Re: GLUVIT How good is this stuff? Aluminum transom repair
Hi 16. Welcome to iboats. You don't can't use Gluvit on wood. It's an epoxy that you paint on the interior seams of aluminum boats after they have been properly cleaned and prepped. It starts out with the consistency of honey to fill all of the nooks and crannies in the seams, but dries strong and flexible enough to move with the seams of the boat while on the water. It does need UV protection however, so you'll need to either paint the seams and/or install a floor over them.
You mentioned lots of pitting, which is the tell tale sign that someone used pressure treated lumber on an aluminum boat which is the number one NO-NO. You NEVER use PRESSURE TREATED lumber on an aluminum boat as the chemicals used to preserve the wood can/will have an electrolytic reaction with the aluminum. Any small holes in the transom can be filled with JB weld either putty or liquid form. If you have holes larger than say a dime, you'll probably want to have them welded up by a pro.
You can replace and seal the transom several different ways. You need to us high quality, non-PT, exterior grade plywood such as Aurauco brand which is available at places like Lowes/HD. You can also use Marine Grade plywood if you can get it and don't mind the price, but it's not needed. Once you have the plywood, use the old transom as a template, if possible. You'll probably need to glue several layers together to get the desired thickness. You can use Titebond III and/or epoxy along with some Stainless Steel screws to hold the layers together until the glue cures. Once the glue is set, you'll then want to seal the wood in one of several ways. You can use spreadable 2-part epoxy available at places like West Marine and other suppliers and apply 1-2 coats to the transom and let cure. You can also use wax-free, polyester resin and fiberglass mat to encapsulate the transom. It's a little cheaper than epoxy, but it can be messy and tricky to use. If the budget won't allow either of these options, you can also use several coats (3-4) of Spar Urethane/Varnish and/or Exterior Porch Paint and/or Rustoleum Professional Oil based enamel they won't quite waterproof it, but you should still be able to get many good seasons of use out of them. You'll then need to mount it to the transom using Stainless Steel hardware dipped in 3m 5200 marine sealant, which is like caulk for boats. You can get a toothpaste size tube at lowes/HD for about $7. Lowes/HD are also a great source for aluminum angle, stock and hardware. In fact, about the only things you can't get from them are the epoxy and/or f'glass supplies, but they have pretty much everything else, which is handy. That's really about it; Never use PT lumber, seal all wood, use stainless steel hardware dipped in 3M 5200 throughout. The rest is only limited by your imagination and budget. Good luck holler if you get stuck.
