[harps]

Hey guys and gals, I hope someone can offer up some advice about how to patch up holes in my aluminum boat. There's a bunch of different stuff out there but I have my doubts, well for at least some of it, because it will be walked on quite a bit being in the middle of the floor on my 9' aluminum boat. There's wleding rods that are melted on, putty, epoxy, sealant, silicone, and the most expensive one (which I don't want to resort to) getting someone to weld them.

Any help would be most appreciated.

 

[steve]

What kind of boat ( welded or rivited, brand )? what gauge floor? How big of a hole? Pending these answers I would have to say some sikaflex is the best way to go

 

[rln]

iuf your boats riveted, get them re-tightened. Works well instead of appling some sort of putty that still allows the river to move and slowly create a bigger hole.

 

[Fishaholic]

or................. If the boat is riveted and not worth the $$ to rerivet try a couple coats of the 2 part epoxy paint.



( on the inside )

 

[harps]

Thanks for the advice. While I don't know what the gauge is, I can tell you that it is a 9+' Springbok pram and the damage is not at the rivets. CCM what is sikaflex all about?

I bought some stuff at Princess Auto the other day and tried it out. Bascially, you clean up the surface, heat it with a torch and then take this stick and rub it on the hot spot and it melts while you swirl the stick. I believe it is a two part epoxy-resin stick that activates once the two-parts melt together. I tried it the other day and I think it will be OK where the holes are small but you can't put subsequent coats on because you have to reheat the old patch job before melting more on top to cover it over.

 

[steve]

sikaflex is a marine sealent that we use in the shop. It is like a two part epoxy and silicon in one product. It is quite durable, flexable and sandable so you could put it any where above or below the water line. I have had the product seal an engine to a transom so well that when the bolts were removed and the motor lifted, the boat was lifting with the motor and I had to almost "fillet" the motor from the transom. I have used it to seal everything including my deck!....they don't call me sikaflex steve for nothing! :thumbup:...not to sound like a travelling salesman, but the product does work well. Just make sure you get a small amount to start because it doesn't last very long in the tube.

 

[harps]

Thanks CCM. Where do I buy sikaflex and how much is it?

 

[steve]

most marine shops have it and I believe canadian tire as well. Pending on the tube size roughly $10 to $28 per tube. If you get the tube for the gun make sure that it is the long open formula or else it will be hard as a rock in a week.