sealing rivets

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Beanpole209

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Gadsden, AL
I am building a small aluminum john for fishing, and duck hunting. I took it out once earlier this fall, and it a seep somewhere. I was out probably a couple of hours, and it ended up having several gallons in the boat when I pulled it out. Its not a huge problem, But I would like to try and slow, or stop the leak if possible.

I have considered using silicone on the rivets, or something like the jb weld. My main concern is finding something that will stick, and actually help the problem. Any help would be appreciated.
 
There are a lot of topics if you search the forums for "rivet". Insure the issue isn't with a deteriorated drain plug. You need to tighten the rivets back up before sealing. To identify which are loose get the boat off the ground and fill it with a little bit of water and mark where it leaks. Then get a friend to brace one side with something firm while you hammer the opposite. Once you've done that go over the rivet with 3m's 5200 marine sealant. It can be found anywhere marine products are sold. This stuff sticks. Almost everyone here can vouch for this stuff, don't use jb/exterior caulk, etc. It cost's just about the same.

Other options after tightening and applying 5200 would be lining the bottom with a sealer. These get expensive, at least imo depending on the value of the boat you are working on. Glov-It or Steelflex would be a good idea. Again, search the forum and you will find an abundance of information on these two products.
 
I filled my boat up with water to find out if it was leaking, then I sealed it with Gluvit after I found the area. It worked with great success. That stuff really is amazing. I did not use a silicone sealant under the rivets because they were above the water-line, but I probably should have :( So far, no leaks though.

Do you have any ideas where the boat is leaking?
 
As stated earlier, use 5200, not silicone. Silicone will not bond correctly, it will peel.

Products like JB weld are also inferior. It will harden up, and any amount of flex or vibration will cause it to crack and fall off.
 
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17096&p=175914&hilit=durafix#p175914

Here's what I used and they are still holding strong and I use my boat a lot.
 
After some thaught, and consideration ; ive decided to go with coat it. The cheapest I could find 5200 around here was 14.99, and coat it is 19.99. Also, the cure time of coat it is way, WAY shorter. I was hoping to be on the water the first part of next week.

I was wondering however about surface prep, and how much i need. Im not experienced with prepping aluminum. Also, i picked up two of the small cans, like they might be a quart!?!? Should I do two coats?

I appreciate the help, search isn't that easy to do with my phone, sitting in my deer stand. Lol
 
No clue on the rivits, just jealous your sitting in a deer stand.
 
Never heard of coat it...what is it?

There is a speed cure option for 5200, by the way.
 
You should re tighten and apply 5200. Then coat if desired. Not one of the other to attain best results. If the separation is too great coating will not fix the problem. Also which are you finding for $20? Gluv-it and Steel flex are very expensive and few others work as well. Take it from me, I've tried many cheaper options with little success. Leaks down the road, excessive drag, and a hassle to remove to reapply proper product. 5200 is sold in different sizes, you won't need much.
 
sixgun86 said:
You should re tighten and apply 5200. Then coat if desired. Not one of the other to attain best results. If the separation is too great coating will not fix the problem. Also which are you finding for $20? Gluv-it and Steel flex are very expensive and few others work as well. Take it from me, I've tried many cheaper options with little success. Leaks down the road, excessive drag, and a hassle to remove to reapply proper product. 5200 is sold in different sizes, you won't need much.

I agree with the idea of doing both. According to the manufacture (https://www.eclecticproducts.com/ci_faqs.htm), the 'Coat-it' is designed to be used as protective bottom paint on a boat. To me, it looks like a less expensive alternative then Steelflex. What I think I would do is use 5200 on the interior of the boat on the rivets/seams, and then the Coat-it on the outside under the water line

The only thing that scares me is I cannot find any reviews on the 'Coat it' at all. Try it and be a Guinea pig for me! hahaha ;)
 
I think I confused glove it, with coat it. But I did buy goop coat-it. I haven't done anything as of yet, so ill get some 5200 and do the interior rivets with it then. Though, i will be duck hunting alot, and a tough bottom is more important to me than a couple of mph. So i think im just going to do both. Btw, my boat isn't going to be a speed demon anyway, its a 16ft john, with a 20hp merc.


I found coat-it at academy, in the marine section. It appears to be similar to rubberized undercoating, and says it bonds to aluminum. I figure that if it lasted a couple of years, and does what it says, id be happy.

What is the speed curing method for 5200? That was probably the biggest turn off, the fact it says it takes 7 days to fully cure.

Ill check back in a bit, i got one, and now got to go clean it!!! :D
 
I am going to use the coat-it stuff on my boat in the next month or two. Here are some reviews:

https://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1297093919

https://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=205476
 
You could always use 5200 Fast Cure. It sets up in about 24 hours. The only drawback is that it comes in white....I've never seen it in black.

As far as prepping the rivets, I would wire wheel each rivet, and try to get down to bare metal, then clean with acetone. This will ensure maximum cleanliness, for the strongest bond possible.
 

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