[Al Kungel]

What is involved in waterproofing an aluminum boat. It is leaking slowly in few spots. The boat is rivetted. Can the rivets be tightend or can the boat be coated with something?

[rodbolt]

hello its a pain but the rivets can be "bucked" . it involves two people and a large hammer and a bucking iron. while holding the iron on one side peen the rivet from the other. we use a product callet "Gluvit" with amazing success here. but the bottom must be removed of all paint and oxidation for best results. gluvit is a paint on two part epoxy type product that is made to seal loose rivits. works for a year or so.

[one more cast]

As rodbolt says but I do it the redneck way. I hold or have someone else hold a 3lb hammer or go devil or any similar large heavy hunk of iron firmly against one side of the loose/leaking rivet and then give the other side of the same rivet a sharp blow or two with a hammer. Hit the rivet just hard enough to expand the rivet and tighten it up not smash it. I actually have a 12' boat that a tree fell on while it was bottom side up and it was pretty much flattened. 10 years ago or so I bought it for $5 and pounded it back into shape with a go devil and a block of hardwood. I had to drill out some of the old rivets and replace them and tighten up most of the others with the above method and I am still using this boat with a 15 hp johnson. NOTE I put the boat in the water and mark the leaking rivets with a permanent marker so I know which ones to hammer.

[NMplayer]

Tighten them up with the above method. If they still leak, I've used JB Weld to seal them with really good success

[DJ]

Use Gluvit.I have used this product many times with great results. http://www.marinetex.com/PRODUCT%20P...0prod%20in.htm

[fire831]

I used j-b weld on my rivets, and aluminum sealer I got at Lowes on the seams. After everything was dry I painted over all and so far so good.