Didn't expect to have to do this so soon.....

Well,
My thought of a winter project of stripping all the epoxy resin off the hull of my Jonboat has been moved up a bit... Bought this boat last fall and have been working SLOWLY on cleaning it up to float it to see what else I will do. See this post:

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25259

I determined that the live well will need to be dry storage, so I re-filled the plug hole with resin and cut up fiber glass. I used duct tape on the hull to act as a block while it cured and planned on putting a patch on the hull to completely seal it. Well, the epoxy on the hull was beginning to separate from the hull and about 2' from the bow tip, it separated far enough for me to stick my arm half way to my elbow in between the hull and epoxy. This will NOT work out!!!

So my neighbor and I flipped the boat (after removing the motors and seats, etc..) and I began to remove the coatings. there were multiple layers.






Here is what I removed... Probably 40 lbs. Still more work to do.....


I guess my plan is to take the whole thing down to bare aluminum, weld or rebuck the rivets and Steel Flex the hull and then figure out what to do to the inside before decking it....

Man that looks like a PITA to get off. Do you know why all that resin was put on it?

WOW....that's going to be a job. Hang in there and take it nice and slow. It will pay off in the long run.

Looks like at some point somebody tried to fiberglass the bottom. I've heard that is can be done successfully but wow, what a mess! Keep going with those Corona's. Looks like you are going to need them.

F4F,
I appears to be several layers of different resins.... #-o

I was able to get back at it a bit yesterday.... Wasn't sure if I was gonna get hailed on like other parts of DFW....

I got to work and soon after, my wonderful wife wandered out to the back yard with a Corona and asked if she could help. Two Brownie points!! =D> =D>

I used a pry bar for the remaining large pieces and then had to resort to a putty knife and a single edge razor blade scraper to get the smaller, thinner areas....

Many of the bottom rivets have 1, 2, or 3 kinds of patch material around them. Some of it is very difficult to remove.

All in all, we got a majority of the bottom minus the rivets cleaned up. Sides, the bow, stern and rivets remain. I managed to dodge hail, and rain, then my scraper razor broke just as it really started to rain, so I called it a night and grilled dinner.



Tools


Done for the night....

Decisions are going to have to be made...

I have been told the reason the guy I bought the boat from did the epoxy coat job was because of approx. 35 leaking rivets.... :shock:

Once the hull is completely cleaned up, should I:

Re-buck the rivets and Steel Flex the hull
Weld all the rivets and Steel Flex the hull
Drill out and replace all the rites and Steel Flex the hull

i'd rebuck then fill it with water to see how it worked with leaking first.

younghusband,

Comments in red in a quote of your message below:

byounghusband said:

Decisions are going to have to be made...

I have been told the reason the guy I bought the boat from did the epoxy coat job was because of approx. 35 leaking rivets.... :shock: That's a lot of rivets leaking and while fixable, begs for a more permanent fix. Remember, the rivets do two main functions: 1. Hold sections of the boat together. 2. Prevent leaking. In this case, they're failing in both. The boat has seen some serious use in the past and it's banged up.

Once the hull is completely cleaned up, should I:

Re-buck the rivets and Steel Flex the hull
This is an attractive, less expensive option, but re-bucked rivets are going to be "work" worn. This means they're weakened and if they do work, they're likely to fail again. This assumes they will seal. Generally speaking, they don't work and seal as well as new rivets. Not your best option.

Weld all the rivets and Steel Flex the hull
This is a good option, but with welding, are you going to have a boat that's structurally as strong as the boat was new? In other words, are the panels going to be held together as strongly as they were when new? This would concern me and I would examine how the leaking rivets are affecting the overall strength of the boat before taking this option.

Drill out and replace all the rivets and Steel Flex the hull
This to me is the better option. By replacing and properly installing new rivets, you insure your hull's structural integrity is restored along with eliminating leaks. You may want to consider welding the rivets after installation to prevent future leaks as well. Steel Flexing the hull is never a bad idea, though in this case, I would steel flex inside where the material is less likely to be scraped off by rocks, etc.

Hope this helps,

Click to expand...

I agree with DaveInGA that drilling out all the old rivets and replacing them is your best option. You most likely have to go up in size with the rivets; I would bet that the holes have been enlarged over the years. I would drill a few out and figure out what size you are going to need. Get your rivets and any tools you are going to need. Then start the process, I would drill and replace a few rivets at a time. You may also want to put a dab of good sealant on each rivet before installing (just in case). Continue until all rivets have been replaced and then do a water test to check for leaks.

You could have the rivets welded as mentioned but you may not have to. After you pass your water test and your welding is done if you choose that option I would then steelflex the bottom outside of the boat and go fishing.

The easiest way in the world to fix bad rivets in an aluminum boat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0MA1-5NXjs&feature=related

Rebucking an already weakened rivet is only a temporary fix, the rivet is weakened and will leak again.

Get an angle grinder and a couple of cup brushes and remove all the paint from your boat inside and out.

Fix your leaking rivets.

Apply Gluvit or Coat-it to the inside seams and rivets.

Paint the inside of the boat to protect the coating.

Go fishing.

Thanks for all of the responses. =D>

I do plan on water testing it on dry land to see how extensive the Rivet issue is.

Then option 3 is sounding best. Dave I looked at your build (nice work) and a couple threads mentioned in it and have bookmarked them all.

I sure wish this boat could talk. The stories it would tell. It has seen a lot and with info on this site, it will beback in action....

Thanks all, for ALL the advise!!!

I sure wish this boat could talk.

Click to expand...

Now there's a country song waiting to be sung! :LOL2:

fender66 said:

I sure wish this boat could talk.

Click to expand...

Now there's a country song waiting to be sung! :LOL2:

Click to expand...

Hmmm.

Wanna make a TinBoats Forum thing?

I'll start:

"This ole boat watched my heart get broken

and was there when love was spoken.

The moonlit night gave silent witness to the things she didn't mean."



your turn.
8)

"This old boat was there when I wished my heart was free.

She just sat there and gabbed and cried and whined in the summer heat.

Oh Lord, I wish this old boad had an Ejection Seat!!!!"



Next....

"...I slamed that ole tinny in reverse,
'put a whole new spin on my universe.
My dog, wife, truck, and hair came back,
...taw'kin bout a real thread hijack"

"..ain't gonna rain no more, no more....ain't gonna rain no more"

Me,yah, Nazz-cahr, pa-ting! :lol: