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help!!! aluminum boat floor repair

jhill10

New member
I have a 22 ft seaark. The floor is 72in wide. All aluminum. It pops in several places due to wollered out screw holes. I bought the boat last year and it has been repaired quite a bit by adding New screws. But they just don't seem to hold. Any ideas on what to do? I thought about marking the holes that hit a stud or something hard and use a bigger screw in the same hole. But it seems they used the biggest screws #14. And I can't find anything bigger without going to a hexhead. Don't want big and,bulky if I can help it.Thanks
 
what is supporting the floor ?are the screws going into wood stringers or aluminum?if wood what kind of shape is it in?if aluminum you maybe can drill new holes and use new stainless metal screws...jb weld makes a good aluminum repair product..just take it and use it as a putty and fill in the old holes..smooth it out good as you apply it...just make sure the floor is tight enough that it has no flex...
if you are tieing into wooden stringers then if not rotten the same applies...
just an idea..i am sure there are other ways someone may jump in with...
 
Ok. Now what size? I've,did some research. Should I drill new smaller holes for the rivets? Or should I put them into the existing screw holes which are 1/4" minimum?
 
new holes....as far as i know they dont build a 1/4 inch pop rivet that you can put in with a hand tool...what they do build is an ''oscar'' rivet which will give you a bigger(wider) flange in the underside ...3/32 is as big as i would go with a hand tool...if you have never used a rivet tool before then do a couple on scrap material to learn...simple once you get started..good luck..
 
Ok. Now what size? I've,did some research. Should I drill new smaller holes for the rivets? Or should I put them into the existing screw holes which are 1/4" minimum?

Ayuh,... Either way,... If ya can get a grab with 1/4" rivets in the current holes, go for it,....

Most tinnys are put together with 3/16" rivets,...

If ya got any goin' through the hull,....
Use Closed end pop rivets,...

Whatever ya do, use ALL Aluminum rivets,...
 
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