Old Starcraft with leaks at the rivets

[mountain tinker]

Hello.....

I'm new here and found this forum while searching for infomoration about repairing leaky aluminum boats.

I bought an old, not even sure how old (maybe as far back as the 60's) Starcraft 12' boat and motor (the motor is a 1959 Johnson, but the guy I bought it from didn't even know that) just to fool around with and take my granddaughter fishing. I put some water in the boat and it has quite a few leaks in various places around the rivets.

Here's where I'm hoping I can benefit from some of the experience that is present at this forum.......is this boat worth fixing? Or should I just take it in for scrap and go buy a new one? It has one area about 7" in diameter where it was dented and hammered out...sort of. It doesn't leak in that area and doesn't appear to have any holes in it, just the rivets leaking.

I like to tinker and fool with things, even if they really aren't worth fixing from a strictly dollars and cents (or even "sense") standpoint, I like to tackle problems that will make me use some skills that I haven't learned yet. I have plenty of experience with mechanics and have been called a good mechanic by more than a few people, a substantial set of tools to work with and I don't have too many qualms about buying things I need to do a job. No...I'm not rich, but I do like my tools (and my son will get them when I no longer need them) and learning new skills, so at this stage of my life it really doesn't bother me too much to spend a little money for something I don't have and can't borrow from one of my friends.

First off...can someone explain to me how the seams are sealed? Is there a sealant between the two mating surfaces? If so what would be the most likely material a boat from the 60's or 70's would use? The rivet heads appear to getting worn off, and it looks as if rivets that are in the same general area have different size heads on them. This leads me to believe someone may have been working on this boat before. Those rivets appear to be old, they show wear on some of them and have paint on them. The boat may have been repainted, or just painted over in certain spots....I can't tell for sure.

I have Cleckos available to me if I need them. I haven't done any rivet work since I was a young guy working on aircraft sheetmetal, under the guidance of a great mechanic. That's about 40 years ago now. Things, no doubt, have changed since then and here's another place I'm hoping you more experienced guys can point me in the right direction.

I see products that are advertisted to weld aluminum boats using a propane or Mapp torch. I've never used these products, but wouldn't hesitate to weld every seam in the whole boat if it was the best way out. I've been working with metal for a long time, and am an accomplished welder, but never work with aluminum and stainless sheetmetal because the cost of setting up for it was just too great and it was easier for my friends to do it for me on the rare occasion I needed it done. Is this an option, or would it just wind up destroying more of the sealant, if it's used, in the process?

As you can see, I'm lost without a starting point. I 'm the kind of person that would rather try to find out what the situation is first and make a plan to address it, but I have been known to just start and see where it takes me, if no guidance is available.

Thanks in advance for any info I might be able to come up with.

 

[third times the charm]

Re: Old Starcraft with leaks at the rivets

Hi tinker and welcome. You find a lot tinny boys are on here. Most of the people recommend a product called gluvit. You would paint the seams with it and the rivets. But if yours are leaking that bad, you may have to replace some of them I would assume. I haven't used yet but going to for mine. Post some pics of the boat up so we can see. Worth of a boat is in the eye of the owner I believe. If the general public seen some of the before pics of the projects on here, they would have us committed

 

[SigSaurP229]

Re: Old Starcraft with leaks at the rivets

You may get a helper to help you rebuck the rivets, and then consider using Gluvit or Coatit, to finish it off with. Really need pics, if it isn't worth keeping I have plenty of room for it at my place.

 

[zool]

Re: Old Starcraft with leaks at the rivets

"I'm not rich, but I do like my tools (and my son will get them when I no longer need them) and learning new skills, so at this stage of my life it really doesn't bother me too much to spend a little money for something I don't have and can't borrow from one of my friends."

Cool, I have alot of my late dads tools, and more of his knowledge....

The price to fix up a 12 fotter...nominal

A day one the water with your grandaughter........priceless...

Almost everyone here spends more than they wil get back, not counting education, I say go for it.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Old Starcraft with leaks at the rivets

An easy way to replace bad boat rivets:
1989 Sylvan Boat Rebuild Part 4 - YouTube

turns a 2 man job into a one man job... and you get to buy another tool!

 

[mountain tinker]

Re: Old Starcraft with leaks at the rivets

Hello everyone,

Thanks for the replies.

