George