sealer between layers of an aluminum boat

[Tntr]

Im restoring my grandmothers aluminum boat for her and I was planning on pulling all of the rivets from the hull. So my question is: When I pull all of the rivets does anybody know what kind of sealer goes between the sheets of metal to make the boat water tight???

 

[Pmccraney]

Re: sealer between layers of an aluminum boat

Quick question: How big of a boat are we talking about here?

It may be completely unnecessary to remove all of the rivets. What a lot of us do is do a leak test which can be done the traditional way - (1) stripping the boat down to the bare hull and putting it in the water and identifying leaks; or (2) you can do a dry land test where you fill the boat up with water and see if any water is running through the rivets.

You mark the bad rivets with sharpie, etc.. and just replace those. If the rivets are just a little weepy, you can put some gluvit or coat it on them and not have to replace.

HOpe this helps and welcome to iboats.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: sealer between layers of an aluminum boat

Woooooooggggghhh nelly...

Yah, yanking all the rivets out would be a monster job. Then putting em all back in would be a monster too!

PMC has ya headed in the right direction there

Welcome to iboats!

 

[Grandad]

Re: sealer between layers of an aluminum boat

Apart from way too much work, replacing all the rivets won't likely make the boat any better than replacing any that are weak or already missing. No matter how good an amateur repairman you are, it's hard to compete with the original manufacturer's methods and workmanship, though I do like your enthusiasm. - Grandad

 

[colbyt]

Re: sealer between layers of an aluminum boat

I am pretty sure boats are designed for the pressure from the outside of the hull and that they should not be filled with water when not in the water. Also a rivet may not leak with a few inches of water in the boat and yet it will still weep when loaded and in the water.

I do however agree that pulling them all would be a serious mistake. Find and fix the worst of them and then treat the rest as mentioned above or using an Epoxy product.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: sealer between layers of an aluminum boat

+1. No need to remove all the rivets. It would be quicker, cheaper, easier to simply buy another boat. However, I would replace any rivets that are obviously bad, or leaking. Most folks here use pop rivets dipped in a bit of JB weld, or 3M 5200. Once all of the rivets have been repaired, you can then paint over the INTERIOR riveted seams of the boat using a 2-part epoxy called Gluv-it. Once cured, it will provide a tough, yet flexible waterproofing barrier that will last for years and years. However, it does require some UV protection, so you'll either need to paint over it and/or install a deck. You can also use any leftover Gluv-it to seal the wooden components of the boat such as the transom and/or sole. Aside from that you don't/should not apply any sort of a sealant between the layers of aluminum. When done correctly, the rivets alone will be water tight.

 

[Tntr]

Re: sealer between layers of an aluminum boat

to answer the question it is a 16 foot boat. the reason why i ask is that i have already sealed the boat but want to take off all of the sealer and make the boat look newer (no sealers on outside and watertight). since the boat is 50 years old and has a lot of sentimental value to my grandmother

 

[Tntr]

Re: sealer between layers of an aluminum boat

also i have been reading that some old boats come with a gasket material between the layers. is that true??

 

[jigngrub]

Re: sealer between layers of an aluminum boat

Yes, most aluminum boats do have a gasket material between the seams.

What have you done to seal the boat and why doesn't it look good?

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: sealer between layers of an aluminum boat

There is a sealing tape between the seams and I'll bet you can get it from many of the AL boat manufacturers. I'm pretty sure MirroCraft will sell you some by the foot or a whole roll if you need it. Call 920-855-2168 and ask. Often on an older AL boat simply hitting the rivets with a rivet gun and a steel block on the inside will make them tight again if they are loose. But you kinda need to know what your doing to accomplish this and you need the right head to fit the rounded end of the rivets. I wouldn't, but if you really want to replace the rivets put some small bolts in every 4th or 6th rivet hole or you'll never line it all up again. When these hulls are "staged" as they call it they are bolted to a heavy steel jig that holds everything in place while most of the rivets are put in and then the bolts are removed and those holes are riveted.

 

[Tntr]

Re: sealer between layers of an aluminum boat

thank you very much for the advice

 

[Tntr]

Re: sealer between layers of an aluminum boat

i have used epoxy and other sealers and it doesnt look good because we have been putting it on in alot of spots over the years