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Best material for aluminum repair?

Goober

Member
Noticed some extra water,put boat on trailer and lowered bow. Water coming out of front seam plate. Boat has one long strip down the center that joins the two halves. Then a 1'' seperation followed buy a short strip that runs up the front to bow, that is the piece that is leaking.Does not look to be the rivets leaking but underneath the joining plate itself. Boat is a older Starcraft, read on West Marine web that 3m5200 is excellent as well as some two part aluminum epoxy,any suggestions for this and in the future the rivets themselves?
 
if the parts are stable, the 5200 should be okay as long as you store it on the trailer. I'd go that way before the epoxy unless you know the exact leak source.

The best way to fix it is to get a good TIG welding setup or make good friends with a welder who does this.
 
I sell tools for a living so i know a few tig welders. I am a little concerned about them blowing through the aluminum. I guess I will talk to them and see what they have to say.I do store it on a trailer and the leak appears to be on the keel around the water line at the bow end. So there is probably not a lot of flex there as opposed to between the ribs on the planning surface. Thanks I was wondering if anyone ever looks at this section of the forum,little surprised that they do not have links to projects that have been done on these subjects as I have seen in car forums.
 
True about this section doesn't get much activity, but hopefully that will change. I've done the most of my work on fiberglass boats but I know some that have repaired aluminum. The tig welding is okay, but you need an experienced welder for this operation. The problem others have had is the heat generated from the welding distorting the rest of the hull. I know there are ways to prevent the heat from traveling, but again you need an experienced person doing this task. If all the rivet are tight I'd try sealing it as stated above.
 
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