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So, I got a aluminum boat yesturday. It has not been on the water in 30 years. The engine I think I can deal with. It's a pull start and it turns. So I just want to focus on the boat. I will give you picturs when I get my camera back. But I was wondering what the most important thing to check out on this boat first. Now I don't know about the transom. I took the engine off taking it home b/c it was wobbling a little to much. The wood on it looks ok. But I am thinking of replacing it anyway. Do I have to worry about the aluminum part of the transom? Or just replace the wood and ill be fine? I also want to paint this boat some time. So should I use a gun or should I use a brush? Well i will look forward to some help. Thanks guys.
Well, I believe its a Alumcraft. about 14ft. I don't know what year it is. I would be guessing 59 or somewhere in there. And it's a fishing boat. Now I would love to get you pictures but my sis has my cam so it might be a few days. Now its rough but it has been stored under a little shed with just a roof over it for about 30 something years I think. The sides are a little brown. Is there anyway to restore the aluminum or should I just paint over it? What do you guys think. - including all the other questions I have up there.
Ok,
The thing to look for are and cracks in the surface of the aluminum, or extreme pitting after you have cleaned the crud off. I would definitly replace the wood stiffner to keep the transom from working and cracking.
I also assume that the motor is small and light, so you might want to take the motor off when trailing long distances or over rough terrain.
If you find cracks or extreme pitting localized to small areas, the best cure is to cut it out and weld a new piece in. Sealing won't work, except in emergency situations.
Sorry, but I am not up on the best cleaner for brown stains. You might want to start a thread to this specific called Aluminum Brown Stain Hull Cleaner.
If the boat is that old, and depending upon how much it was used and how carefully it was handled in its past, the areas around all of the welds have been subjected to the possibility of "stress risers" in the heat affected zone of the welds. An aluminum boat is somewhat flexible while the heat affected zones of the welds are somewhat brittle and, just like crushing a beverage can at its midpoint and bending it back and forth, it will eventually crack where the metal is joined. If I were surveying the boat, I would check the areas of the welds with "Magnaflux Spotcheck", a resonably cheap and portable fluid type crack and leak detector. (available at most welding and industrial supply stores).I beleive that would be the least expensive method to assure yourself that the boat is safe to use.
EDIT: I went back and re-read you're post. In 1959, Aluminum boats may have been RIVITED, depending upon the quality of the manufacturer. If so, it is just as important to check for stress cracks in the aluminum radiating out from the edges of the rivets. The same method is used to check for them.
Location: Quebec, Canada and Pirates Cove, OBX, NC
Posts: 17,813
Re: Aluminum repair questions.
Quote:
josh6780 - 8/15/2005 10:34 AM
well I don't know what a rivited boat is. But I can tell you this boat has never been in salt water and will never be in salt water.
Is the boat covered in hundreds of small round bumps about 3/8 inches in diameter . . . if yes it is a riveted boat . . .
May I suggest that you get someone knowledgeable about aluminum boats to look at the boat for you . . . you may find their help to be most benificial and help with your learning curve
The transom probably has wood so you also need to check for rot
Ok then the boat is rivited. So far I don't see anything severe. I will need to repair the transom. The top of it is cracked in to places. So I will need to weld it. And I will be replacing the wood weather it's rotted or not just to do it.
I'm in the process of restoring an old Sea Nymph rivetted boat. I will tell you what I've done to seal the rivetts. First I put a wire brush wheel on my grinder and cleaned the entire hull inside and out. I then replace the bad rivets with new, no big deal, but you will need the rivett head and an air compressor. It will also take two people ( one to hold a heavy mallet on the topside while the other uses the air gun and rivetts from the outside) Make sure you do not mushroom out the rivets too much on the inside or they will not hold. After replacing the rivetts I took the boat to a local truck accesory place and had the whole inside sprayed with a rhino bedliner. It worked great and sealed the rivetts and also allows for flexing in the aluminum. I had my done in white to keep the heat down in the summer time. The only thing you have to remember about aluminum is not to mount anything brass on it, it will eat the aluminum. Hope this helps.
