TOPIC: Aluminum repair

I know nothing about working on an aluminum boat, but since I'm the boat guy, I got the call. I have a friend who has an old (not classic, just old) 12 ft aluminum boat the she uses to take her nieces and nephews fishing in a pond. She called be and said that it sprung a leak and found a crack near a seam when she turned it over. I was asked to come fix it, since I'm the boat guy. Any thoughts on how to seal this up?

I have not seen it yet, so I don't have many specifics.

Thanks

i think i fixed a rivet hole with jb weld more than 20 yrs. ago. i just mixed up a blob and stuck it on. its still there. ron

TIG....

What Heather said. Don`t even try the aluminum weld stuff that you can supposedly do with a propane torch. I have done several types of welding in 45 years of working and the only thing I had left after trying this stuff is a puddle of aluminum slag.
A TEMPORARY fix is to put on some red or black silicone from the auto parts store after hard brushing with a steel wire brush.

I'm not a welder and I'm not going to start now. I want to do a temporary fix that will get through the next 4 weekends and then figure out a strategy.

Perhaps the best solution is to find a new boat on CL.

Another quick fix is to find a thick aluminum tape. If the metal is flat you can patch it with that. It is only temporary and if you get oil on it the tape will turn loose.

The original post was that this is a woman who is taking kids out in the boat.
Safety is paramount out on the water.
Take it to a certified welder and have the repair done correctly and it will the best thing you can do for them, concerning the boat.
Neil

-LUMIWELD

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The stuff that you use with a propane torch or oxy-acetalene ( for bigger pieces )---works like a charm.

From Lumiweld's website;
www.aluminumrepair.com/boat-repair.htm

being it is not a vintage I would use a piece of aluminum 5200 and some blind (closed end) pop rivets.

Cut and bend the aluminum to cover the crack...Then drill a hole into the boat at each end of the crack as to stop it from running

Lay the aluminum over the crack and drill a few holes through as to rivets in place(I do 4 ..one on each corner and place a rivet in the hole to hold the aluminum in place while I drill the others) . Then remove the aluminum add 5200 and replace the aluminum

Rivet in place and drill more holes (about a inch a part) and rivet ..let set over night

www.hansonrivet.com/w22.htm

I used auto body seam sealer on my Feathercraft and it worked great. It's tough stuff.

please forgive my hijack,but has anyone used lumiweld to fill pits in aluminum,then sand and buff,my flying fish has some pitting in the aluminum.
sorry about the hijack todd,john

It will " age " to a different shade of aluminum , as in much darker.