Anyone tried aluminum hull repair with aluminum rods ?

[Raycaster]

I have a 16’ Legend that has a few battle scars on the hull. They are very thing cuts around 3” in length. Probably rock cuts from being beached etc.  This is not a rivet problem. Every year I epoxy the crap out of them and besides looking ugly on the trailer they hold fine.

I’m always checking the bilge for water and usual get some water. 

Anyways, my boat is pretty low budget (<$10k) so I put up with the warts but always wondered if if those youtube videos of guys doing hull repair with propane and aluminum rods works. Unfortunately, the whole boat would need tilting for gravity to work and the engine would probably need to be removed 1st. 

If anyone has tried this let me know. Its probably just something to put on my wish list as life gets in the way but Im thinking about it….

 

 

 

[Fisherman]

Bingo, I did, 2 boats.  One on a 12' where unfortunately the battery tipped over and the 2 posts burned a couple 1 inch holes right through the hull.  The other 14' was from the sharp edge of an anchor that was rubbing and bouncing around about a 2 inch "slot", almost 1/2 inch wide.  You have to follow the directions to a "T", no using steel wool pads,  sandpaper, not aluminum oxide and not iron or brass  brushes.   Only use the small stainless steel brushes you can get at PA.  Wipe down with alcohol, no gas or paint thinner.   Then heat on an angle with a propane torch, I used the MAPP gas cylinder, gets a little warmer.  Don't try to melt the sticks with the torch, you have to "feed" them into the edges of the holes or cracks.  The 12 foot was easy working upside down, the 14 foot I worked from the inside of the floor to build it back up.  Never developed any cracks or leaks.  Heck I even welded an old aluminum short 2 step ladder back together.  It's amazing how strong that stuff is.  If you can, practice on a couple pieces of aluminum and maybe a beer can.

[misfish]

2 hours ago, Fisherman said:

If you can, practice on a couple pieces of aluminum and maybe a beer can.

Full or empty? Hate to waste a full tall boy.

[glen]

A cut from a rock is a lot different then a stress crack.  A stress crack might just keep cracking. 
I never tried the rods so good luck.  

[Raycaster]

Glen I 100% hear you…

I saw another youtube about a legend boat that was sold with a poorly fitted trailer producing stress cracks. These cracks could be combinations stress or rock damage. They are very thin “cuts” that could be both.

The bottom line is the boat is long past its “lifetime warranty” Legend offers and overall value is under 10k. Its just what repairs make sense $$$ and what don’t. I can keep marine epoxing the crap out of it ever year until I win the lottery and replace… But farting around on a weekend and trying to weld up the cuts may be do able.

 

 

[Terry]

So can you see the spots from inside the boat, do you know if there is wires or floatation foam or other things  like a gas tank where you are going to apply heat

[Raycaster]

Terry, didn’t think about that. But, I don’t believe there is wiring but definitely foam. 

[DanD]

On 7/16/2022 at 10:20 PM, glen said:

A stress crack might just keep cracking. 

Drill a small hole at each end of the crack, that should stop that crack from continuing. If the crack has spiderwebbed, you may need to cut out and patch in a new piece. 

Dan...