Aluminum sheets

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water bouy

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I came across some 11ft x 4ft x 1/4" sheets of aluminum tonight for $250 each but no pics. I'll call tomorrow and see if they know what kind of AL it is. Which kind is best for tin boats and does the price sound good? Also came across 40"x48" pallets not far from there for the same price.

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After you find out more info, then you could call a metal supplier
in your immediate area to determine price fairness.
The different alloy and surface design could make a slight difference one way or the other.
Such as mill finish, polished, diamond plate, removed from a ship's deck, yada yada yada,
good luck !!
40 or so years ago, I scored some old 3x6' signs out of a dumpster that were 1/4" thick from
a Navy base I was stationed at in Key West and still have some of it left today.
that stuff lasts forEVER stored vertically outside.

when cutting thick aluminum, I have used a vertical panel saw, 12" dewalt chop saw,
jigsaw with wood blades, and the old skilsaw that throws molten chips like nobody's business.
also, smoothed edges with a regular hand-held router...... use carbide bits when possible.
those pallets should be good for something in a boat !!
Call your metal recycle yard to see what scrap aluminum is going for in your area
then bargain for price with that in mind.


good luck !!
 
Thanks very much. He sold a bunch of diamond plate to a boat builder so I'm going to check it out tomorrow. His price is 1/3 of a local supplier.
 
lckstckn2smknbrls said:
1/4" is going to be heavy if your using it for a deck.

Yep. A local supplier said 175 lbs. The wood I'm in the middle of using for the floor isn't looking so bad even though his price is right. And the other guys pallets are marked down to $50 ea. Wonder what thickness boat builders use for flooring.
 
To me, too thick for boats, ~ 0.093" is ideal. You also NEED to know the alloy.

Most tin boats are 5052 alloy - bendable, malleable, and work hardens. It has very good corrosion resistance, especially to salt water, and can be easily welded. Its high fatigue strength makes it an excellent selection for structures that need to withstand excessive vibrations.

To me that's got "tin boats" all over it!
 
I get my stuff from steel and metal liquidators. Not sure if there are any around you. I pay 60 bucks each for 4x8 sheets new 1/8 diamond plate. Seems like a good price. But as others have said seems thick.
 

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I used .125 on my boat.. paid 55 bucks for a sheet of 4x8. Then .125 1x1 angle was 25 bucks for 50ft. It's plenty sturdy

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Aluminum is priced by the pound so when I need to know the price of something I calculate the weight and multiply by the price per pound that my distributor is selling.
In my case I budget for $4/lb. It normally comes in a little less than this but works for budgeting.
To find the rough weight of aluminum multiply lenght x width x thickness x .101

Multiply that result by the price per pound to get your cost. Within reason.

All dimensions have to be in inches for that formula to work.

$200 for a 48" x96" x .125" would be a good price in my neck of the woods.

A little secret when buying aluminum sheet. If you are going to paint or cover the sheet at installation and are not concerned with initial appearance...you can ask your supplier if the have any blemished sheets they will reduce the price on. Sometimes you can save some money going that route.

Rob


Coming to you from planet Earth.
 
Ebug said:
A little secret when buying aluminum sheet. If you are going to paint or cover the sheet at installation and are not concerned with initial appearance...you can ask your supplier if the have any blemished sheets they will reduce the price on. Sometimes you can save some money going that route.
Another tip is buying less than a sheet, if available. I didn't need a full sheet and got one 3' x just over 6' that worked for my new transom. Where it's sold by the pound this worked out well for me!
 
1/4in is way to thick. Jack plates that hold up to 50hp motors use 1/4in aluminum and the force on that is not straight down. You should definitely use 1/8in or even thinner. when the weight is straight down the framing is more important and as long as that is solid the thickness of the deck can be pretty thin.
 
I'm gonna use the wood I coated with Titebond Ultimate and then cover it with pontoon vinyl. So far it's made the wood feel like hard plastic.
 
If I use the .093" square aluminum on this rack

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to rivet or weld across the ribs,

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would it add enough support so I could cut the middle bench in two? I'd like to make an aisle with storage on each side. Another guy is selling black 4x10ft sheets of .063" cheap which I could double up for the floor maybe. He said they're 'body panels for a trailer'.

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For what it's worth I had a metal shop shear some aluminum sheets for one of my projects. I just marked lines and x's were I wanted it cut, maybe 10 cuts/shears for $20 and all edges were straight and smooth. I used a ******* file to smooth the sharp edges and round some of the corners.
 
I was leaning toward that idea and then came across these aluminum planks on craigslist. Just about ideal for a vee hull floor and the seller practically gave them away.

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That's an awesome find, strong, light and great traction built in. I could find dozens of uses for those .
 
juggernot said:
That's an awesome find, strong, light and great traction built in. I could find dozens of uses for those .
Here's a couple close to your location. I think it's the guy who has the 1/4" sheet.

https://raleigh.craigslist.org/mat/5774097374.html
 

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