Preventing rattling

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fishjunky

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I'm starting to cut my 1" square tubing to fit the ribs and I started thinking about the possibility of aluminum on aluminum rattling. I'm going to rivet it down, but do I need to do anything else? Was thinking about a piece of rubber gasket material or maybe a dob of silicone?
 
No gasket or silicone.

Two rivets each connection.

What sizes are you using? Make sure you use the proper drill size [3/16 rivet does NOT take 3/16 bit] and the rivet grip range is correct.
 
If you're decking with wood - use two even if you have to peel back one leg of the tubing to make a 2nd connection.

If you're decking w/ aluminum you can apply rivets in a "T" pattern within an inch or so of the connection and they will take some of the stress.

Where decking is not going to be fastened - like rib to tubing - IMO you need 2 rivets / connection.

Just my opinion.
 
I'm not 100% sure what you mean by peel back the metal.

The spot I'm talking about is where the tubing meets the small rounded ribs at a steep angle so there is only a small point of contact.

It will be decked with 1/16" aluminum with blue board insulation underneath.
 
I see what you're doing now.

The hull has a fair amount of flex - by design. Without a rigid connection between the tubing & rib it will loosen. If you're also going to put some holes below the water line..... they may also loosen and leak.

If the ribs have enough vertical surface you could use a gusset on each side. That would work - but minimum of 2 rivets per connection - so that would be 4 per gusset - minimum.

By example I installed a bench seat [see my build] and thought I'd cheat and use 1/8" rivets for the seat to angle connection. I figured every two inches would work. For the angle to deck / stringer I used 3/16" but got tired of snapping them off.

Didn't work. First good chop I was in looked down and saw a bunch of rivet heads on the deck :roll:

Wwesw91.png


Welding would not be very expensive if the welder does not have to do the prep........


I removed the rest and installed 3/16 every 2". No more problems.

There are other members here who have much more experience than I have riveting aluminum - hopefully they'll chime in.

PS - drill some 1/8" holes in the bottom of the tubing for weep holes.
 
Square tubing is going to be a waste for you the way you're using it there - looks like you've already got your material, but if not angle would work the same and cost considerably less. It's easier to support with a vertical leg too. Those rounded ribs aren't going to give you much contact area, but if you're crafty you should be able to get 2 rivets into each junction, but I don't think you'll be using solid rivets

If you're using all aluminum rivets I'd stick to 3/16" as Skiffing said - I too had bad experiences early on with 1/8" - though I'm not running in salt water so I just went to 3/16" stainless rivets to be sure nothing moves. Get the rivets with steel mandrels...you forearms will hate me for suggesting it, but they pull much tighter. Guessing by your lack of paint in some areas vs others that you took out the seats. Might also when you're done with the floor add some cross-member supports from the floor ribs up to the gunwales.
 
Especially on a boat with ribs designed the way those are where they don't extend up the sides of the boat. Those seats were important to keeping it all from flexing.
 
I won't be able to get a rivet in the side of the rib ... Too short.

I guess I could maybe rivet a short section of tubing to the rib lower down toward the centerline of the hull and then use a piece of flat stock to connect the cross member to the short piece of tubing? That should be roughly the same result as going straight to the rib.

I have a section of ladder running fore to aft that ties the hull and cross members together. I will try to get a picture up shortly.
 
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1437512082.995983.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1437512091.946898.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1437512099.645491.jpg


I don't have all the cross members cut yet but you get the idea. I have the ladder notched to receive the 1" tubing. The ladder will be attached to the ribs as well. The angle will be used to stiffen the gunnels.
 
Any number of fabrications - maybe window frames.

The plot thickens.............

You're a carpenter aren't you?

He, hee 8)

With that ladder in there you don't really care about rattles!

If the ladder flanges rest solidly on the ribs you can use them as a fastening points - but you'll need more than 3/16. Since you cut through the upper chord of the ladder for the tubing it should bend enough to lay down on the ribs?

If you fasten the deck well at that intersection you probably won't have a problem.

The ladder rungs are useless if you can do that - you can get rid of them. The deck sheathing will provide enough lateral support to the new "stringers" so they will be solid vertically.

Where your tubing extends to the hull I do not see any way to fasten to ribs without welding. Cantilever - leaving them loose will chew everything up and one rivet will pull loose.
 
I don't know if it was divine intervention helping me find that ladder, but it fits darn near perfectly touching each rib all the way up. That's why I felt comfortable cutting the top fold of the ladder, because it's a direct transfer of weight down to the ribs.

So you are saying any type of cantilever will cause movement and metal running and loss of metal?
 
Why would the 3/16 rivets not work for connecting the ladder to the ribs? Seems plenty sturdy for holding it in place to me.
 
Divine? Perhaps :LOL2:

Time to ask:

What is the boat?
What power does it have?

I noticed you didn't admit to being a carpenter. Don't know if that's good or bad .....

Look at it this way - once you have your deck fastened on - would it be a REAL PITA to refasten your stringers?

Answer - Probably - unless you enjoy doing things more than once.......... So get it right 1st time.

I don't see any way to get the tubing fastened to ribs without welding. Leaving them loose will chew things up. If things need to be welded - prep everything - ladder stringers and all and let a welder do it. If it is prepped properly there is less than 1 hour welding time. In N.C. - what's that? $100. You're done.

Rivet the 1/16" deck in and have fun.

If you're bent on mechanically fastening ladder stringers to ribs my "guess" would be RIVNUTS. But you'll need special tools and precise installation.

Johnny - where the heck are you? [oh ya - fishing]
 
Well I used to be a carpenter, now I just do estimating. I still do woodworking as a hobby, but this metal working is new to me.

Boat is Sears Gamefisher 13'8", 1982 model I think, powered by a four stroke 20 hp Honda.

Fair enough about the welding... I'll check into it, It can't take over an hour once they fire up the welder. Should I be concerned about them kicking a piece of tubing and knocking it out of alignment though? Duct tape stuff in place?
 

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