Aluminum screws

[newt5005]

I am replacing the decking carpet on an aluminum Tracker boat. Many of the factory screws were corroded and required drilling out, in order to remove the plywood decking.
I am now looking for aluminum screws to attach the decking back to the stringers. I thought of stainless but am unsure how the stainless will react with the aluminum stringers.
Anyone have a source for self-drilling aluminum screws that are not hex head, and long enough to penetrate the stringer? The factory screws looed like self drilling screws (for thread cutting into the stringer), with fly-cutters for overcutting the wood on the way through.

Mike

 

[Bondo]

Re: Aluminum screws

Ayuh,.... I'd forget about the aluminum screws, 'n put the deckin' back in with Pop-rivets myself...

 

[Teamster]

Re: Aluminum screws

Ayuh,.... I'd forget about the aluminum screws, 'n put the deckin' back in with Pop-rivets myself...

+1,..........................

 

[newt5005]

Re: Aluminum screws

Can you pop rivet through the carpet and plywood (carpet the plywood before installing in boat) and still have a sound assembly?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Aluminum screws

Can you pop rivet through the carpet and plywood (carpet the plywood before installing in boat) and still have a sound assembly?

Ayuh,... Ya pop-rivet the plywood down, then glue the carpet over it....

 

[Teamster]

Re: Aluminum screws

I don't see why you couldn't wrap the sections on floor with carpet and pop rivet down,...

That way you can remove the floor to fix things that might break someday down the road,........

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Aluminum screws

I don't see why you couldn't wrap the sections on floor with carpet and pop rivet down,...

That way you can remove the floor to fix things that might break someday down the road,........

Exactly!

I wrapped my decking with vinyl and then pop riveted it down and it is rock solid.

 

[third times the charm]

Re: Aluminum screws

The wood deck in my Starcraft was riveted down and about haft of them I had to drill out, they still were holding. My boat is a 1968

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Aluminum screws

As previously advised, go with rivets. Stainless screws will not have a significant reaction if that's the way you want to go. Aluminum screws are typically pretty soft and you will end up snapping quite a few.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Aluminum screws

This is what my riveted vinyl decking looks like up close:

... and from a distance:

Self tapping stainless steel screws are OEM on most aluminum boats these day, but aluminum rivets are only a fraction of the cost of the stainless screws.

 

[sphelps]

Re: Aluminum screws

Would you 5200 the rivets in ? If it was already carpeted seem like that would make a mess . Just a thought ..

 

[Teamster]

Re: Aluminum screws

Would you 5200 the rivets in ? If it was already carpeted seem like that would make a mess . Just a thought ..

I wouldn't use 5200,......

I would pre-drill the holes and epoxy resin them then re-drill the holes and then put the carpet on,....

Then poke a needle through the hole from the bottom side to open the hole in the carpet and then rivet it down,,,,,

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Aluminum screws

I didn't 5200 or epoxy anything, just drill-insert rivet-set, drill-insert rivet-set.

I did use 1/4" diameter rivets and they pull up very tight when set. Between the rivet being so tight and the water sheding qualities of the vinyl, I doubt water has time to penetrate around the rivets.

I also think the rubber backing on marine carpet would act like a gasket between the rivet head and deck on a carpeted boat.