Provided are stir-welded rotors and methods of making these. An exemplary stir-welded rotor may include a stack of laminations that each has spaced-apart slots arrayed on an outer circumference. The slots register with slot bars that each has a first extremity extending above the stack of laminations and a second extremity extending below the stack of laminations. A first weld extends between first extremities of adjacent slot bars, and a second stir weld extending between adjacent second extremities of adjacent slot bars.