alum is not hard to weld if it is clean some steel is hard to weld if it is junk steel . for adding filler rod for steel or s steel start your puddle then you can slide the filler rod in the puddle you do not have to dip and if you want to haul a$$ lay just in front or the puddle and go if the filler rod is the rigth size it will fill in as you go. but on alum i dip the rod in the puddle