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Carl, if an opening of a through hull is not shrouded to form a venturi (aft the shroud) then the pressure of the planing surface will 'pump'/push water up the through-hull on any planing boat's after half.  There is a relative positive pressure on the planing bearing surface as the boat's bottom is...

Carl, When its time to add the venturi-causing shield over the tunnel vent.... just use a small segment of pipe- has to be about 3" or maybe 4" dia. A sliver off one side that gives a 2" wide by 3-4" long parabolic leading edge w/ a flat trailing edge that about 1/2 covers the ve...

Carl,  trying to use words to describe the process isn't necessarily the most efficient... apologize for the density of the post. Trying to make sure you see a completely clear, linear and logic sequence to building the skiff as I think of it. Don't mean to be too long & wordy but... I guess I'l...

Carl, First, the tunnel weld sequence; the 'bottom extension' over the vent through hull opening won't hurt hull integrity and since it facilitates welding sequence and getting a full inside outside weld done... its really the only way given the shapes' intersections and the vent.  Waiting to weld t...

Ironwood, Would it be feasible to salvage this valuable hull by "strip planking" a new skin over the old plating in the corroded area below the waterline?    I find several reasons that argue against this idea.  1. What's to weld too?  2. Burying existing corrosion cells? 3. labor & we...

Carl, TIG beads can be scaled on the fly, the wattage (amperage) control is a pedal or knob on the torch, the arc length and therefore arc cone width can be adjusted by both the tungsten grind and the length of the arc held so the puddle size can be as small as needed to keep from over contraction o...

Carl, not familiar with venting a tunnel (?) but a parent metal scantling scaled TIG weld would make this weld correctly.  Not more than the thickness as the root face and not more than 1/4 of face (throat/hypotenuse) in bulge or crown... don't distort the "tunnel lid" by over welding.... ...

Grand', Just looking at adjacent posts, and back a few months- an offshore capable, family boat, in welded aluminum, has to be considered an 150,000$ item and that is the lower end of the market!! SO, that gives me the idea that three boats would be more efficient than one??  A Jon boat, riverboat ...

Grand', Welcome to the AAB.com Forum, my remarks are about the 'perfect' multi-water body boat idea. I think you'd end up with three or four different boats for the several water bodies you've described? Like the 'perfect' anything .... the item simply loses that label if the use is too widely const...

Tin Cup, I'd say the aluminum trailer beam is repairable by welding but would ask if the beam/frame is adequate for the boat?  If the axle was too light for the boat, and axles notoriously match trailers in mfg.'d products' wt ratings ......  could be more wt. than the beam has the strength to bear?...

slug, as a long term welded hull designer, builder, welder, user, and having repaired both welded and riveted hulls I'd make a few remarks. Basically we're not talking apples to apples, these are my thoughts. The video has some good points in regard both methods of building but....  The Dialog is ve...

Carl, the bend looks pretty uniform but.... I'd do some 1/2" or 5/8" layout lines to insure your end product is 'fair' smooth w no kinks or angle points. Kick or kink bending is usually done with a set of lines to make sure the pressure is applied evenly - and depth of cylinder is the seco...

Carl, Looks like the 0.030" wire is good for any outside corners as shown by that first weld.  Good shape, size and travel speed and good fusion toe & top.  However, inside fillets look like they'll need larger dia. wire?  Need more heat while keeping tighter arc length and still fusing bot...

Peterwd, Yes, I'd say the boat was too far gone to bother repairing - unless you remove the entire bottom and re-plate?  The reason for my pessimism is the uniformity of the corrosion- as though the boat's electrical system was delivering stray current to the hull or the bottom paint was copper base...

Carl, Yes, the keel line/weld seam will need support too, but not as badly as the mid bottom panel seam does due to the increased angle between the bottom panels.  The two bottom panels are closer to 'self supporting' at steeper angles than when they're nearly flat to one another. So the main center...

Carl, I'll be OK, I think?  Seems like all I do is sleep! Regarding flat bar- I would want it to bend to the shape smoothly and notching the bar- will not make that happen- it will kink at the notches. The purpose of the Type 2 bar is permanent- Type 1 was in segments to remove after the seam was we...

Carl, What does this system look like using 0.035" wire?  The welds shown have excessive over spray- tiny droplets on the material surrounding the weld bead...that condition usually indicates the weld arc length is too long- so I'd want to increase the wire feed speed and shorten the arc length...

Carl, If you turn the hull before welding the outer seams (?) will the building form go over too? If not (?) then I do understand some risk to deformity- but decent tacks shouldn't come undone?? It would be fine to weld the bow stem/keel seam from sheer to the aft end of the forefoot (keel seam) and...

Carl, No need to show print stamp on chine flat once you show it's a tacked up pair of bars-plates-sheet outlines & NOT an extrusion! (I) Hate those T-joint fillets instead of outside corner joints where inside edges meet and form a natural full depth edge groove for a weld- but you have what yo...

Carl, first the chine flat made of an extrusion??  I see the bar showing that flat has rocker and so it may rise as a buttock line forward from the transom, can't tell w/o the lines plan.  BUTTT.... you refer to it as 5086- so the angle extrusion is 5086 or there is a chine flat plate and a vertical...

Carl, this set of images shows a major (problem) question I have of the lines plan and plate development of the bottom.  Image # 1 shows the panels all aligned next to one another and that confirms the two panel design is not likely needed?  Image #2 shows a VERY small shape separation at the bow- t...

m32, The two panels I'd like to see in the photo are not the two center, inboard bottom panels adjacent the keel as shown . They are the panel to the left in the photo and the panel to the left of the paired center-line panels.  However the alignment is correct-tight together, aft where they're stra...

m32', Just discussing the seam in the twin bottom panels: that seam, if I'm correct (?), is unsupported and is visually very nearly 'flat' one sheet edge to another?  Pls confirm this as all the other seams in the hull shown are of a very different class of weld joint. To my eye- that seam in the bo...

m32, have you welded a skiff before?  Just chking to see how detailed to try and explain my point of view re; skiff assembly. Also, just re-read the thread and would like to know if the hull bottom panel seams have longitudinals inside at or near the seam?  I'm referring to the seam in the bottom pa...

Forum, I realize the dimension or scantling being discussed in the OP is what was being discussed but I've decided to add some to this topic.  I always thought the only stupid question was one that wasn't asked??  But I'm going to move sideways on the OP since this is so old. This older thread, bump...