Is this a good idea? (updated with more pics)

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chrisharriman

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After turning my boat upside down to strip of the old paint, I found that a previous owner had cheaply caulked and then painted over a handful of holes. I've found eight so far and all are below the water line. I want to fix them better than caulking over them, but I can't afford a welder and have no experience with rivets. I was considering drilling out the holes until they are round, inserting a small bolt with a washer on both the inside and out, and then covering it all in 5200. I will be decking the entire boat so the bolts coming up through the floor will not be an issue.

1SOsX.jpg


All my searching for how to repair these holes include phrases such as "search for hole or leak repair". Then I find hundreds of pages of search results and little actual info.

Will this plan work and will it be an effective, long term solution?
 
The short of it - Yes your nut, bolt, and 5200 will work.

Yes welding is your best option but you could also patch it with aluminum and rivets. Trust me the patches work - I had to patch my boat ALOT and no leaks at all after the water test.

Most people including me would have junked my boat but I said what the heck and went for it.

Heres a few pics of my hole repairs
 

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JB-Weld is an option to consider. I plugged a couple holes below the waterline about that size on mine, and so far so good. I also suggest you stay away from aluminum welding rods that "seal Coke cans". I had all sorts of difficulty with those and will not try them again. Good luck.
 
I had a couple of holes below the water line and I had them welded. Might check with your local tech college for the welding
 
Closed end blind rivets are an aluminum boat owners best friend.

It only takes one person to install them and they're both waterproof and vaporproof.

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

Everyone that owns an aluminum boat should have a selection of rivets and a setting tool.
 
jigngrub said:
Closed end blind rivets are an aluminum boat owners best friend.

It only takes one person to install them and they're both waterproof and vaporproof.

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

Everyone that owns an aluminum boat should have a selection of rivets and a setting tool.
i generally agree, but not in this situation, that hole is way too big
 
Here's a link to a reasonably priced online rivet sales:

https://www.rivetsonline.com/rivets-en/blind-rivets-en/closed-end-blind-rivets.html

Here's a link to a reasonably priced and very good heavy duty riveter. I own and am using one in my own build. It's a very good product:

https://www.harborfreight.com/heavy...and-riveter-with-collection-bottle-66422.html

Rivets are very simple to use and if you have a good number of holes to fix, they'll end up being cheaper to repair with the rivets than stainless steel hardware, which gets expensive real quick.

Here's a quick description of how to set the rivet:

1. Place the rivet in the hole you wish to seal. If the hole is rough, get a drill bit large enough to smooth out and round out the hole. Make sure you get a drill bit size that matches up to the rivets you purchase. Measuring your holes before you buy will help this.

2. Open the handles of your heavy duty riveter wide open, make sure you have the correct size tip/nosepiece to fit your rivets. Should fit over the rivet shaft without binding.

3. Press down to "seat" the rivet and then squeeze the handles of your riveter shut. If the rivet doesn't "pop," you may have to open the handles again and repeat a couple of times. When you do, open handles, press down to seat and squeeze handles of rivet shut each time. This doesn't normally happen, but I've experienced it when sealing some oddball repair stuff on my boat.

4. When the rivet "pops," you will have a set rivet and there will be a length of rivet shaft that's in the jaws of your riveter. Hold the riveter upside down or over a trash can right side up and open jaws. The broken off rivet shaft will fall out of the jaws into the trash or the retainer bottle.

You're done.

Couldn't be more easy, less work than using nuts and bolts, plus looks better over time.

Note: If you have a hole too large for a rivet to fill, use an aluminum patch with some 5200 sealant underneath. Cut the patch to size, drill holes for the rivets, apply the 5200, rivet down and let the sealant dry. You're done. fool4fish provides some great illustrative pictures on how this is to be done above.
 
it is great that you guys keep posting such detailed information on rivets, but unfortunate that hole is much too big to be fixed that way.
 
acabtp said:
it is great that you guys keep posting such detailed information on rivets, but unfortunate that hole is much too big to be fixed that way.

Perhaps you should take the time to read entire posts. If you had done my last one, you would have seen the note on repairing (with rivets and aluminum sheet) larger holes. Additionally, pictures on the internet without included items of reference or measurements can be deceptive. What looks too big, often isn't.

Rather than naysay, it's better to provide useful information that builds upon itself, so the person that is there and knows the true size of the hole can make a decision.
 
