Best patch material for aluminum boat ?

[Stringerless!]

Anybody use anything that works ? I have tried JB waterweld,Silicone, Hilti epoxy,reguler epoxy. Wondering if anyone has had any luck with those sticks that you heat up and are like welding rods. It is not like the boat is gonna sink or anything. Pretty much just a few rivet leaks, but if you drop a glove or hat or something on the floor it is soaked ! pain in the {poor word usage }. On a lighter note I got rained out today and got my first jewelry!! A greenhead. Waiting for my {poor word usage} to dry and I am back out ! Thanks !!

[Moonie]

Congrats on the band stringerless!

Cabelas has those sticks you're talking about (item# IK- 010655).

I used them on a crack in the hull of our jon boat and it hasn't leaked so far this season (two trips out). I'm sure it'll work great on those rivets too. You'll need a small propane torch to heat up the surface (i picked one up for $10 at northern tool by cabelas in rogers), then just put the stick on the surface and it'll melt off.

[benbosh]

i think those sticks work pretty good, havent tried them but i seen them in the cabelas waterfowl catalog i beleive and the picture showed them patching the boat. weve used em to stop our gas auger from leaking and it worked like a charm but never on the boat

[Jmnhunter]

here you go; reviews look good Welding Sticks

[Stringerless!]

Thanks for the help !! And thanks for the link JMNHUNTER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Cabelas here I come .

[Gordie]

I've done alot of aluminum welding and those sticks will work just make sure that you clean the aluminum to be welded really really good when it comes to welding aluminum it cant be clean enough

[BoxMN]

Also be aware that when heating alum, it can get hot quick, and if you have a crack in the area, that thin alum on many light boats can warp. Been there, done that... We ended up sandwitching the crack between to alum sheets, with gasket seal in between, and riveting around the edges, with real rivets not pop rivets. Holding up great. Just drill out the ends of the crack, so it won't spread.

With the welding rods, you need to stainless steel wire brush to clean, if you use anything else it won't be the correct kind of "clean" if I recall correctly.

If it is just leaky rivets, just tighten then if you have access to both sides. Easy and quick if you have the air-hammer bit for the end. Northern should have some bits I would think, I just used my friend's.

If you can't tighent them, I would use silicone before the weld sticks. Alum boat bottoms flex, which is why JB weld doesn't work. The alum weld most likely won't either, on something that flexes. Silicone might have to be redone every year or two, but it will flex with the bottom when needed.

Good luck.

[bucktailsam]

I had a boat with 35 holes, some the size of a quarter. I got some aluminum epoxy putty and pushed it together on both sides of the loose rivet or hole and let that dry. Then on the inside i covered it with marine grade epoxy resign to get into the smallest cracks and holes. I have had it for two years and not a leak.

[Stringerless!]

Just a quick update. Those sticks seem to have worked like a charm so far. I peeled off the old stuff that was bad and redid with the stick. I must have to tear off the rest of the old epoxy cause there is still a little water in one of the ribs in the floor. But I don't have to bail!!!!! Thanks alot for the help guys !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!