1961 Starcraft Holiday gunwale damage

[Terrence7]

I have a slight adjustment to make before moving forward with fixing my boat up.

Do any of you experts have any suggestions on straightening our this gunwale?
The first set of pics Port1.jpg - Port6.jpg are of the damaged side.
The second set of pics Starboard1.jpg - Starboard4.jpg are of the good side posted for comparison.

My brother said to check the price of scrap aluminum, I told him to jump in the lake I am about to drive this beauty around in!!

 

[silverbul]

I know what i would do but this is just my opinion. looks to me you could clamp everything back together and use stainless screws to fix, looks like there is enough meat there. it would be pretty cheap to fix and you could make it look good. could even put screws on other side to make them both look the same. jmo. maybe even a little heat to that bent part of the rail that is bent while clamping.

 

[Terrence7]

I know what i would do but this is just my opinion. looks to me you could clamp everything back together and use stainless screws to fix, looks like there is enough meat there. it would be pretty cheap to fix and you could make it look good. could even put screws on other side to make them both look the same. jmo. maybe even a little heat to that bent part of the rail that is bent while clamping.

Hey Silverbul, that is a good idea. Had not thought about clamping to pull it back into place. Heating the bend should make straightening easier.

Thanks.

 

[airshot]

Once you drill out all the rivets holding it together, it might be fairly easy to move everything back into position. Mabey a little welding on some torn material. Not that hard to re rivet that area. Many riveting articles in the rebuild forums and rivets are fairly cheap. Gonna take some time, but that could be structural integrety, so fix it right and be safe !!

 

[BWR1953]

It would be worth visiting the Starcraft sub-forum. Tons of great info and members there who know a lot about our old Starcraft aluminum boats. Link below.

Starcraft Boats

forums.iboats.com

 

[Terrence7]

Once you drill out all the rivets holding it together, it might be fairly easy to move everything back into position. Mabey a little welding on some torn material. Not that hard to re rivet that area. Many riveting articles in the rebuild forums and rivets are fairly cheap. Gonna take some time, but that could be structural integrety, so fix it right and be safe !!

@airshot, thanks for your reply.
>>but that could be structural integrety
Yep, I am concerned about the motor vibration tearing everything apart, so I need to get this right.

Good idea on taking rivets out before attempting to push it all back together.

 

[Terrence7]

It would be worth visiting the Starcraft sub-forum. Tons of great info and members there who know a lot about our old Starcraft aluminum boats. Link below.

Starcraft Boats

forums.iboats.com

@BWR1953 Great idea. Maybe I should have posted this over there to begin with?

 

[Terrence7]

@Scott Danforth I wonder if this thread I created should/could be moved over to the StarCraft section? If so would you mind doing that for me?

On second thought, let's not move it, as I should start my project over there with a different Post.
Thank you.

 

[Scott Danforth]

@Scott Danforth I wonder if this thread I created should/could be moved over to the StarCraft section? If so would you mind doing that for me?

On second thought, let's not move it, as I should start my project over there with a different Post.
Thank you.

It's generic enough regarding tinny repair.. if you want it moved, we can

 

[Terrence7]

Well I posted my first post over in Boat Restoration, not thinking to put it over here in the StarCraft section, where it belongs.

Link to post over in restoration section

I wonder if any of you aluminum hullers might take a look at that post and tell me what you think.

I plan on posting more pics of the project after a bit.

Thank you.

 

[jbcurt00]

@Terrence7 Avoid duplicate topics, even in seperate sub-forums.

Where would you like the merged single topic left? Here or in the Restoration forum?

 

[Terrence7]

@Terrence7 Avoid duplicate topics, even in seperate sub-forums.

Where would you like the merged single topic left? Here or in the Restoration forum?

I guess, let's put it over here in StarCraft.
Sorry and Thanks.

 

[jbcurt00]

I guess, let's put it over here in StarCraft.
Sorry and Thanks.

Happens, just like a little water in the bilge.

Just housekeeping not punitive

 

[Sharpie223]

It looks like the outer "rail" just needs straightened, then the rest could fasten back together normally. It appears that the damage is only on that rail, but check if the hull wall has any denting as well. My rule of thumb is if I need to bend aluminum back in place like that, I try to add a little bracing, just in case the dent and reform weakened the aluminum

 

[Terrence7]

It looks like the outer "rail" just needs straightened, then the rest could fasten back together normally. It appears that the damage is only on that rail, but check if the hull wall has any denting as well. My rule of thumb is if I need to bend aluminum back in place like that, I try to add a little bracing, just in case the dent and reform weakened the aluminum

Thanks @Sharpie223. Will look a little closer to the hull wall.

 

[Scott Danforth]

looking at the pics, check the transom wood.

that transom shouldnt be able to be pulled only on one side.