AluminumAlloyBoats.com

It seems to me that unless you build a jig like Kevin uses to rotate the hull access will be dificult on the inside of the hull. If the hull is sitting upright you won't be able to reach the center welds on the inside from the side of the boat. That means you will end up sitting or kneeling inside t...

Hi Mojo, Thanks for the compliment. Welding is just a hobby of mine so my welds are not as pretty as the ones on many of the boats on the forum, however I have not broken any of my welds and I have had the boat airborne twice. It was a lot of fun to build and quite a learning experience. My intent h...

I built one of Pollards orcas about six years ago, hull #1020. Granted it is just under 14 feet, but it is a very nice boat. I use it several times a year at Bodega Bay, CA to crab fish. The only thing I wish was different with the hull is another ten feet in length and two feet in width.

I can't be of any help on build time, but in regards to raw materials go to specmar.com and look at the materials weight they list for their boats. When I built mine it cost me about $3.50 per lb. to buy the plate and have it cut on a water jet.

Yea, I suppose it might hold water under the nubs. At least if it did, there would be more air circulation than without it. I was also under the impression that there was a reaction between salt water and polyurethane foam. I'm not at all trying to sell this stuff to anyone. It just seemed like it w...

It's not rubber it's plastic. It seemed like a good way to allow drainage for those that do want foam in a small boat.

Hey Mark, I was thinking that one could just cut the product to fit in between the framing in the boat and line the hull. I don't think you would want to use any adhesive to glue it to the hull. You could tape it to the framing to hold it in place but once the foam is set nothing would move. You wou...

I found this product at a wood flooring school that I was teaching at. It is a vapor barrier the is designed to go between a wood floor and a concrete slab and provide ventilation for the slab. It is about 5/16 thick. The first thing I thought of when I saw it was that it would make a good barrier b...

Thanks for the reply Kevin. I wasn't thinking about expansion and contraction. Companies like ACB must make their compartments small enough and design in enough rigidity to overcome the flexing and fatigue issue.

Kevin, I always enjoy reading our posts as you have a tremendous amount of knowledge to share. There is one part of your post that I'm confused about though. You state that if the deck is pressure tested after construction and vented correctly when the boat is finished, there is no need to have foam...

Thanks for your reply Kevin. When I read your posts I get the feeling that you have forgotten more about welding than I ever knew.

Kevin, What is the proper way to break bend test welds in aluminum plate? Is there a specific radius that it should be bent to? I would think that the thicker the plate the larger the radius? I have bent my TIG welds in .120 5052 with 4043 and been able to flaten them in the vise without them breaki...

In the past while doing any welding on my boat I have always tried to put the ground clamp as close to the place I am welding as possible, making sure that the motor is not between the two. My fear has been that the current from the welder will damage the electronics in my outboard. Am I correct in ...

Thanks Alloy Toy. I kind of figured they were probably trying to keep the work for themselves and was planning on changing it myself. I'll have to check out Andy's web site and order a filer and gaskets.

Anybody know why my owner's manual says that I need to take my F50 to a dealer to have the oil filter changed? I can't imagine its any different than changing any other oil filter.

peterbo3 has a picture of one for a round transducer. Go to page 4 of "Your Alloy Boat" forum. The thread is titled "Building a Plate Alloy Boat" and the pic is on page 2.

That sounds like the same scenario that caused all of the flooding in Yosemite and Sacramento New Years day 1997.

When it warms up outside and you move out there to do some welding you'll need to protect your work from any breeze or you'll loose your shielding gas.

Your trailers are amazing Bevan. What alloy are they made out of, 6061-T6?

Pollard has a web site www.specmar.com with about 40 boats on it that you can buy cnc files for. Built one of his boats about three years ago. Having all the parts cut for you was very nice.

I did a google search for Glyde Ryde seats and found a post from another web site that pointed out some suspension seats sold by Tractor Supply. Item # 1238169. They sell for about $100. I'm sure they aren't as good as the Glyde Ryde, but would work on a tight budget.

Have an aluminum box built that will slide inside your fish box with enough room under and around it for some 2 inch thick foam. You can buy rigid foam board from any building supply place. I would try to design the insert so that it doesn't touch the hull to prevent heat transfer. You might also be...

I use a product called Salt Wash after ocean use. Flush it through the engine and hose off the boat then rinse with fresh water. Seems like cheap insurance to me.

My son and I went to Homer last summer for some Halibut fishing on a charter boat. While we were out someone with an ACB that new our captain came along and chatted with him for a few minutes. The thing that I noticed about his boat was that every thing that banged against his hull made a huge amoun...

If you're just trying to clean the metal for welding I would use a 120 grit flapper disc. They don't clog up as fast as a regular disc and remove material surprisingly fast. Save the 60 or 80 grit for smothing welds.