got aluminum

[got aluminum]

Howdy

Did a little lerking around here and saw real interesting stuff yall have been posting so I thought I would join yall. I do aluminum welding and fabrication. I specilize mainly in the marine industry. I am an avid duck hunter so I started building mud motor boats. I do any and all kind of fabrication but the boats keep me pretty much snowed under.

I look forward to picking yalls brain.

[smithboy]

I have a friend that has a little aluminum boat that he crashed into a dock and popped the rivets in the front. No real serious damage, just the rivets. At speeds water in=water out, but once he slows down it starts to take the lake onboard. Since you work on boats, I thought I'd ask. How would you approach this. I recommended just welding the seam and offered to do it. I do aluminum with an old tig (no squarewave, just hifreq) or occasionally with a small mig (not my preferred method). What would you suggest, find the tools and re-rivet or weld?

[got aluminum]

It depends on how many rivets. It takes a little bit of practice, but rivets are fairly easy to weld, you just don't want to have to do a lot of them. The hardest thing about welding rivets is you can't get the dirt out from under the rivet, but still very doable. I am running an old dialarc with the high freq and have no problems what so ever. (am fixin to buy a new syncrowave 250 dx :cool2: ) New rivets are an ok way to go if you have the tools to use the hammer type rivets. I personally would weld them.

[smithboy]

Hey! we got the same dinasaur!

Yea...dirt. I was thinking of pressure washing and then using a good acid prep. I would think there are about 8-10 loose rivets spaced a couple of inches apart. It's kinda a lot of work, but he's a good friend and I planned to excange my labor for beers and fishing trips. I didnt want to tell him that at a local welding shop, they would probably charge more than the boat is worth, it was his dad's and I think he really wants to keep it. Sentimental reasons.

[got aluminum]

I just hit it with a good wire brush in a die grinder. You will have to probably make a couple of passes in order to burn the dirt out that you will not be able to get out from under the rivet with the cleaning.

[smithboy]

thanks for the suggestions. I'll let you know the exchange rate for inches of bead to beer, just as a future reference in case you decide to start a barter economy based on beer.

[got aluminum]

thanks for the suggestions. I'll let you know the exchange rate for inches of bead to beer, just as a future reference in case you decide to start a barter economy based on beer.


:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Sounds like a good excuse for a research grant.

[smithboy]

Hey,
just one more way to combine business with pleasure. :D