alumacraft

[mwassman]

i have a empty hulled aluminum boat no bench seats or anything what would be the best way to start installing a deck or side storage compartments? i thought maybe aluminum angle riveted to the sides but that would give me a angle of 90 degrees i need one of about 60 degrees. if anyone has any ideas please let me know

 

[kfa4303]

Re: alumacraft

Hi mwassman. I just used some aluminum angle to build a frame work for a deck and benches in my aluminum boat. you can find it at Lowes/Home depot. They have a variety of sizes, but 1 1/2" x 1/16" (or thicker) should be fine. It comes in 6' or 8' lengths for about $20-$30. It's very easy to work with and can be cut with a hand held hack saw. It can also be compressed slightly to reduce the angle a bit. You can also cut small lengths to form brackets. by removing a small wedge from one side, you can then open/close it to from either a concave or convex, v-shaped bracket. be careful that you don't work the material too much as it can break along the seams which it is folded. be sure that any through hull fasteners are water tight and made of stainless steel. here are a couple pics of how I just did my aluminum boat. they may help a bit. just a few suggestions, but you'll find tons of other tips and techniques here in the forums. hope these help some. keep us posted.