AluminumAlloyBoats.com

AAB.com, I've received a few emails regarding this build so this post just makes some notes for those reading. First this is a one off boat, I'm not building fulltime and don't have a crew of builders, and the work shown is being done in various rented shops, with a couple of welding power supplies ...

FinishedBusiness I'm just asking questions. The reason is for you to ask yourself if you're thinking of the entire project in scale and scope? Does the original dash or instruments and helm have to set the cabin projects' basis? Does the original lower cabin and dash/helm and cabin represent somethi...

jettywolf are you inviting guys for fishing or just to see you in the bikini and flip flops? That does sound 'interesting' for 450 a day though, don't get me wrong.

Cheers,
Kevin Morin

finished business, the bilge the general area below the waterline INSIDE the hull so lets say from chine to chine inside? I'm glad you found the tanks were not pitted and the oil/goop was not corrosion! That is good news. I'd take a minute to check the foamed areas to make sure you don't have contac...

Jettywolf, here are some photos to try to help explain more about mill scale. A note about aluminum photos though- its all some shade of gray or silver and its kind of hard to get fine detail unless you're a good photographer and obviously I'm not. Generally if there is a 'chrome-like' shine there's...

To further our discussion about "doing it", or actually etching a boat with acid compounds- I'd like to mention some things that could be of interest and a note of caution as well. First you don't have to etch all at once that is you can clean small areas over time the effect is cumulative...

beachdweller, If they paint you may question if they use a self etching primer? (1) or if they use the older and more cumbersome acid etch/rinse/allodyne method before the primer?(2) Also will the entire bilge be painted,(3) that is will the hull be painted (and therefore prepped) inside and out or ...

sculpin, I don't have any contact with the name shops, as I'm not in their class just a skiff builder, but I do know the results I've seen in the last four decades working on alloy boats. I have seen several skiffs from different Puget Sound builders, I think one was Workboats Northwest? and it was ...

Finished Business, if you have an oil spill its a total blessing, the oil will create a oxygen rich paste on the surface of aluminum and preserve it! In the late 50's and early 60's along the PNW coast three builders were contracted to build a series of 32' welded aluminum gill net boats for a salmo...

with the bottom framing and welding largely done, where the welding was stretched over several different framing steps to fill in the work flow and move the heat of contraction around the boat slowly; its time to put on the deck. You may recall that I didn't want to kneel down on the deck beams and ...

Just above the images show the longs on the bottom, the deck framing beginning and some unaccounted pipes and conduits under the deck framing. http://i383.photobucket.com/albums/oo273/kevinmorin_photo/24%20Open/controlsconduit_2a.jpg to allow the shift throttle cables to run from the helm under the ...

Because the bottom is not framed transversely and is 1/4" there were two places where the shape was distorted so the layout for the precut longs was not used, instead some temporary transverse shapes were tacked under the hull to hold the shape and the longs were scribed to fit. This was added ...

Finished biz, I'm not sure of the following, its just my speculation based on the image files you've posted above. It looks like the fuel hoses are steel crimp onto brass end fittings? Perhaps that is wrong- but the mess on top of the tanks appears to indicate there has been a pool of water containi...

johncar, sorry to have missed this post, I don't know if your boat needs to be etched based on your comparison of the exiting corrosion. I use the "rule of thumb" that all mill scale should be removed, and I either do it myself or leave it to the owner, if they prefer to leave it on.... ? ...

Kelper, of course there are quite a few hulls that would work fine, Rosema http://www.rozemaboatworks.com/ comes to mind, Kvichak (quee-jack) may still offer commercial fishing welded aluminum hulls? http://www.kvichak.com/ ; Leeshore http://www.leeshoreboats.com/ would probably offer a custom build...

EDD, yes the two topsides plates, one a strip about 25' long the other the full 'sides' of the boat were both shaped by the output of the D'shipPro application to create the developed surfaces. When the lower topsides strip was tacked edge to edge to the outer edge of the chine flat the two shapes f...

Chaps, you're right, it was a bear and the rest has been pretty simple ; by comparison. The topsides panel cuts were quite full in the forward five feet and since I don't/didn't use frames they went on without the full amount of final cone. Therefore putting the guard deck on was pretty Olympic too....

John, EDD, we'll need some framing to keep the shape but the lower topsides and chine flats to create some shape rigidity that allows the interior framing something to weld too. http://i383.photobucket.com/albums/oo273/kevinmorin_photo/24%20Open/LowerTopsides_9a-1.jpg first some prelimiary beads alo...

John, I use the 1.90$ (US)/can generic food spray from the local pallet stacked warehouse food supply, and it works good because it will keep the build up off the saw blade which is where I spray it. Then, if the acetone misses some when you clean up, it vaporizes at a lower temperature than any pet...

EDD, I discussed above the idea that the boat would not have full ht sides. I've crawled over more than my share of skiffs and after climbing in, then I've knelt down to work either at or below my knees and I have also confessed that those days are gone- passed tense- ain't happen' now. So the boat ...

EDD, that d*mned 1/4" bottom was a bear to pull in, as anyone who's done this could have predicted and I should have too! But the Skipper is always right (sort of corollary of the "Customer is Always Right" for boat builders) so 1/4" it is. I will point out that those with a fine...

EDD, http://i383.photobucket.com/albums/oo273/kevinmorin_photo/24%20Open/bottomTackUP_15.jpg the keel is going to be flexible in this design, for a while. So we have a set of temporary flat bars on one side to keep it fair until we get to the stage where we can add the permanent stiffener to hold th...

EDD, I was going to explain why the bottom is shaped like it is, but that can wait, I'll post a few more shots of the build and get to the shape ideas as we go along. I want to make a note about the keel seam, for those who are considering becoming aluminum boat builders, because this joint is criti...

EDD, I used Defltship Pro to create the model and do the developed plate shapes, but I used to do these takeoff from plate models that Randy/netman will be doing on the adjacent thread where he's getting ready to build a net skiff. The outlines of the panel shapes, keel and various other hull shapes...

EDD, I have been looking for another TIG gun for months and haven't found (another) one!!!! :banghead: Please write with any questions and I will try to create an explanation for every single detail of the gun; if you did find one (?) and please see if they have another one? I will continue with the...