Bunks,Electrolysis and Aluminum Boats....

[Sculpin]

Sculpin,

What thickness would you recommend? Is a 1/4" thick enough and would you recommend going the full width of the bunks or say 3 strips an 1" wide along the entire lenght? Also what about running 1/8" grooves in the strips to help with drying?

Thanks,
Kevin

I went with 3/8" thick if I recall and yeah I would go full width and put some grooves in it. I didn't put grooves in mine this year but I will look at her in the fall and see if there are any issues and may put them in over the winter.

[Seafever]

Thanks Sculpin .....you are a fountain of inspiration.....

[Statler]

Thanks Scuplin, I ordered 1/2" black UHMW. It was only $10 more than the 3/8" and I should have it this afternoon. Thanks again.

[Seafever]

Sculpin:- I think I'm in the market for a new boat after taking a good look at the corrosion. Not bad in some spots but in others it's dicey. Don't want to be out on the chuck and spring a bad leak.

Wish I'd known what I know now years ago.

My boat got popped off the bunks when I pulled out of Kennedy Lake Park on the weekend. Stopped and fixed it. But that's the only time I've ever had a really close-up look at where it sits on the bunks. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise because if I'd never had a look at it, it would just be getting worse until failure.

The hull is 12 years old (not all that old really.....I know guys with aluminum boats much older than that with zero corrosion problems)and has sat on the bunks for all that time when it's not in the water.

I was thinking about getting a new boat anyway.

The old girl had a good run........caught lots of fish in her.....lots....

In earlier part of thread you said you'd fixed a few riveted tinnies that had been eaten clean through.

I'm just sort of curious as to how you did that......the hull is not thick enough to weld.

Did you cover it over with fresh strips of sheet aluminum and then rivet the hell out of them?

Just curious is all........

[Sculpin]

In earlier part of thread you said you'd fixed a few riveted tinnies that had been eaten clean through.

I'm just sort of curious as to how you did that......the hull is not thick enough to weld.

Did you cover it over with fresh strips of sheet aluminum and then rivet the hell out of them?

Just curious is all........

Yup, did just that with some 3M sealant thrown in there for good luck lol. They actually turned out looking good and I haven never heard back from the owners.

[Halilogger]

Any place in Campbell River that sells UHMW

[spring fever]

Haliloger I just purchased UHMW and had it shipped from BC plastics-there is twice as much as I need. I have 4 pieces-51/2 inches wide 6 ft long and 1/2 inch thick which I want to sell for 140 bucks. I'm staying with rollers on the front Mike

[Broadwater]

How did you fasten the plastic to the bunks?

[Seafever]

You have to watch it when you drill UHMW......drilling a hole right through it is not too bad.....BUT...if you try to put
a "countersink" in it by using a slightly bigger drill....the drill will "bite' real quick and before you know it you are too deep.

UHMW tends to BITE on drills easy.

Don't countersink it with a bigger drill bit.......use an actual beveled countersink bit.

At least that's the experience I've had with good ol' white UHMW.


Also:- Aluminum does not rot the same way as steel. aluminum tends to get "pinhole"
deterioration. These pinholes will work their way right through even though it does not look all that bad. Steel tends to flake off in bigger chips.
When they first came out with aluminum SCUBA tanks, this would happen to some.
An otherwise perfectly good-looking tank would show leaks when hydrostatically tested. Steel SCUBA tanks you could usually see the rot-out when inspected internally as part of the test....but not aluminum tanks.

[Sculpin]

UHMW tends to BITE on drills easy.

Don't countersink it with a bigger drill bit.......use an actual beveled countersink bit.




Also:- Aluminum does not rot the same way as steel. aluminum tends to get "pinhole"
deterioration. These pinholes will work their way right through even though it does not look all that bad. Steel tends to flake off in bigger chips.
When they first came out with aluminum SCUBA tanks, this would happen to some.
An otherwise perfectly good-looking tank would show leaks when hydrostatically tested. Steel SCUBA tanks you could usually see the rot-out when inspected internally as part of the test....but not aluminum tanks.

Very good advice on using a proper countersink bit. Don't ask me how I know lol. I have 4 extra holes in my side guides do to trying it with a bigger bit because I misplaced my countersink bit at the time. I thought I'll just go really slow...........wham right through!

Aluminum is different for corrosion issues for sure. Since I joined that AAB site I have learned quite a bit about the stuff. It is actually recommended to to take the mill scale off or etch the sheets before building a boat. Barely any builder does this however. There is a guy from Alaska named Kevin that posts quite a bit on that board and has some lengthy posts about it. He has net skiffs that he built 20 years ago that live their entire lives on the beach and he say's they look as new as the day they were built.