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Boat Forum / Building / April 200643' aluminum hull repair
My friends 43'aluminum houseboat has developed some severe pitting on the bottom. Since he bought it, it has been in a lift and will continue to be - the pitting existed before he bought it. Some of the hull is like new but bad pitting where there has been barnacles. We are having it hauled and sandblasted Mon. The yard also has a treatment which they guarentee will remove any trace of salt in the aluminum pores. I expect we will find too much pitted area to economically weld. Question - how well will expoxy impregnated fiberglass mat adhere to a well prepaired rough surface ?? Patches would be 1 to 2 ft. sq. Boat does 8 mph max and we would be happy with a 10 year life to the repairs. The longest the hull will be in (salt) water will be 1 week and then back in the lift. BTW we will be painting with 3 coats of epoxy paint after repairs. There is no free lunch. Welding in new metal is faster, better and cheaper. Problem sounds like electrolosis. Salt isn't the problem. Disimilar metals is. Steve > My friends 43'aluminum houseboat has developed some severe pitting on > the bottom. Since he bought it, it has been in a lift and will continue [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > and then back in the lift. BTW we will be painting with 3 coats of > epoxy paint after repairs. > Question - how well will expoxy impregnated fiberglass mat adhere to a > well prepaired rough surface ? Epoxy does not adhere to oxidized aluminum, which is to say, any aluminum exposed to air, even for seconds. So you cannot just sandblast it and expect it to bond. I have heard of a technique where you first apply a thin epoxy layer to the metal, and then immediately brush with a stainless brush through this layer, which exposes fresh elemental aluminum but protects it from the air. This is reputed to work but I have no experience with it myself. And I don't know how well it holds up when immersed. Hi. I have been working on cars and light comm vehicles for years, during this time I have used a product called Scorpion coatings, for truck bed liners, having coated my own truck bed with this I can say that it is bloody marvelous, you would find it very difficult to damage it. Since the coating is applied direct to the surface, there is no air gaps so therefore no corrosion. This coating can be used for all sorts of applications, truck beds, workshop floors, flat roofs etc. I have used it on the floor in the deck area of my boat, but not on the outer hull as mine is ok. Check out the web site, you can allways ask them if it would work. There are lots of similar companys doing the same thing. I guess they are all basicly the same?? You can find adverts in any 4x4 mag. Web site, http://www.scorpioncoatings.com/ Regards Slim http://www.armacoatings.com/marine.html > Hi. > [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > Regards > Slim > http://www.armacoatings.com/marine.html ==> http://www.sulzermetco.com/ '=hot=' , thermal 'alum' spray ... refreshes 'alum' jet engine cast/sheet metal parts. akin to rebuilding crankshafts ... Ed > http://www.armacoatings.com/marine.html Hmmm. A soft, rubbery, waterproof coating made from polyurethane that takes 7 days to set. Sounds like 3M 5200 to me. Do you know how to read. Boat Hulls: Arma Coatings provides a lightweight yet extremely hard, durable coating for aluminum, fiberglass and wooden boats. It sets quickly and allows you to hit the water in 2-3 days. It withstands the torture of remote, unimproved launch areas, hidden water hazards like rocks, logs and branches, and a variety of beaching environments. Use it as a keel guard or full bottom protection to prolong the life and beauty of your boat. >> http://www.armacoatings.com/marine.html > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Sounds like 3M 5200 to me. > Do you know how to read. Your top-posting makes it difficult, but I was only quoting the site you cited. Don't blame me. > We are having it hauled and sandblasted Mon > > Question - how well will expoxy impregnated fiberglass mat adhere to a > well prepaired rough surface ?? And that is the question you need answered. First, Call West System Tech Support. Very helfull folks. Second, In 1975 I drove a Norton motorcycle. Sweet light thing at 823 cc and 310 lbs. Try that weight to HP ratio! The 6.23 Imperial gallon "Interstate" fuel tank started to leak where studs went into the tank for mounting on the frame. I went to the best welder I could find. He said, go to Bi-Mart and get a"fiberglass repair kit." I did. Lets see, British motor cycle vibration, another 60,000 miles, and contless summers and frozen winters. NEVER leaked again. My advice.............. do not get too woried about your problem. If polyester fixed my problem 30 years ago I think West Epoxy will do the trick today. K.I.S.S. Bob > > We are having it hauled and sandblasted Mon > > > > Question - how well will expoxy impregnated fiberglass mat adhere to a > > well prepaired rough surface ?? Hi: The BIG question is why did you get that pitting to begin with? Something is going one that aint right. Maybe time to change marinas or put another 30 pounds of zincs on. Can you explain the term "Reverse Polarity"? If not.................. Research "Catholic Protection" or "Electrolysis " or "dissimilar metal" or "metal nobility" There are some really smart people who read this BB. Read Learn THEN ask! Life Long Learner Bob |
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