CNC Marine 5.4m Flat Pack Kit Ali Centre Console Build

Here is a slide show and video of my Ali flat pack boat build. I hope you like.
Please leave comments.

[@regkershaw]

What a great skill to have to be able to weld Aluminium. Saved you thousands I bet. Well done what a great job.

[@dmwi1549]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing your build.

[@Dillonpickle]

great detailed pics and well done on the build, thanks for sharing this

[@rogerdale4800]

THIS IS A GREAT JOB AS I USED TO DO THIS FOR A LIVING

[@lawrencebyrne6766]

Nice work mate, enjoy the fruits of your labor. I am a fabricator and i still love to TIG welding as well wish I got to do it more at work. Great build and nice finish.

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers guys. Yes i am a Boilermaker Welder but am more of an office jockey now a days. I have had her out in 25knts / 3m swells and she performed really well. The only time i see any spray is when Im punching back side on into the swell and the wind is high. The chines work really well to kick the water out but some times the wind catches the spray and flicks it up and onto the console. This is normal for boats in high winds, the spray is a lot less than a lot of hulls i have been in.

[@boodrow24m]

That is one beautiful build!

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers Dean. It was fun to build and went together like a macano set very simple. I read a magazine once and to prove that any one could build an Ali hull they got the designers secretary out and she welded the hull together. Ali MIG welding is quite easy to pick up. The trick is getting a good quality welder and practice before you start building. Michael

[@travis9621]

Amazing craftsmanship... Beautiful

[@gsomoco2041]

Well done. Some really nice workmanship and fab skills on display during the build.

[@wimm1392]

Yes I agree awesome job, thanks for sharing

[@islanddiveservice7163]

so helpful, thanks so much for taking the time and effort to document!

[@azariahkason1781]

I guess I am pretty off topic but does anybody know of a good place to watch new tv shows online ?

[@gannonpaxton5217]

@Azariah Kason I would suggest flixzone. Just search on google for it =)

[@abramnehemiah782]

@Azariah Kason i would suggest flixzone. You can find it on google :)

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers Roberto. You may be surprised Jim but the 5.4 is the exact size that I was looking for. Easy to launch with the misses and big enough to go deep. I prefer the the removable fuel tank so you can repair / clean it out while having out of the boat if required. Also made it easier to fully weld and reduced chances of any cracking from any stresses the hull is under. Just the way I did but every one is different.

[@adisudarsa2205]

Start from garage, and goes to backyard, happy building mate. Also you had the leaking check pass by the lady inspection.

[@1armedguy4]

Great job dude, a lot of blood,sweat and possibly tears I'm sure. I definitely wouldn't be afraid to venture into the blue water with her, she's a very stout vessel and you did a fine job welding her together. Myself being a welder for some thirty five plus years can attest to the amount of work that was put into this project. Good luck with her sir, and may she take you to the happy fishing grounds.

[@michaelchild145]

1armedguy Cheers for the kind words mate !

[@jillett80]

G'day Michael, thanks for the reply and info. Yeah I've been in contact with Steve last week, I'll go and catch up with him and go from there. Cheers

[@brettsmith3173]

nice job

[@garyhooper1820]

Swell job !! Happy sailing .

[@jeskelson123]

I've watched most of the boat build videos out there and just came across this one. First class fab job. I wanted to thank you for sharing. Just finishing a 300 hp out board pontoon (loaded, hyd steering, bow thrusters etc.) and want to tackle a larger alum. rig. Really this a thank you for sharing all the hard work, very inspirational.

[@michaelchild145]

Jeff Eskelson Cheers mate good luck with the next build.

[@michaelchild145]

Jeff Eskelson i did all the fit out except the motor and steering ( wanted warranty on all that ) the rest of the fit out was an easy job being a 12v system. I Soldered every joint and haven't had any problems with loos electrical. Also run sealed circuit breakers instead of fuses so no corrosion. Realy good in rough weather. But its only 5.4m so it has its limitations. Im very happy with it.

[@chop4186]

Awesome job, very well done

[@ericbesson7196]

Nice build mate, looks great. 10/10

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers overdue Caught plenty of west Aussie dufish and pink snapper. Done 100hrs on it now. Having a blast !!! Michael

[@Bourbydol]

michael child Need a deckie?

[@pseudopetrus]

Very nice workmanship, everything really well done!!!

[@overdue1970]

Awsome build video! I wondered how you got the motivation to undertake a build like this....then I saw it at 16.09.. Hope she takes you yo where the fish are! great stuff, I'm impressed.

