Prepping, tightening rivets and painting an aluminum boat

[fonthillhdtv]

i have a 17ft tracker targa i would like to repaint . just not sure how much paint to order . i will not be stripping to bare aluminum. plan to just remove decals and wet sand. the sides will be one color and the bottom will be another . I plan on spraying using a hvlp gun . using a single stage urethane .

 

[Watermann]

The boat size and 2 coats I would say you need 2 qts for topside to be sure and 1 for the bottom. You'll have left overs but that's better than coming up short during the job.

I don't know anything about using automotive paint on boats. Most guys use alkyd enamel or acrylic enamel. You'll get 2 hopper loads per quart if using an enamel 16oz paint, 2 oz reducer and 1 oz of catalyst hardener is the formula used most often.

You'll also need to have some self etching primer on hand too for any bare spots.

 

[fonthillhdtv]

thank you for the advice just working on some leaking rivets before starting the paint

 

[jbcurt00]

Retitled this topic.

Ask your rebucking and sealing rivets questions here.

Asking about your project in someone elses topic is a hijack

If you started a topic about your Targa, you could ask ALL these questions there, in 1 place.

Post some pix of what you're working on.

 

[Woodonglass]

You might find this helpful...Paint Your Boat with Tractor Paint...Say What!!!

Two quarts and follow the mixing ratios as described in the link.

 

[fonthillhdtv]

Retitled this topic.

Ask your rebucking and sealing rivets questions here.

Asking about your project in someone elses topic is a hijack

If you started a topic about your Targa, you could ask ALL these questions there, in 1 place.

Post some pix of what you're working on.

ok i'll ask here i'm working on some leaking rivets as well , can't get to them from the inside so have decided to drill and replace ,I have a few questions
what size closed end blind rivets should i buy I know i need two sizes . i have a few rivets that go thru the thick part of the keel then i have some that just go thru the skin and im guessing a rib inside not sure about the lenght i need for the 2 different thicknesses

can i use Gluvit on the rivets from the bottom outside of the boat, should i coat the new rivets with it before i install them

 

[pckeen]

Don't coat the rivets from the outside. If you install them correctly, they shouldn't leak. The diameter of the rivet should be equal to the size of the hole. The length will depend on the how deep the hole is. You will need different lengths for different thicknesses.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

Personally id only paint the sides. I would use one of those treatments they do to aluminum drift boats on the bottom. These tend to hold up to flexing and scrapes well. The biggest challenge with aluminum is not the paint while the right paint will work better than the wrong paint. Old aluminum is a sponge. Clean the surface really well theres re lease agents to get natural stuff off and then kill any living stuff with bleach or something like this. Then scrub the entire area with thinner or reducer. I would be reluctant to use a chemical stripper on a riveted boat theres most likely a seal in the seams. From her sanding is also an issue work an area wrong and the paint burns away but also into the aluminum to create bonding issues with your new paint. You could tape off seams and try a strip in a small area. Then sand everything with the right grit for your primer prep the area with the right prep agent for aluminum and paint away. None of this is that difficult but very important. Another option would be to have the sides wrapped. Simple process quick and it could actually be better for a riveted boat. My brother in law used thinned rhino liner on his very old Starcraft and it performed very well had a very good look to it layed down to a light orange peel and was almost bullet proof it does not scratch very easy and it sticks to everything. It also sealed the seams and rivets. My input on leaking riveted boats is a welded boats dont seam to have a lot of rivet issues Sorry no harm meant there

 

[Watermann]

^^^ Yeah sure keep thinking welded boats are the god send and don't go looking around for the "Help! my welded boat is cracked and leaking" threads, much more difficult to repair and they never stop cracking.

Blind rivets on the bottom or keel of a boat as a way to repair riveted boats? This is a stop gap measure and not the correct way to make the repairs just so people in the future reading this don't think that's how it's done. Reason I say this is because the head of the blind rivet is fragile compared to a solid rivet and what ever it was that caused a solid rivet to be jarred loose or broken will destroy a blind rivet head in short order and you're back to leaking.

The keel takes the brunt of every landing and is right out there leading with it's jaw so to speak. Leaking keel plates are a tough nut to crack even with the bow deck removed. You should use 3/16" diameter in a 1/4" (for ribs) and 3/8" grip range for the keel plate. I would suggest using stainless closed end blinds if you can find them as they'll take the most abuse of any blind and they have a tighter pull on the mandrel before it 'pops'. The rivet will need to be sealed too with 5200.

If the keel seam is leaking there is no way to seal it 100% correctly without access to the inside. You can however take that same 5200 and use it as a stop gap measure by applying it around the keel plate seam, I've heard of this working short term to stem the tide. I've seen guys use 5200 all over the bottom to seal the top of rivet heads but it didn't last and they leaked again.

 

[pckeen]

I agree with Watermann. Solid rivets are better, but closed and blind rivets may be the only option if you dont want to take the deck out.

In terms of using stripper, this doesn't seem to damage the seals between the aluminum, at least it didn't on my first total rebuild, and I haven't heard any complaint of damage from the numerous restorers here.

 

[fonthillhdtv]

^^^ Yeah sure keep thinking welded boats are the god send and don't go looking around for the "Help! my welded boat is cracked and leaking" threads, much more difficult to repair and they never stop cracking.

Blind rivets on the bottom or keel of a boat as a way to repair riveted boats? This is a stop gap measure and not the correct way to make the repairs just so people in the future reading this don't think that's how it's done. Reason I say this is because the head of the blind rivet is fragile compared to a solid rivet and what ever it was that caused a solid rivet to be jarred loose or broken will destroy a blind rivet head in short order and you're back to leaking.

The keel takes the brunt of every landing and is right out there leading with it's jaw so to speak. Leaking keel plates are a tough nut to crack even with the bow deck removed. You should use 3/16" diameter in a 1/4" (for ribs) and 3/8" grip range for the keel plate. I would suggest using stainless closed end blinds if you can find them as they'll take the most abuse of any blind and they have a tighter pull on the mandrel before it 'pops'. The rivet will need to be sealed too with 5200.

If the keel seam is leaking there is no way to seal it 100% correctly without access to the inside. You can however take that same 5200 and use it as a stop gap measure by applying it around the keel plate seam, I've heard of this working short term to stem the tide. I've seen guys use 5200 all over the bottom to seal the top of rivet heads but it didn't last and they leaked again.

ok i found my rivets . you mentioned stainless for the keel with a 3/8 grip range . i found these that have a grip range of [h=1]Closed End -(6-6) 3/16" x (0.251 - 0.375 Grip) Qty-100(stainless)[/h] could i use these for both the keel and the ribs as the grip range covers both ends or should i go with these [h=1](6-6) 3/16" x (0.376 - 0.500 Grip) Qty-25(stainless)[/h] and buy standard alum. rivets for the ribs

 

[Watermann]

I don't know if 1/2 down to 3/8 range would get tight enough and the mandrels might snap oddly. I would get the 3/8 - 1/4 and use them for both.

Do you have a pneumatic riveter? If not oh boy those SS rivets are going to hurt bad after a few.