I'm sorry I wasn't monitoring this thread as closely as I should be. I work on construction and there are times I'm away from home.

I'll have to ask you guys to bear with me a little, I've got to get after my wife and ask her where that digital camera is, I didn't even think about posting photos. I've taken quite a few photos over the years with digital camers, but this will be my first attempt at sharing them over the internet. I'm going to have to study up on how to do it.

I should do a little reseach first before I start asking a bunch of questions because I'll usually ask some dumb ones.....but, I'm so excited that I've actually got people with experience talking to me, I don't want to miss the chance, so here goes.

I see some suggestions about applying a sealant, would this go inside the boat or outside? If I can get this boat sealed up with some sealant, is it a longer term fix or more of a routine maintainence? The reason I ask, is because if I can make the boat watertight and it still looks pretty good, I'm thinking I would like to paint it up. It looks like someone had added flotation to it by cutting some sheetmetal and riveting it to the undersides of two seats. It's starting to rust. It looks like the idea was sound, but the material wasn't...... so what do you guys think about upgrading the idea with some decent aluminum? I guess they weren't thinking about corrosion and electrolysis when they did it. It's got wooden seats supported by aluminum of some sort, angles, channel or something else. I won't be able to know for sure until I get the old tin work out. The seats need some varnish, but they are sound as the day they were put in. They brought the sheetmetal almost to the sides of the hull and didn't leave enough room to get in there and work if the sealant goes inside the hull, so I'll modify the fit if I need the room to apply the sealant. It looks like they used that white styrofoam similar to the material that they make those inexpensive ice chests out of and it looks like it might be one large piece of it for each seat. Is this stuff still the preferred material, or do they make something better, and if so...should I upgrade while I'm at it?

We fish on the NYC reservoir system.They haven't allowed motors.....but starting this year they are experimenting with allowing small electric trolling motors on one reservoir.... so either me or my granddaughter will be providing the propulsion with a set of oars. I actually like doing it.

I'm getting excited about this. Today was a beautiful spring day here in upstate NY, and it had my granddaughter asking about when the boat would be ready....she's getting antsy to get after those big Brown Trout...and later on, we'll hit the bass.

Thanks again for your input, I really appreciate it. Your experience will save me from making a lot of rookie mistakes, I'm sure of that!


John

 

[pauloman]

Re: Old Starcraft with leaks at the rivets

paint on a few coats of aluthane - an aluminum filled MCU coating. Very watery and will 'leak' into the tiny leaks and harden. It will also make the boat look like an new aluminum boat. It is often used in aluminum boat restoration

google aluthane

paul

 

[mountain tinker]

Re: Old Starcraft with leaks at the rivets

Paul, I've looked at that Aluthane product. It is interesting to me. I think I'll cut a few corners to get the boat on the reservoir, spring is in the air and my granddaughter is getting impatient with me.

With the NYCDEP regulations , the boat must be left at the same place or be inspected and steamed cleaned to remove it and return it. I'm thinking I'll use SigSaurP229's suggestion to rebuck the rivets that are leaking...there are 6 that are leaking, and it's more of a weep than anything with a constant drip, then I'll coat the boat and varnish the seats for the summer. I'll Bring the boat back home in the fall, repair the flotation, remove and replace as many, or maybe even all the rivets, touch up any sealant that was disturbed, and paint the boat in it's original color, inside and out.

I'm leaning towards conventional rivets, even though they are more time consuming, because I think the finished product may be more appealing to the eye. Any suggestions on what type of tools to use on the rivets? If anyone can give me some tips on blind rivets that will look good on both ends, I'll go with them in a heart beat. I have a real nice Chicago Pnuematic long stroke air hammer with a .401 barrel and a short stroke cheapie that I bought at the Advance Auto store because I couldn't get my big one in a tight spot. Can a rivet setter be purchased to set the rivets? And where can I get rivets that will meet marine specs?

I don't even dare to tell my wife what my plan is......she'll start to question my sanity ....again! Her idea would be to go down to the boat store and just buy a new one. I just can't see throwing away a good boat just because it needs a little work done to it.

Anyway, that's my plan.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Old Starcraft with leaks at the rivets

Your rivets leak because they're old and weakened, rebucking an old weakened rivet is temporary at best. It will just stretch and leak again.

It doesn't take that much longer to drill out and install a new strong rivet than it does to rebuck an old weak one.