temporarily repairing a hole in your boat.

onthewater102 said:

Riverdog said:

Crazyboat said:

JB weld or other epoxy type thing for small holes.

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Just FYI. Aluminum welders hate working a spot that has previously had JB weld on it.

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Do they prefer to work on boats @ the bottom of a lake?

I keep a tube of this on board just in case. Don't know if I'd trust the toilet wax ring applied from the outside - likely get scrapped off if you try moving at any speed.

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Well after about 2 dozen calls and a visit to 2 marinas, I found a welder who will patch it about 40 miles from my house. He will get it in tomorrow.
I hit a ton of sites on this, got the following on JB Weld for hulls:
1. A lot of folks have used it with varying success.
2. While it does hold up well for things like cracked engine blocks, and intake valves, etc the flex of a boat hull especially one the width of mine, will lead it to fail sooner or later.
3. I had 4 welders tell me to go ahead and use it. and 5 tell me using it would be something i would regret and when I did finally come to them to weld it, they would charge me extra cause it has to be completely removed for them to fix it.
4. Some of the Epoxies out there work well, I think Gluvit was mentioned by name in this thread. I hit 5 stores near me and none of them carry it.
5. Long term permanent fix is find a welder, and get it fixed the old fashioned way.

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Crazyboat said:

How hard can it be to grind out some JB WELD?

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i am a welder an mostly weld aluminum boats , i would NEVER recomend any kind of jb weld or cauking. yes it might be a cheap fix but it will have to be done over an over again un till you are tired of fixing an the worst part is when you deside to fix it RIGHT (welding) it will cost you more because of the impuritys you have been putting in the alum. an for a 5 to 7 inch split myself i would charge only about 40 bucks. witch isnt very much. so if i was you i would go to a local welding shop that welds aluminum an have it welded. they will probebly have a flat minumum charge for welding walkin work but it shouldnt be more than 50bucks if it is find someone else. clean it well befor you take it to have it looked at for this will help with cost if you have already preped it to weld you will need a stainless steel wire brush of any kind as in a manual or air powered i prefer air but use what you have. you can go to any local hardware store an pick up a stainless steel brush for around 5 bucks. it mush be stainless steel to brush aluminum. an drill a very small hole at the ends of the cracks this will help stop splitting. if you do these 2 things first befor you have it looked at it still will probly cost about 40 or what ever their flat fee is but it should only take them about 5 mins to fix.

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newatcats is right on DON'T EVER try and fix any thing thats alum with jb weld been welding and in buisness for 42 years and once you put that s$!t on it you'll pay double to fix it right and the day will come you'll have to fix it. make sure ya drill that hole and get it clean,clean with solvent run a propane torch over the crack lighly to clean out the crack and wire brush. man $100.00 i think someone didn't want to do it or something may b he needed a new boat. lol. we charge in my shop 80.00 an hour with a 20.00 min. and if its all prept it should take less 1/2 hr or 40.00

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Crazyboat said:

I'd only use it if I were out on the water and got a hole that needed a quick fix, it's by no means a perma job IMO. Thanks

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earl60446 said:

This guy did a test on a bunch of duct tapes including flex seal. Seemed like flex seal did the best underwater.

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earl60446 said:

This guy did a test on a bunch of duct tapes including flex seal. Seemed like flex seal did the best underwater.
Tim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRXpfgik9XA

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Crazyboat said:

How hard can it be to grind out some JB WELD?

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