Whitey wrote:
3M 5200 great stuff
JB Weld, I've used it on my aluminum canoe, simple to use and will last longer than you will :).
Replace your tired, worn out drain plug.
hal.benedict wrote:
I have a 14 foot Klamath aluminum after two to three hours of trolling there's about 3 inches of water in the back of the boat.Was wondering if anyone know a good fix
First you might want to check your drain plug and the hole. Maybe the plug has hardened and not making a good seal or the hole has some debris.
According to Klammath all of their boats are welded. Have you modified the boat such as adding a cable for a fish finder by penetrating the hull? Check for a leak there.
Aluminum can develop pin holes from electrolysis. You can take the boat out of the water and fill it with water a little at a time watching for drips as you go.
I recommend a flexible sealant as opposed to welding. I used a marine sealant on an old boat and it worked good.
there are welding rods that are low-temp and very strong, but I just used an epoxy : works fine
woodguru wrote:
If you are going to "weld" on aluminum you better be good...just sayin
To set the record straight, brazing rods have a higher melt point close enough to aluminum if not higher that you'll get big holes blown in the aluminum trying to get the heat up to the right point.
The idea of an epoxy or rubberized roof or leak repair material is way safer. Cleaning and drying and doing the whole seam makes more sense, should last for years as was said with the 10 year guaranteed materials. Cheaper than a new boat too.
If you are going to "weld" on aluminum y... (
show quote)
Not talking about brass brazing rod I am talking about Aluminum brazing rod that is made for Aluminum. I have used it several times to fix my flatbottom boats. The flux is blue in color and when heated to correct temperature
the flux changes to clear, then, add the Aluminum brazing rod and it flows like lead based solder. I have been welding Aluminum for 30 years and this brazing business is much easier with less risk of screwing up your boat plus much cheaper.
To set the record straight !
I like JB Weld 2 part epoxy. Need a minimum of 50 degrees (55 is better) and 24 hrs cure time. Toughest part is finding the leak but several good suggestions already here. Clean up the leak and surrounding areas pretty good (bare metal) and smear it on. It will hold up much longer than 5200 - which is a good product just not the best choice for this application.
I shine a bright light on the inside, and have someone look for the light on the other side; works well as long as you don't have carpet or things blocking the light
I’ve been down that road. Sell your old boat and tell the buyer the truth. Then go buy yourself a new boat. You will be much happier.
Huntm22
Loc: Northern Utah. - West Haven
New drain plug and fine sand paper used in the drain hole has solved many problems. Start there first.
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