# At home aluminum boat repair



## PuddleJumper (Sep 23, 2009)

I know iboats has an endless amount of opinions on this but I was wondering if any of you had any personal experiences good or bad on doing small repairs yourself. Brazing rods, methods, etc.

I have taken in my boat in the past for larger damage but I have a small hole (diameter of a pencil lead-stemming from a thin area) that I think is too small bothering a "professional" with.

Any thoughts?

Kid's rail system is sounding better and better...


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## BirdieShooter (Feb 7, 2010)

I hate to do this because i HATE it when someone tells me to take it to a professional BUT in the case of aluminum its not an all bad idea. We have a metal fab shop here and several guys that are very good welders but when I was repairing a pontoon boat a couple of years ago I finally had to break down and call in another guy that was an exceptional aluminum welder in order to get a weld that wasn't just structurally sound and good looking but also held water out. It may seem like the small size of the leak makes it not worth bothering with but that hole can get really big really quickly if you apply heat to it improperly and then its that much harder to fix. I would suggest finding a really good welder, not a boat yard guy but a guy that makes his living welding and ask him if will guarantee that his weld won't leak. If you get the thing ready for him so he can get to the spot easily it really shouldn't cost that much. Thats my two cents anyway. Good luck with whatever you try!


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

PuddleJumper said:


> I know iboats has an endless amount of opinions on this but I was wondering if any of you had any personal experiences good or bad on doing small repairs yourself. Brazing rods, methods, etc.
> 
> I have taken in my boat in the past for larger damage but I have a small hole (diameter of a pencil lead-stemming from a thin area) that I think is too small bothering a "professional" with.
> 
> ...


if its small or big fix, come see me, i'll take care of ya.  can weld it up for you for minimal costs.


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## Swamp Boss (Mar 14, 2003)

JB Weld usually works for small aluminum jobs. Available @ any hardware store for about 5 bucks.


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## Bellyup (Nov 13, 2007)

I agree, for a small pencil lead sized hole, just put some JB Weld on it. Should hold for many years. Just make sure you clean it well before applying, and put a piece of duck tape on the bottom of the boat, and apply from the inside. 

If you want ultimate strength, flip the boat upside down after you put a piece of tape on the inside, and then fill the hole from the bottom. This would be the strongest repair with an epoxy based product. 

If you are near the Kid, and he will weld it up cheap, go for it, that is the ultimate fix. Welding.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

only thing about jbweld is it makes for a pita later if you want to weld it. 

heres how i would fix. i would buy the 2 part epoxy clay. the stuff you mix in you hand like crazy puddy....then put a little bit in the pin hole and set it out in the sun to let it bake hard. stuff is rock hard when it dries. I've done some small spots like this that weren't pressure spots (like sidewall holes). If the spot is on your bottom where your wearing thin...go with weld, not jb/epoxy.


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## Toga (Nov 11, 2009)

I have used these with great results. http://durafix.com/ I bought some from a guy at outdoorrama a few years back and have used to patch some decent size holes  The repairs have held up very well. If using a propane type torch with them use map gas rather than propane.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> only thing about jbweld is it makes for a pita later if you want to weld it.
> 
> heres how i would fix. i would buy the 2 part epoxy clay. the stuff you mix in you hand like crazy puddy....then put a little bit in the pin hole and set it out in the sun to let it bake hard. stuff is rock hard when it dries. I've done some small spots like this that weren't pressure spots (like sidewall holes). If the spot is on your bottom where your wearing thin...go with weld, not jb/epoxy.


jb weld works in a pinch for holes caused by the prop on your mud motor :evilsmile Right SK?


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

just ducky said:


> jb weld works in a pinch for holes caused by the prop on your mud motor :evilsmile Right SK?


ya something about stainless prop bouncing off the inside of my boat didn't mix too well. nice 4" gash that when loaded pissed a lot of water into my boat. that poor boat.


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## Quack Wacker (Dec 20, 2006)

I would post this in the Boating and Boat Rigging Forum, you might get some more insights or opinions. Just an idea.


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## windknot (Jul 22, 2001)

I was at the Woods-n-Water news outdoorama last fall and I stopped and chatted with a lady in a tiny little booth/stand outside one of the barns. She was selling these alumaweld/HTC-2000 brazing rods. She did her little carny routine for me....brazed holes up to about an inch around (in stages) in aluminum can bottoms, sides of pop cans, brazed two aluminum bars together etc and did it all with just a hardware propane torch....no expensive welders, acetylene etc. 