[@petersueholzberger9080]

what can I say, you should be very proud of yourself (grate job) enjoy.

[@wannabepaul]

that's a hell of a boat! excellent craftsmanship. looks like it'll handle big water well. good work !

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers Paul built if for the south west of australia and it's perfect for rough conditions

[@darinadams8642]

Enjoyed the video. Well done nice boat.

[@Ezekiel_25.17_]

That there is something you should be extremely proud to have done. My mate built a 8 m it looked very similar to yours. He had been wanting to build one for years then he got the chance, it came as a flat pack all cut up. He was doing it after work, it took him 12months it was beautiful the workman ship was like yours, amazing. He only had to fit the gally out as it was a half cab but you could walk around up on the side, it had a forward facing windscreen. So only the gally to deck out and he had a bit of a cough for about 2months just could shake it and his old school and hanging to finish the boat as we drive from Victoria up to the Kimberly’s fishing rivers and out at long reef, love it. Then he went to the doctor and… yep he had the dancer, all he had the chance to do is take it out for a maiden voyage and run the Suzuki in with 8hrs the he was to sick to do anything anymore and lasted 4ish months then left us all. RIP 🙏🏼 DAVE BOLLEN @52. Enjoy your master piece and show it off as much as possible it’s a credit to your workmanship 💯👍🏼

[@michaelchild145]

Sad story mate RIP but as he passed i bet he was satisfied he finished it and got to go for a trip out in it. Ive cutrently just built a second bout after selling this 18 months ago thats 7.5m long. Watch this space for a new video.

[@marcianmoon6143]

i hope it wasnt caused by the boat build

[@chrisnicholson2466]

Very impressive, you gotta be happy with that! Thanks for taking the time to make such a comprehensive video, very professional. There I was thinking this will be eastern states or US and then I see the Port Geo ramp! Well done...

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers mate thanks for taking the time to watch it. I made the vid more as a how too as there was nothing around like it and even though I'm a welder I went looking before the build for how to vids for similar hulls and found nothing. Hope I inspire a few guys to give it a go. Even now 2 years and 200hrs later I can honestly say I wouldn't change a thing.

[@patrickboylan4901]

13 cartons of Bundy and Coke!! Love it. Cheers from Canada

[@bazzasmith8847]

Nice boat and a great manufacturing job mate well done👍👍

[@pseudopetrus]

I'm a wood boat fan, but your boat is very impressive!

[@sykoticvl]

Wow great build well done mate

[@lerch122]

well done,looked easy from where im sitting

[@Icutmetal]

I bet it did.

[@steveng8775]

WOW you must of been so proud of yourself,thats one of the best center consoles ive seen .AND TO BE ABLE TO STAND BACK AND SAY I BUILT THAT .(LEGENDRY MATE)

[@michaelchild145]

Thanks for the kind words mate. Def gets some attention. I always get asked who built it and if fun to say i did.

[@harveymartin4537]

Awsome work

[@lefalee77]

Great job mate

[@tristanmccauleyuyhjhygfvhj4384]

amazing work sir!!!

[@mecanicodejetski]

You love your boat, great

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers Philip My shed size is 6m x 6m x 2.1m high it also has a 6m x 3m lean-too out the front. It was a tight fit but was easy with casters on the bottom of the hull. I pushed the bow out of the door if working on the stern to give me more room. I used a Kempi Minarc 180. Ali was soured by Cnc Marine from One Steel a manufactured by Alcoa Australia. Michael

[@tonylear2705]

Very impressive indeed.

[@michaelchild145]

Follow on from below!!! We designed the hull with steep sides, raised floor and motor mount for the unpredictable south west weather and it performs above my expectations. She is more a Hookah diving and fishing boat so sea performance and deck space were top of the list. She goes to the Boat trimmers next week for a console cover, front/side clear plastic windscreen, backrest cushions and front seat cushions. I agree Wayne She just fell together. Michael

[@Banjo-lm2wl]

Great job

[@TolgaCilingir]

great job! u have inspired me.

[@michaelchild145]

Glad to here mate its easier than you think it just takes time !!

[@elgham5080]

michael child, muchas gracias de compartir esta buena obra y tambien buena musica suerte y un saludo...........

[@michaelchild145]

El gha M cheers for watching mate happy building.

[@elgham5080]

Thanks

[@HenryDarr]

Very inspiring Michael ! I might have to have a crack at one i reckon .

