welding along keel or chine

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bill11

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i am wanting to find out if it is perferable to weld one long seam from bow to stern or two boat length welds on both chines. ( so as to have a solid center for a boat bottom) which is better from a stress standpoint? the aluminum will be 3/16 5086 or 1/8. not sure yet. boat is 19' thank you bill11
 
That's basically what the factory does when they build johnboats. The hull is made out of 2 seperate pieces for the starboard and port sides, and the 2 pieces are joined in the center, with a center strake, which is welded all the way down each side.

However, this is also the first place that corrosion will attack a johnboat, as the heat from welding changes the properties of the aluminum, making it more susceptible to corrosion (kinda like where ever you weld or heat a piece of steel, that is the first place it's going to rust)

But I have repaired a few johnboats with the center strake completely gone (including my own 16 foot Dura Craft) by using a piece of 3/16" aluminum angle, the length of the boat, placed over the damaged strake, and welded using a spoolgun and ER5356 .030" aluminum wire.
 
My boat is a deep v hull that was made in a press from one piece of aluminum. When i restore it, i will have a choice of one long center weld or two long waterline welds. I could also use solid rivots. The boat will be in salt water. was your jon boat in saltwater? Why would your boat corrode so bad?
There are lots of welded boats out there that would take a lifetime to rust to the point of leaking. I guess my question is == Is having to use two long waterline welds ( thus keeping the keel area weld free) better then having just one keel weld from bow to stern? The boat will be made with two aluminum sheets or three depending on which way i do it. bill11
 
I guess I misunderstood what you were asking. I can't say for sure whether it's better to have 2 keel welds, or a weld down either side.

As far as my boat, yes, it's in saltwater....and that's basically what caused it to corrode. Even when you put the proper bottom paint on an aluminum boat, if you tend to drag it onto the beach or the oyster rocks, like I do, the paint wears off, and before you haul it out the next time to inspect, corrosion has already begun. Especially when you leave the boat in the water for 300+ days a year like I do.
 

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