AluminumAlloyBoats.com

goatram, [Washed] filter sand is inert and doesn't have any metal or salts to corrode marine grades of aluminum, and is more widely available in industrial areas compared to the various 'soft' ash or byproduct blasting media. Many municipalities use it to filter the potable water for towns compared ...

NIGHTHAWK I'm not sure what was said in the missing post, exactly, I don't recall very clearly the discussion? In general- blasting marine alloy aluminum is done with softer media compared to that for steel because if the blaster isn't experienced they can damage the boat with the more aggressive sh...

peterbo3,
That is the case. There is no cracking until the fatigue of that location, where ever it is, the weakest spot gives up, hardens & cracks instead of continuing to flex elastically.

cheers,

peterbo3, the trailer shown is typical of all trailers in this class and the rollers are exactly the type to damage the bottom but not by dishing the bottom or deflecting in large visible dents . What happens is the load on a roller is increased by the tie-down to a high relative load. A 3" wid...

peterbo3, my experience has been the same and I recommend that bunks, if used be plastic coated not carpeted. The only risk with rollers is to get them where the belong in the layout of the hull framing. A boat, even welded boats are designed to take some given loading-uniformly. Point loading is on...

Jettywolf, I'd wager decent volumes [a full firkin at least] of your favorite fermented hops beverage that the corrosion sites' matched the deck ply screw/bolt hole locations. Even dew will condensate on treated ply and drain/drip off the tips of screws onto the hull/bilge below just sitting on the ...

TheRealMacGyver , pressure treated wood is (often) treated with copper compounds- these 'salts' of copper and other metals help to keep fungi, molds, and other rots from deteriorating the wood- right? Wet copper solution in a carpet might have just a slight galvanic differential to aluminum- maybe e...

21ftcc, That bracket looks like it was cast (!) which is completely outside my experience so I can't remark from one on one knowledge, but- the leak shown looks like it was from internal corrosion not external. The water inside the bracket probably became acidic and ate through the bracket from the ...

bdelaporte The pictures show an extremely heavy transom with external poultice corrosion that happens when water is trapped between pieces of aluminum doesn't dry out and as it becomes starved/depleted/deaerated of oxygen; becomes acidic. This case doesn't appear too bad and there seem to be two dif...

aluminumdreamer, welder and jimw have already given you the best directions, I'm going to restate some of their points and add some ideas that have worked for me helping some local shops get equipped for less than list price. First, there are new machines and old machines- the old ones by Lincoln, M...

21ftcc, I recall Winninghoff was a featured builder in the late '70's and early '80's in the National Fisherman magazine. I was just getting started building in welded aluminum at the time and noticed an interesting design feature of his boats. They say these is nothing new under the sun, so perhaps...

Bill Munson was a shop foreman or fab hand for AlFab who was one of the oldest Puget Sound builders in the Miracle Metal, then AlFab ran into rough times, and he formed Munson Mfg. which built some fine commercial boats both work and fishing. Bill even set net fished on Kodiak Island, I believe, dur...

larrybayrunner, I don't pretend to know why the various formed-boat manufacturing companies make design decisions - so I know you'll understand this is just supposition about the shapes available. Ride, or comfort while running, isn't just defined by shape, although jon-boats are never going to be s...

djdew, dog houses, weather helms, free standing wheel houses, cabin -whatever we call them are a good addition to a landing craft and raked glass gives more room over aft leaned glass. I have an article at the Metal Boat Society, http://www.metalboatsociety.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=1479 giving one...

Bfishy, the rivets will only tighten a few times in my experience before several things happen all of which are not good. The areas round the heads are loosening by wallowing the holes side to side then as rivet is move sideways the head is now on un-clenched material or sliding instead of bent/mush...

Vinyl is a perfect choice for bunks, it won't hold water at all, it won't interact with aluminum like carbon rubbers- neoprene or some sheet rubber materials. Its slippery when wet so loading wouldn't be dragging the hull on gravel or sand, then vinyl drys off fast as water is running off it not out...

gil marlin,, Copper is one of the main fungus inhibitors impregnated into pressure treated woods and that metal and salt water will corrode aluminum. I don't think carpet and pressure treated wood are the best choices for trailer bunks, I'd prefer to see epoxy encapsulated wood or even painted steel...

mitchk, I agree with Chaps, spraying is the only way to go and many automotive paints will work fine if the surface prep is adequate. If you're stripping to bare metal then getting the oxide set up for paint will be more effort for someone of your experience than spaying some layers on top of that c...

Calloy, I'd like to remark about trailering alloy boats on rollers versus bunks. My experience with both, as a repair shop and builder, has left me with some experiences that might be worth discussing. First, flat bunks, especially carpeted flat bunks might create poultice corrosion cells if they do...

Jettywolf, Aluminum will oxidize so well that it happens in about 2-3 seconds from the time 'bare' aluminum is exposed to air. If you use a knife or an awl to scratch marine alloys the groove will form oxide in that time. If you etch aluminum with acid and let it dry or rinse the acid with water and...

I realize that most of the readers here us the 'iron jib' to move their aluminum boats, and that rowing doesn't have a large following except among the 'dead-plant-boats-and-Birkenstock' set....but this one is still welded a aluminum boat so I'll give a report on her use. Its fall here in the SouthC...

CTMD, This extinguisher is on deck to use on the engine and the only soft fuel line in the boat that is aft the transom on the engine mount. This extinguisher isn't intended to be retrieved if there were a filter fire- just the engine and lines aft. The SS tube valves and fittings are not exactly kn...

mojomizer,

Klaus Hafner's regular web handle is 'hakl', that's why I greeted him by name.

Cheers,

Hello Klaus, I think your home afloat (in-build with the hull up and cabin & decks nearly completed) is a great perspective for the members and readers here at the AAB.com who mostly: #1. go 50 knots, maybe more.... #2. slay the 'underwater wildlife', (apparently without nets or long lines) #3. ...

Chaps, I think everyone on the West coast has heard of the Bartender and they do have a fine salty sheer and were/are double ended- but not fan tailed. Also the main difference in our sterns and the Bartender's double end- besides the stern having a stem line like a bow, is the bottom. This double e...