Admittedly, she was in the shade, that's why I stopped....I just needed out of the sun. Damnedest stuff I've ever seen.......I got hooked and bought a bundle of them for $35 bucks......haven't used them yet...but it comes out to about 11 cents per inch of rod - pretty cheap. 

I bought a flat stern canoe a few weeks ago and it has a pencil sized hole in the bottom and I'm going to use these rods on that....once I can find someone to help me roll the canoe over on to something so I can get to the bottom (My back is all screwed up) - I'll let you know how it works....if it does....I'll send you a couple of rods (shouldn't take that much) and a copy of the instructions. 

They sell the stuff on eBay - do a search for aluminum repair rods - there's a "dealer" in Michigan - probably the same lady selling at the carnivals.


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## windknot (Jul 22, 2001)

Toga said:


> I have used these with great results. http://durafix.com/ I bought some from a guy at outdoorrama a few years back and have used to patch some decent size holes  The repairs have held up very well. If using a propane type torch with them use map gas rather than propane.



Sorry TOGA....I wasn't watching what everyone was saying. That's the same stuff I've got...just a different name.


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## Toga (Nov 11, 2009)

When you weld up that canoe try to apply it on both sides with grinder to rough it up reall well then hit it a decent thin coat with the rod that overlaps 1/2 inch or more then hit it with a grinder to flatten on both sides and you are in business


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

windknot said:


> I was at the Woods-n-Water news outdoorama last fall and I stopped and chatted with a lady in a tiny little booth/stand outside one of the barns. She was selling these alumaweld/HTC-2000 brazing rods. She did her little carny routine for me....brazed holes up to about an inch around (in stages) in aluminum can bottoms, sides of pop cans, brazed two aluminum bars together etc and did it all with just a hardware propane torch....no expensive welders, acetylene etc.
> 
> Admittedly, she was in the shade, that's why I stopped....I just needed out of the sun. Damnedest stuff I've ever seen.......I got hooked and bought a bundle of them for $35 bucks......haven't used them yet...but it comes out to about 11 cents per inch of rod - pretty cheap.
> 
> ...


Sounds a lot like that alumaloy stuff that used to be on infomercials 5 or so years ago. Looked like it was great stuff and welded with just a propane torch.


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## PuddleJumper (Sep 23, 2009)

windknot said:


> I bought a flat stern canoe a few weeks ago and it has a pencil sized hole in the bottom and I'm going to use these rods on that....once I can find someone to help me roll the canoe over on to something so I can get to the bottom (My back is all screwed up) - I'll let you know how it works....if it does....I'll send you a couple of rods (shouldn't take that much) and a copy of the instructions.


It looks like "screwed" up back is literal. A system of pulleys and levers (pronounced "leeevers") should get your canoe just how you need it. That's our saying at work when something is too heavy for equipment or backs to move. A 20' 2x4 and a wedge ought to do the trick.

I've seen the old infomercials and the videos on YouTube. Those rods seem to be the answer for a thin area, no? Just keep applying in layers? Does anyone have experience on the longevity of using those rods?

I was concerned turning it over to strictly the boating forum would get me answers like "Use a marine sealant, then install a solar bilge pump". Which could work but my boat doesn't go out much during "normal" boating weather or conditions.

I was mainly looking for advice from the group of guys(& gals) who abuse/beat their boats (chasing birds) in conditions/areas most other boaters rarely see- ice & rain & wind & shallow sandy/rocky water all before or after daylight.:yikes:

The biggest problem I have is it can only be repaired from the bottom because the leak is happening beneath the cylinder for the drain plug with no access from the top.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

PuddleJumper said:


> It looks like "screwed" up back is literal. A system of pulleys and levers (pronounced "leeevers") should get your canoe just how you need it. That's our saying at work when something is too heavy for equipment or backs to move. A 20' 2x4 and a wedge ought to do the trick.
> 
> I've seen the old infomercials and the videos on YouTube. Those rods seem to be the answer for a thin area, no? Just keep applying in layers? Does anyone have experience on the longevity of using those rods?
> 
> ...


my fix would be. remove cylinder, weld shut. install a custom machined aluminum plug system thats easier to use/access. have them installed on all of mine.

its a common break/weak point on all flat bottoms that go over dikes.


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## benjybassman (Jun 24, 2010)

West System epoxy makes a product called Gflex that does an excellent job of repairing both seams and rivits on aluminum boats. Ship-Shape Tv did a show that explains how to repair the boat with Gflex. West System also has a short how-to video on their website. I cant post a url, but the sight is west system prefixed with www and followed by a .com. I fixed my aluminum boat with this product and highly recommend it to anyone with a leaky boat. Plug the holes and get back on those bass!


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