I do not know first-hand if there is any truth to this, but an old-timer told me years ago when I purchased my Crestliner that if you go out at night and use an extremely bright light and shine on the hull that areas of deep pitting will be visible from inside the hull.
Like I mentioned, I don't know first-hand of the ligitimacy of this claim but it certainly is an inexpensive test, and you never know...
Steve
__________________ Kids that hunt, trap and fish don't mug little old ladies.
My Dad had an old 14' Alumacraft runabout, built in the 50's or 60's and it is definitely a rivited boat (and a very well made, strong boat). He ran it regularly in rough, saltwater for years. I don't recall ever replacing any rivits, but we did made a 'knee' to reinforce the center lower transom inside the hull. I'm sure that repair was the result of some really punishing rides from offshore in the Sea of Cortez. Yes, offshore! I finally convinced the old man to get a bigger boat afterr an especially rough trip from 25 nm out. For inland waters, the Alumacraft is probably only second to Grumman and Lund aluminum boats, for a well built boat.
As for finishing, I would clean it up with a pressure washer (don't sand or use abrasives on it), prime with zinc chromate, and spray it with lacquer or one of the 2 part polyU paints, which may need a special primer. The polyU paints are not for most DIY's, BC they are hazardoud to your health and have tight temp/humidity req'ts. Only spray if you want it to look good.
Good luck!
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I wouldnt be overly paniced by the possibilities you are hearing. Before you spend any money, dunk the hull in a local pond and let it sit for a while. You can decide if it's worth the effort by the amount of water (if any) that seeps in to a dry hull - dont forget the drain plug !!
The aluminum skin is probably too thin to be welded properly by anyone that is not an expert with a very delicate touch. Aluminum melts at a very high temperature and oxidises*at just a few degrees more.
There are 2 products out you can use instead. One is a plastic rod that melts with a propane torch, I forget what it's called by I got some from Cabela's a few years back and they're still on my workbench waitng for me... Another is a metalic product that I think is called "Alumaweld"*that is also applied with a propane torch.
I saw a TV demo of the Alumaweld product. The salesman rebuilt the side of a soda can with it.*He*just went around the edges of the hole until it was*closed up. I believe the plastic sticks are*suitable only for horizontal jobs - kind of like a hot-melt bondo. Add backing if you feel more strength is need under the repair.
Be aware of what is behind any heated surface. Keep a charged hose or fire-extinguisher handy. Flotation foam can give off toxic fumes if burned.
Good luck!
__________________ I'm not a boat expert, I just read THT!
I have had alumium boats for many years--and kept some in salt water. You have excellent suggestions--I would do the leak test first!
Mark any rivits which are leaking or loose with a "sharpie"--and then with two people cinch the rivit tight. Backing plate on the outside, ball peen hamer on the inside, just bring the rivet tight. The Rhino liner idea sounds interesting--but you cannot get to the rivets---however you may not need to..with a Rhino liner boat.... Where there was thin or corroded metal, I repaired it with JB weld (it will work up to a point)--this is a metal epoxy and holds up well. Agree that welding a thin hull is very tricky. I also have cleaned up the bottom of the hull, with a wire brush, removed all old paint and growth etc. Then rolled a couple of coats of epoxy on the boat bottom. I also would replace the transom if at all suspect. Agree that new transom knees will really stiffen up the boat if it is more than 3 hp, you probably need this. You can make a knee out of alumium sheet and then pop rivet it to the transom and bottom, or if it comes in the way of the wood transom, bolt it thru the wood. My preference is something like "Easy Poxy" or "TopLac" for the paint. I have not been happy with laquors in boats.
Two part LP are great-but you have to know how to use them--and they are expensive. Use the Stronchium Chromate two part primer before you paint.
Go have fun--I have a 12 foot alumium boat powered with an electric trolling motor, a 3 hp or 15 hp outboards--all sorts of things you can do with them!
Kamper, aluminum starts to milt at a very LOW temp. [ about 1300 ] and liquefy at 1600 deg. it starts oxidizing the day it's made.
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Aluminum repair questions. 
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