DaveInGA said:
acabtp said:
it is great that you guys keep posting such detailed information on rivets, but unfortunate that hole is much too big to be fixed that way.

Perhaps you should take the time to read entire posts. If you had done my last one, you would have seen the note on repairing (with rivets and aluminum sheet) larger holes. Additionally, pictures on the internet without included items of reference or measurements can be deceptive. What looks too big, often isn't.

Rather than naysay, it's better to provide useful information that builds upon itself, so the person that is there and knows the true size of the hole can make a decision.
nah, i read it, just still isn't the best way to fix this.

you can see 3/16 or 1/4" shank aluminum brazier rivets clear as day in the picture. they have head diameters just under 1/2" and 5/8" respectively, so it is clear the hole the OP has to fix is about the same size. so again, it is great that you guys are so gung-ho for rivets! i like them too. but the best way to get this fixed is to have it welded, so there's no need to fill up the thread with information on a second best way to fix his particular problem. it would require more materials, more time to make and install the patch, and be more prone to leaking in the future than a welded repair. rivets are awesome for all sorts of other stuff though, we agree on that point.
 
Thanks for all the input guys!

Part of my problem in finding the best solution has been highlighted in this thread. With so many different ways to reach the same goal I find myself finding and trying to listening to conflicting information. I understand that the size of the hole will dictate how to repair it, but at what size should you go from rivets to riveting down a patch to having it welded? I've attached more pictures so we can try to come to a consensus. I should have included scale in my first post.

1VLHt.jpg


This is the same hole as pictured in the original post.

KK9oH.jpg


Here is the biggest hole.

8sONf.jpg


There are a few small holes like this, that I believe many people refer to as "pinholes"

XXerf.jpg


Only in one spot do two holes come this close together.

Thanks to Dave for the play by play on installing the rivets and fool2fish for his pictures. I believe the best solution for me will be to do like fool2fish and rivet down small patches with 5200 to seal it. If I could afford it, I would have it welded.

acabtp: Would using one rivet be an acceptable way to close the smaller "pinholes"? I assume I would have to drill them out slightly to allow the rivet to fit. Also, how can I apply 5200 around and under the rivets or should I even bother?
 
chrisharriman said:
Would using one rivet be an acceptable way to close the smaller "pinholes"? I assume I would have to drill them out slightly to allow the rivet to fit. Also, how can I apply 5200 around and under the rivets or should I even bother?

Yes it would and yes, you need to match the hole size to the rivet thickness. If the hole is below the waterline, adding epoxy or 5200 is a great idea. There's a video I think jigngrub posts that shows how to do this with either epoxy or 5200.

acabtp: I believe welding costs around $50.00/hour in this area for a certified welder. The OP stated early on he couldn't afford welding, hence the best affordable alternatives. Since I didn't know where he's from, I relied on his own statement he couldn't afford to have it welded.

Yes, welding and aluminum in aluminum boats is the "best." But sometimes guys just can't afford it. So you go with the best "alternative" that gets the repair done. For instance: I'd like to have an aluminum transom and I have the aluminum sheet to do so on hand. But the $650.00 labor charge (two estimates) to do the welding or the approximate $400.00 cost (estimate by a professional friend who did his own and is in the boat repair business) for the best alternative (Seacast) means I'm going to have to use plywood and coat it with epoxy resin. Based on research, the second best alternative (third best fix) will last from 10 to 15 years. Right now, that's going to have to be good enough.

Relative to the aluminum sheet patches with sealant and rivets, my riveted aluminum boat was manufactured very similar to the patch. It was built and sold in 1986. It still has no leaks. Just as a precaution, I put sealant goop along the exposed sealant material inside the boat. Should be fine for a good number of years. Chemical sealants and their alternatives last a long time. Long enough in most instances the owner doing the repair has gotten rid of the boat or is no longer using it.
 
Alcoa aluminum gutter seal for the smaller holes, it's hard to find but Super effective. Just google it and click the first link!

Weld or rivet the bigger ones. I'm sure there's a buddy around you with a rivet gun!
 
i would use JB weld on some some may be to big i used on bottom of my boat after i sandded it i discovered two pin holes in mine and used it not one drop of water in boat hardened in less than 24 hours
 
The reason I say Alcoa is because it has aluminum powder in the compound not just a hardened rubber compound, it sticks better to aluminum and is what it's made for. It hardens In 24 hours and is similar to JB weld but isn't a mix you just squirt it on and go.
 

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