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1960's-1970's PolarKraft Aluminum Transom Replacement

scarpozzi

New member
The transom is rotted out on this older PolarKraft we've had in the family for years. I started cleaning up the inside of the aluminum with a wire wheel brush/drill and am going to paint it inside and out.

I ordered some 3/4" Marine Plywood because it's all I could easily get around here. The original transom was 1" thick, so I"m going to use a router to drop the thickness where the old brackets mount and recess them slightly. My biggest issue is that the old transom was rivetted in place from the factory to the supports. I had to cut all of those rivets out and was able to use a series of punches to knock the old ones out. I'm going to pickup some new 1/4" X 1 1/2" aluminum rivets tomorrow from a specialty retailer 70 miles away...I've never rivetted anything other than pop rivets.

I've got an air hammer and a 6 gallon compressor. What all do I need to effectively tighten down those 1/4" thick solid aluminum rivets? I have about 12 or so and will need to trim the ones used for the handles at the stern. Any advice or cheapest/best equipment I should invest in for the job?2020-05-28-2.jpg2020-05-28-3.jpg2020-05-28.jpg
 
the supplier of the rivets should be able to get you the adapter for your air hammer to set the rivets...you'll also need a stop (anvil) for the fixed side of the rivet while you set the other end....

I'd seriously consider bonding the plywood (something like 3M's 5200) to the aluminum 'skin' and make sure you seal all penetrations in the plywood as well....
 
the supplier of the rivets should be able to get you the adapter for your air hammer to set the rivets...you'll also need a stop (anvil) for the fixed side of the rivet while you set the other end....

I'd seriously consider bonding the plywood (something like 3M's 5200) to the aluminum 'skin' and make sure you seal all penetrations in the plywood as well....

What does bonding do for you? I'm going to seal the rivets with silicone. In removing the bad wood the past weekend, I really appreciated the fact there was nothing bonding the wood to the aluminium. There are a total of 12 rivets I'm the center and another 5 rivets on each side of the stern holding the transom in place. So....22 minimum 1/4" rivets.through the stern and connected to brackets/angle braces to the hull.

I am planning on painting/sealing the ends of the marine plywood with a thick layer of sealant to make it last as long as possible.
 
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