A boat full of holes to fill

[skanders01]

Restoring a '62 FD-6. Previous owner(s) went nuts drilling holes everywhere for every accessory known to man. Most are above the waterline, but a few aren't. I am looking for options to fill these holes with not too much work but will yield a reasonable cosmetic result. I am ok with some sort of mechanically fastened option...I am not a welder...

Thanks,

 

[bobberboy]

Here's what I did following the advice of a welder. About halfway down the page:
https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14501&hilit=sportsman&start=30

 

[Johnny]

I used this technique 10 years ago to fill a couple dozen
holes in my old Crestliner. They are still solid today.
After making the dimple with the ball peen hammer,
sand smooth to remove all contaminants.
Clean disk and hole area with acetone to insure good adhesion.



if you are working on a vertical surface, add a filler to the epoxy
to make a paste such as micro-bubbles or cabosil.
IMO - Bondo does not work as well as the epoxy.
I think the epoxy is more flexible than the Bondo. (just my opinion).





.

 

[skanders01]

Thanks, gentlemen, both options look good to me. I'll try a couple of each to see what works easier for me. The only issue I have is that the boat will not be painted, so I will need an epoxy with some aluminum pigment or???

Regards,

 

[Johnny]

I bought some aluminum powder years ago for a project so it is available.
I would only "assume" that adding aluminum powder
to the epoxy would somewhat match your boat hull color.
But, epoxy is not UV tolerant - so it "may" degrade over time if not painted.

Just did a quick check on the interweb about alumuminum powder and it comes
in a few different color shades...... Dark German to white chemical grade.
it is available on ebay.

 

[Shaugh]

as a way to fill holes above the waterline and make them invisible, I've had good luck by doing the following:

Drill the hole out to the next available solid aluminum rivet size. Do this so you have a nice clean square edged hole.

Then take a solid rivet or even a short cut of aluminum rod and buck it down very hard in the hole. When you do this the rivet will expand and fill the hole very tightly. It will also slightly mushroom on each end.

Then take a grinder with a fine abrasive flap wheel and grind off both ends of that "rivet". You will be surprised to find that you can grind it off absolutely flush on both ends and the small slug of aluminum will remain firmly locked within the sheet.

I've had a few fail now and then, but many I've done lasted forever. You could also used something like 5200 to help insure it stays put... but you don't need it...

 

[stinkfoot]

I fixed a hole in the gas tank of my aluminum bodied climbing chainsaw, 20-odd years ago with something called Liquid Aluminum. It still holds gas today. No idea if it is still available.

 

[Ebug]

I personally am a huge fan of repairing things with the parent material where possible (aka welding for an aluminum boat).

That being said I did run across this product from West Systems Epoxy the other day while buying products for a fiberglass boat I am working on.

https://fiberglasssupplydepot.com/West-System-Aluminum-Boat-Repair-Kit-650-K.html

No idea about the product beyond what it says on this website. I do know West System is one of the most highly regarded epoxy product in the boat building market so there is a good chance this product is fantastic as well.

Rob

 

[richg99]

Uncoated epoxy may well be an issue with UV.

Might you consider putting the dimple and the epoxy on the inside of the boat, and paint it with an aluminum colored paint?

richg99

 

[Mark_Fisher]

For castings, I have successfully used the aluminum brazing sticks. I haven't tried them on the hull because I don't think my propane torch can give enough heat.

For the hull, I've been pretty happy with JBWeld for drilled hole "repair." Cured and sanded, it's pretty close to non-polished AL sheet. I countersink both sides slightly and puddle the epoxy to spread out to the flare. When sanded flush, there is a mechanical lock on the plug. I have seen these plugs last one year so far, with no leaks or staining.

The riveting idea sound good too, though...

 

[richg99]

Mark, good idea. I never thought about hitting the epoxy with heat.

richg99