[@michaelchild145]

Give it a go mate it's not really that hard just dose take some time. Very rewarding at the end !!!

[@jimstone1535]

Michael, you do know that if you're unhappy with the length, you can extend it? That's the great thing about aluminum. I'm also surprised that you didn't weld the fuel tank into the hull instead of having a seperate removeable tank. My 42' al hull has the two tanks welded into the hull. I'd love to show you mine if you get some time.

[@michaelchild145]

Hey Jillet80 my kit is the 5m one on the Cnc website. I did modify a few things including deck and side height, plate thickness, motor mounting position, seats, centre console and roof, etc Steve was very helpfull and didn't charge anything for extra design changes just the change in materials ie extra extrusions and thicker plate required. Feel free to give him a call mate!!!

[@bobcatman3844]

wow wish i could do that nice work

[@dmitrykozlov2136]

GOOD JOB BRO 👍!

[@gerlanribeirodearaujo4827]

Parabéns meu amigo ficou espetáculo

[@michaelchild145]

gerlan Ribeiro de Araújo sorry mate only english

[@TonySaxer]

Legend mate 👍

[@michaelchild145]

Jason it was around AU 10k but that was 2 years ago. Feel free to contact Steve for more precise pricing.

[@mmayorga5386]

Probably the best boat build I have seen on the net. Love the look and the size. It's perfect. I would love to see a video of you out fishing on it with some performance specs . Thank you for sharing.

[@michaelchild145]

I will do mate. I'll look into making a 2 1/2 years on video. To show the performance and fishing and of course heaps of fish pics. Cheers for the kind works mate. Michael.

[@jillett80]

Hi Michael, Great build and nice workmanship! Can you please tell me if this is the standard 5.35 kit or did you mod a few things with CNC M? I was looking at doing the smaller 4.7 first but CNC are not doing any mods to designs for 2014 and I was planning to make a few little changes. If yours is the stock standard kit it might be better just going straight to the bigger hull. Thanks in advance

[@Antipodean33]

I'm a timber boat builder but like this idea very much, the only problem is aluminium welding is a very specialized area and your average Joe who can weld a bit couldn't attempt this. So i wonder how many would be sold for the home builder, not alot i'd say. Anyway great job and well done on building a tough sturdy boat that will last years

[@peterbeyer5755]

Antipodean33 Plate alloy boats in Moorabbin Victoria teach you how to assemble and weld it over 8 days fulltime

[@axe397]

If only you were a family member lol u sir are a gun, hats off to u

[@michaelchild145]

Shannon Stubbs cheers mate thanks alot.

[@TreasureDivers]

An SS anchor as well Michael ! , that's just showing off :-) great job mate

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers mate 7 years and still going strong !

[@nicoangelotti8819]

ottimo lavoro TOP ù

[@mikehauw679]

That boat kit is what I need, wonder if I could have it send to Jakarta

[@gregoryharris1622]

Absolutely gorgeous results. Any chance of finally getting an update video on this project?

[@michaelchild145]

Been meaning to mate just haven't had a chance ha ha

[@jasonhoward8710]

How much did it cost for the 5.4 mtr kit delivered ?

[@Mitch-vj9pi]

Did you do all the fitout for the electronics and steering arms or did you pay someone to do the fit out ? Also how does the CNC Marine hulls handle the rough seas?

[@elgham5080]

Thanks.....

[@grantoyamaha]

Awesome

[@donalquirke6682]

Is cheaper to build a kit or buy one already made .....looks like a really cool project

[@davidoptional7976]

Mate that is an awesome build well done, had to be an Aussie building that......,hats off to you.. it looks like a bloody big project, I considered building a boat but time,family and work got in the way,i end up buying one.. and just modifying that to suit our needs.... you sir deserve a beer after that... any current pics? Have a look at Australian recreational Boaters group on FB

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers David. Been meaning to do an up to date video considering its 3.5 years since i built it and still going strong. It took time but was worth it in the end. Happy boating mate !!!!

[@Dusmanulll]

@@michaelchild145 mate. 😁they did not tell you not to weld after you apply the foam under the deck ? 😂. Anyway... it is a job... not well done but it floats... until a point .. mate

[@hoff_6112]

Very, Very tidy build mate. Your bar work and corners look great! What is the music track? Love it!

[@michaelchild145]

Matthew Greenhough Ha ha the longest track i could find on a free music download site mate.

