# Aluminum Boat Patch



## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

I have an aluminum jon boat with rivets.

One of the rivets is leaking. Not like a big hole, but it is a problem, after about 8 hrs it gets a considerable amount of water in the boat.

The boat has a wooden carpeted floor, that I can't afford to tear out and replace and or have the time.
*
So I was wondering if:*

1.) I could patch it with this aluminum boat patch from Cabelas. Does anyone have any experience with this? If so, how did it work?

2.) I would want to do this from outside bottom of the boat. Could I do this from under the boat, or would it melt and come down on my face?

Someone said you could use plumbers putty. I might tear out the wood floor of the boat and redo it in a year or so.

Would just using plumber putty work better now? Then once I take out the bottom, I can properly re-rivet it? (Assuming you can remove plumbers putty later.)

Or should I use the Cabelas Aluminum boat patch and call it good, and consider it a permanent solution and not try to ever re-rivet it?

Or use the Cabelas patch and still try to re-rivet it at a later date?

Thanks in advance for your help.


----------



## neb_bo (Feb 3, 2007)

i think if you try and remove any rivets at all, you will be compounding your problem.

i dont know anything about the boat patches, but it shouldnt cost you much to have a patch welded over the leak, maybe $60-75 if you have a welding shop around that does aluminum. it would be less than an hour.


----------



## Ac_EsS (Jul 3, 2007)

depending on how big the whole is. but i would just use a wire weilder / mig. turn the volts down and patch the small hole it would only take 5 minutes max 10 if you wanted it ground flush and smooth


----------



## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

It's not a hole. It's just a loose rivet. Doesn't even look loose, water is just leaking out somehow. Must be a minute leak.


----------



## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Argon gas wire fed alum wire welder works slick. Any kind of welding with alum is VERY tricky being alum melts at such a low temp.

Otherise there is an alum epoxy weld, a 2 part epoxy that takes a day to cure. It is supposed to be stronger than the alum if you follow the directions.


----------



## Ac_EsS (Jul 3, 2007)

you could always give JB weld a try! it should get you threw this fall just continue to check up on it


----------



## neb_bo (Feb 3, 2007)

the problem with epoxy is its a ***** to remove if you ever have to weld it. i dont know if welding would work anyways cause aluminum distorts so bad from the heat that you might just end up pulling the rest of the seams out of wack, and creating more leaks.


----------



## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

> Otherise there is an alum epoxy weld, a 2 part epoxy that takes a day to cure. It is supposed to be stronger than the alum if you follow the directions.


Where can you get this?


----------



## greenheadfallon (Oct 19, 2005)

h2ofwlr said:


> Argon gas wire fed alum wire welder works slick. Any kind of welding with alum is VERY tricky being alum melts at such a low temp.
> 
> Otherise there is an alum epoxy weld, a 2 part epoxy that takes a day to cure. It is supposed to be stronger than the alum if you follow the directions.


id think they would wrather use tid instead because you can control power easier


----------



## neb_bo (Feb 3, 2007)

you only need to use T.I.G. if your going less than 12ga., or 1/8". we run alot of wire feed aluminum, through spool guns and a push/pull setup. however, aluminum is still not easy to weld, and if you dont have experience, have someone who does do the welding.


----------



## usmarine0352 (Nov 26, 2005)

Thanks for your help guys. I used a aluminum expoxy, not unlike JB Weld. It seemed to do the job.

:sniper:


----------

