Welding a rivited boat?

[crabara]

Are there any problems with welding a rivited boat? Looking to get a patch welded in just wondering if anyone has any experience before i take it to the welder.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Welding a rivited boat?

Ayuh,.... Generally speakin',... Weldin' riveted boats ain't all that easy....

Many times the seams have a welting that burns up, 'n causes Problems...

 

[therigwelder]

Re: Welding a rivited boat?

as a professional welder i would advise against it however if you are going to do it the only process i would use is heliarc.when i had leaking rivets on my flat boat i used bondo first then covered with glass and resin.worked like a charm.also if you are going to heliarc it make sure the repair area is spotless and wire wheeled with a stainless brush.aluminum forms oxides on the exterior that melt at a higher temp than the base aluminum. needless to say without proper cleaning your weld job will be ineffective

 

[bob johnson]

Re: Welding a rivited boat?

its just a patch.....it has nothign to do with rivets I would think....

aluminum is aluminum!!!!

they use the same material wether its to be riveted or welded....

since you are just welding in a patch some place, i bet the rivets wont ever notice! ha ha

now if you were thinking of welding all the joints together to "do away " with the rivets....I wont be a good idea...as i have found out the heads of the rivets pop and you have a hole!!....even though the boat is joined by the weld.,....you are still leaking


IF thats were what you were thinking.....

bob

 

[Decker83]

Re: Welding a rivited boat?

Welcome to i-boats crabara.
What type of patch do you need? Where are you going to put it?
Alot of the tin men here put a patch on using revetts and 3m 5200 sealer.
They get excellent results this way.
Check with some of the tin guys and read up on some of the threads.
The 3M 5200 is alot cheeper than a welder.
Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Bigboyitm]

Re: Welding a rivited boat?

Agreed rivets would be a lot easier and cost a lot less.

 

[therigwelder]

Re: Welding a rivited boat?

it dosent matter if its a patch or rivet your welding on.what does matter is you mechanically or chemically remove the oxides from the aluminum.also remember that aluminum is a heatsink and the heat may cause you problems when expanding and contracting on nearby seams, rivets etc.I assume that this boat is guage aluminum, the most effective and strongest weld will be heliarc.There are alternative methods previously mentioned at much less of a cost

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: Welding a rivited boat?

One of the best sealors I have found is the QUAD sealor, found at most home improvement centers. That stuff will outlast the boat. LOL