# Aluminum boat repair question



## guner (Sep 25, 2007)

Hey guy's
I have a chance to pick up a 14' boat for about $400, any way it looks pretty good EXCEPT at some point in the past it looks like it had a breach in the hull. Low on the side there is about a 6" long ugly/sloppy looking Tig weld, it's not pretty but the guy selling it says it was there when he got it and it never leaked on 6 trips last year, it just looks ugly.
My question is (from a guy who knows nothing about welding) is it possible to grind it down and reweld/clean it up some, so it would be more secure ? Or is it just cosmetic ?

As always any info is appreciated !


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

From someone who has experience in working on aluminum boats (grandpa had a marina with over 30 rental alums). The short answer is yes. A picture would help


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## guner (Sep 25, 2007)

*Second pic*

Here is another view


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## bigdaddyx4 (Jan 11, 2008)

I do quite a bit of TIG welding, so I can speak from experience... With metal (especially aluminum) that thin, it is very hard to make it look as good as new. You will always be able to tell that it has been worked on. The more you grind the area, the thinner the metal around the weld will become, and increase the chance of getting another crack. Personally, I think I would probably just leave it as long as it doesn't leak. It would be a different story if it were on a boat that was worth more than $400. Just take it out and see how it does!


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## T-Bone (Oct 24, 2013)

Last time I had an aluminum boat I always had a tube of JB Weld and Activator with me. Never had to use it, but I figure that'd solve most any problem with the hull.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I'd leave it it alone. A re-weld may go poorly; could oxidize the weld metal and bughole. You could TIG a small part, experiment, to see if it's OK. Remember, don't prep aluminum until just before you weld on it. Aluminum forms a layer of oxidation as soon as its ground or sanded and that layer can cause welding problems. And it goes without saying its very important to use the correct welding wire. I assume the 53 series is right, 5356 is what I used on boats...I think. Then I would use a square-wave welding machine. They make the nicest looking aluminum welds and are user friendly. I don't weld much anymore but was a certified welder for over 30 years. Started in the metal trades in 1967. I go back far enough that I still call TIG "Heli-arc".  

A short story: Back in the mid 70s I bought a huge 18' long by 5' wide flat-bottom aluminum boat at an Illinois fish cop auction, $150, I stole the thing. The Illinois Conservation Dept. used the boat for gill netting surveys, other stuff. The thing was a barge, and very stable while walking around in it working trot lines, bank poles, or duck decoys on the big rivers. It had a nasty hole in the bottom about 12" long by 4" wide. It looked like it got torn and someone hammered the tear flat and then tried to weld a patch over it. It just looked awlful and probably leaked like a sieve. I took it to the shop, cleaned it all up and "Heli-arc'd" the patch back on. The patch, and the welding, looked like crap but it didn't leak and never cracked again as long as I owned the boat. 

Haven't kept up with aluminum welding these days; there's gobs of new techniques, new alloys, new welding equipment, that I'm not up to speed on. Some of the new wire-welding technology makes aluminum welds as pretty as square-wave TIG.....robotics...blah, blah, blah.


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## Gumbo (Sep 22, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> I'd leave it it alone.


Agreed!


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## guner (Sep 25, 2007)

Thanks for advise guys


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