[@waynetilbey8151]

Great job Micheal what a craftsman. Are you a welder mate . I love tigging ali to but will have to get a mig one of these days.Have you been out in rough conditions yet ,how wet do you get in her. Once again well done youve done all us back yard tinkerers proud .

[@Arthurchagasdacruzfe2318]

Muito profissionalismo.

[@robertkviberg]

Nice work! Be proud! Nice video and music, Santana playing??

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers mate was fun to build not sure who the music artist is but makes it a soothing video ha ha.

[@drewjohn6847]

bloody good job, good to see people giving a shit about their work.....just 1 question....what made you go the roller trailer over a skid trailer with just keel rollers ?... I'm building 1 in about a week or 2 and am still undecided....

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers mate still going strong now 4 years later. I do a little bit of beach launching so went for the roller with a hinged back end. I can beach the boat and put the bottom roller up to the front of boat ( it almost touches the ground ) and hook it up and reverse back and the boat comes straight on. So much easier ( have a look at the still photo of the trailer with the boat off ). A few mates have keel rollers with skids and they like them for ramps and driving it on. For my situation rollers works really well and easy at the ramp. Can wind the 1.5t boat on with 1 hand. And faster than most guys can drive it on ( most ). If the boat was 1-2 m longer i would go the skids but wouldn't do much beach launching. Hope it helps. Like everything its all about what you want and the fishing you do.

[@macmac369]

Which brand of welding machines u use for mig and tig?

[@macmac369]

Does cnc marine use local alloy plates or imported Chinese alloy plate?

[@spleno1]

Fuck yeah, this thing is cool!

[@VenturiLife]

Impressive build. What anodes do you use? I hear Navalloy may be the way to go for salt/fresh protection.

[@michaelchild145]

Just a small round one on the back mate. No corrosion issues as it Dosent live in salt water

[@dally661]

Hi Michael. Awesome build. I'm starting mine hopefully next week only a side console. Can I ask what grade the Ali is and what mig/tig wire did you use? As I've seen that 5356 isn't quite strong enough which is what I thought was the right wire to use. Also did you use 1.2mm? Thanks bud.

[@michaelchild145]

I used 0.9 5356 ali mig wire mate and found it to be a really good consumable. In the 6 years i have not had any fatigue cracking of the welds or plate so it worked well in my application. I cant remember what grade plate was supplied mate. It may have been 5083 but not 100%. Def consult your boat plan supplier for the grade of material and recommended welding consumable if all else fails google is your friend.

[@jamieevans871]

lol at 13 cases of bundy and cola nice work

[@brianflanagan9476]

Very nice work. I’m curious how hard you would think this task is for someone with very little fabrication experience. I own an aluminum boat now and would love to take a stab at this, but feel I could get over my head quickly. Thoughts?

[@michaelchild145]

Brian Flanagan hey brian i did see an article once where a young secretary was tasked with putting a kit together from scratch to show it could be done by any one. They are just like a macano set and plans are easy to follow with pictures. Not that i needed it but the key is to find a kit supplier that you can contact for after sales service for those questions about a joint or how to fit 2 parts together. The other thing is to do some welding and fabrication courses so you have the confidence in welding. If your prepared to put in the time it will be very rewarding and successful. Hope that helped.

[@brantwinter]

You mentioned TIG in the video when you were doing to tank. Did you TIG the whole thing or was most of it MIG? Do you have details on the welders you used?

[@michaelchild145]

Only tig was the fuel tank mate the rest was mig. Mig was a kempi minarc mig 180 and tig was a boc smooth arc 185 ac/dc. Both were 15a single phase units in Australia.

[@kevscollection]

Nice build mate, if you did it again, do you think a timber?mdf jig would make forming up the bottom sheets any easier ? what do you think about the size of the live bait well? any idea what it weighs in at now ? I am thinking about building the 5.5m. thanks for sharing

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers kev there are a few dif ways to jig up the bottom sheets. Like let gravity work for you and build the frame first and lay sheets over the top ( hull upside down ) or the mdf or the way i did nine. In the end that way worked well for me and really didnt take to much time so im happy with the way i did it. Been meaning to do an update vid now as 3.5 years on. Nothing major i would change except i put a removable seat inplace of the back rest and put ali inspection covers in as the plastic ones cracked in the sun. Def go a larger cable rail to the centre console With all the anchor winch cables its pretty full now. Still very happy and completed 350hrs in it. Michael

[@michaelchild145]

Use the live bait well for bait. But mainly use plasticts and jigs now a days and she weighs about 1t -1.2t but went dual axel trailer for all the camping gear and chest freeza

[@user-ld5hu1uc5c]

GOOD

[@benshort3185]

Michael, sorry if you have already answered this but what size wire did you run in the kemppi ?

[@michaelchild145]

Hey mate i ran 0.9mm wire.

[@troyclayton1775]

Hi Michael, Beautiful boat, well done. Could you please tell me how many hours you reckon to build her and what special tools did you need (what am I going to have to allow for a welder, etc) I'd like to build a CNC 7.5m Hull as a centre console. Also, can you have minor changes done to the kit before it's cut? (I'd like a squared off transom not the swallow tail on the plan.)

[@michaelchild145]

Cheers Mr B it took about 480 hrs to fab up but a fair bit of that is relaxing thinking in the shed as to what to and how to do it etc. With a rum in hand ha ha. My Kempi minarc mig 180 was at its limits with my size build and that cost 1800$ Au. A friend of mine just bought a 3 phase dual pulse mig with a push pull hard piece (wire feed in the hand piece) for 3000$ Au Don't forget to look second hand as well. Extra special tools were a good quality welding helmet, F clamps, cumalongs, chainblocks and knee pads. I did make some changes to the standard hull design. Some that I had in mind and some that Steve recommended. I even changed parts of the consoles design Eg roof hinges as I was building it. Best way to go about it is to discuss with Steve from CNC marine. He is very approachable a pleasure to deal with. Michael

[@troyclayton1775]

michael child Thanks for that info. I can weld copper tube ( I'm a fridgie) but haven't touched a mig or stick welder in 20 years.how difficult is operating the mig on that kit? I had a home build center console that fractured every time I took her out and don't want to waste $ on a kit with rough welds.

[@michaelchild145]

On the welding side it's all about getting a decent welder and practicing. Spending time doing other projects and if required doing a course or 2 on Ali welding for peace of mind. Once your confident, then start your kit. Practice practice practice the more you do the the better you will get. If you have a welder mate touch base and get some practical pointers off of him when you buy the welder.

[@trenbags]

gday michael, did you happen to use the kemppi weldsnake with your mig? if so, how did it go? cheers champ

[@michaelchild145]

Nar mate i used the standard hand piece with a teflon liner that comes as an option on my kempi. Worked mint with only 2 bird cages the whole build. I must say i went few a few tips once they started to stick i binned them. Would rather spend 50$ on new tips than get angry with bird cages all the time.

[@FlashTechEngineering]

Great job, did you cure the hull in a kiln to stress relieve the welds?? I liked the XC ford in the back ground

[@michaelchild145]

FlashTechEngineering Thanks mate no need post weld heat treat the welds for this application. Depends on the type Ali you use. They take into account the strength reduction of welding ali when designing the hull. Got to love the xc cobra !!!!

[@JL-se1dp]

michael child where can I buy the kit?

[@michaelchild145]

Jackie Lam go the cnc marine web site mate !

[@JL-se1dp]

Thank you very much!

[@deaffatalbruno]

Great job, looks good! I am about to embark on a cnc marine kit soon. What is the best way to cut out the parts, grinder with alu blade ? jigsaw? plasma torch ? Other ?

[@michaelchild145]

Hey mate send me an email on [e-mail] and I’ll send you pics of the blades I used. I also put candle wax on the blades and the 3m sanding discs to stop them binding up and keep them sharp.

[@michaelchild145]

I also have another video of my latest boat build and it has plenty more tips and tricks to building boats on there as well.

[@mohamedrhanemi1630]

dear Micheal child I congratulate you for your work for this beautiful boat and I would like to make mine also if possible sent me the plans with measurements and thank you.

[@michaelchild145]

Contact CNC Marine mate. You have to buy the plans !!!!!!

[@michaelchild145]

cncmarine.com.au/

[@travbaker5257]

hey Michael like the video! could you please explain the process you used getting the finish on the outside of the boat?

[@michaelchild145]

Hey trav the outside finish is the standard ali sheet finish except for the edges which have a 70mm flapped edge ( 120 grit flap disc ) i was very careful with the internal floor and gunnel welds to limit the heat input so as to not have major lines and heat marks showing on the 2 main external side plates. More heat = more distortion but you have to be careful and make sure your still getting fusion.

[@travbaker5257]

ok thanks, you did well not to damage any of the outside! looks great

[@michaelchild145]

+trav baker Yer mate cheers. Took my time and plenty of practice on the mig !

[@user-ox1er9sz9v]

Dude I only wish I was your tig welder

[@ebdesign3608]

Great work Michael... beautiful... would you kind to share the blue print.. im planning to build my first boat.. thanks!

[@joansparky4439]

cnc marine website.. CAD drawings are pricey from what I gathered and probably are meant for series builders and not capable individuals which want to design a highly customized boat on their own, who have CAD abilities and access to sheet metal cutting (laser, waterjet, cnc router). I'm currently looking into this myself - goal being a 21' cuddy cabin with steps and tunnel ala Michael Peters (10-15% more efficient) - that's how I know. Look up Metal Shark 40 Fearless and some pdfs from professional boatbuilder magazine with interviews about hulls like that (title: Peters on powerboats) - funnily enough, they have some low res hull plans in that article from several boats. That's where I'll be starting from anyway.

[@michaelchild145]

Contact cnc marine direct mate

[@macmac369]

How big is your shed in order to fabricate this giant toy? By the way, nice clip.

[@joelreynolds5255]

Love the build mate good work I know you said don't ask on the cost but in the long run did you save money ? As opposed to buying it off the shelf

[@michaelchild145]

Def saved money mate. Its call sweat equity and i saved 10-15 on the cost of buying it off the shelf at the time. Thats probably 20-30k now

[@seaductionadventures1769]

Hey mate, looking to do the same. Would you say it was less expensive to build rather to buy ? Not including your hours in the build price.

[@michaelchild145]

I found it was cheeper to build rather than buy. All up i spend 45k au$ and when i looked at similar boats of that construction they go for between 50-60k so cheeper not including your time. Plus you get exactly what you want as the more you change something at a boat sales place the more the price goes up. Prob would have saved more if i had of built the trailer but i wanted to go fishing !!

[@officialseclo7842]

Em rất đam mê chiếc thuyền này.. Chắc chắn ở nơi em sống họ sẻ Thấy lạ, họ sẻ đặt làm

[@robertlaurenson]

Good looking boat Michael, out of interest as a rough idea, how many hours did this take you to build?

[@michaelchild145]

Robert Laurenson specs and a list of stuff like that are at the end of the video mate.

[@taohawaii]

All that work and we're gonna pick apart your spealling. Lucky "renumeration"...

[@user-ox1er9sz9v]

I have another comment but it Is a question did u polish side plates aluminum after welding?thx

[@michaelchild145]

Nope i didnt polish just used a flap disk on either side of the weld and left the nateral plate finish on the sides. Still looks the same now!

[@user-ox1er9sz9v]

And another one question did it warped and did it look wavey?

[@michaelchild145]

@@user-ox1er9sz9v no mate didnt warp it. Heat input control is very important hence why you see me in pics back stepping my welds to limit distortion.

[@marktgsxr]

Fantastic job! What welder did you use?

[@michaelchild145]

The Nutters Workshop Used a kempi minarc mig 180 mate. 15a single phase.

[@marktgsxr]

@@michaelchild145 wow tbats interesting, i thought you would need a lot bigger welder!

[@michaelchild145]

The Nutters Workshop Yer i was expecting to maybe buy another one but i thought i would see how it went and it was perfect !

[@aussierockbands]

High Michael I just bought an ac/dc tig because everyone said that's what I'd need to weld aluminium. Now all the boat build videos are guys using migs and spool guns...is there a such thing as an ac/dc mig is that what I need or did you weld this boat with a dc mig not needing a cleaning action because the aluminium isn't old/oxidise layered?

[@michaelchild145]

Hey robbie. I used s kempi minarc mig 180 ( no spool gun ) for everything except the fuel tank. As it was within my budget. The 2 biggest issues with tig is time and heat imput / distortion with boat building. With the fuel tank i wanted 100% defect free welds so went with tig as the distortion is not an issue. As for a description on mig welders this explains it in more detail www.thefabricator.com/thewelder/article/aluminumwelding/aluminum-workshop-electrical-current-in-tig-and-mig As for spool guns the reason people use them is that aluminum is soft so it you shorten the distance between the rollers and the arc there is less chance of a bird cage in the rollers. I didn’t use a spool gun but was anal about my tips and had a special liner for aluminium ( offered as a part from kempi for the machine). The other reason on bigger machines is the distance from the machine to the hand piece can be longer. Hope that helps. And these are just my personal views.

[@SL-cx6dq]

Great job Michael, where you found drawings for this project?

[@michaelchild145]

Search Cnc marine mate and contact them through there web site.

[@peterbeyer5755]

In was a kit. Everything is cut for you.