How to Repair Aluminum Hulls

[@JustinShaedo]

I'm not a boat person (live in a desert) but these are some c of the best Al welding videos, that I'm getting a lot from them. Finally someone doing real life jobs, not just laying dimes on a sheet. Respect for these.

[@ypaulbrown]

Hey Dustin !!!!!!....great episode, fantastic camera action, arc shots ,clarity of information......all in all, a real winner for welding on old aluminum in a hard to get spot and clean, looking forward to more videos form you like this,,,,,,Cheers from down in Orlando, Fl.....home of lots of leaky boats......Paul

[@larrykent196]

Great question, why did it fail. Good information thanks for sharing.

[@MidEngineering]

Great video on a proper real-world repair. Bridging a gap, up-hill & in a tight corner is pretty damn awkward but you showed how it can be done.👍

[@kevchard5214]

Great video! Its nice to see screw ups that happen to all of us and living up to it.

[@travisthompson3700]

Good real world presentation 👍

[@nicholasrawls4067]

Get video. Thank you for sharing all aspects of the job at hand.

[@PICAFUMO675]

Great video! Thanks!

[@billarroo1]

Great on the job tutorial, THANKS

[@robertschulke1596]

Great video. Thanks for mentioning PFDs and PPE. Always note that failures are opportunities to re-engineer. It may break when you beat on it, but if it was designed for that use, it wouldn’t have broken.

[@dougjones4538]

Great teaching video!

[@cherylcentenioblessedvirgi3241]

Thank you so very much for your information. I am taking the time to learn welding, which is my new hobby in the near future. Have a great day!

[@KD0CAC]

Many ways to " skin a cat " , would added a plate to span between battery box & the box you added - to help prevent future cracking / fatigue , this would also give some backing to welding the crack holes . Just some added skinning ideas ;)

[@hvymax]

The fixation with welding uphill is based on structural stick welding. Mig, RMD and SST are usually done vertical down. Even with Tig gravity can be your friend especially on thinner metal.

[@mitchstephen5491]

Great video, thank you.

[@PiscesMoment]

Hello and thank you

[@budd1814]

Nice work.

[@georgekefallinos8120]

Grait video thanks

[@suunt12]

Cool vid. Thanks for the info. How much do you think it cost in electricity to make this repair? 👍

[@mohammedtroy4296]

great job

[@johnmacmillan627]

Good one, yer got it done!

[@hvymax]

You have to watch the crater at the end of the weld. They pretty much automatically develop cracks.

[@philanderingwhitecollartra8281]

everytime you finish a weld fill the aluminum craters..

[@WTFChuk]

@@philanderingwhitecollartra8281 peen the crater and the area around it. That will create compressive stress in the metal and reduce or eliminate crack formation. Dont go overboard though. Cold working strengthens most aluminum alloys, but it also increases brittleness and decreases ductility. You have to strike a balance, pardon the pun!

[@philanderingwhitecollartra8281]

@@WTFChuk just fill your weld crater then you dont need the extra tool.. time is motion..

[@thomasgunter3632]

Always fill it in or add more filler as you ease off

[@mikewest712]

Me and my buddy are trying to save an old 75 waco flat bottom. The contaminated metal was horrible to weld. We tigged for to days.

[@hvymax]

Aluminum mig with a copper backer would have worked as well.

[@andyf1235]

I would have thought mig would have been much easier and quicker for this weld but both work well

[@petejablowski2123]

Can’t use copper with aluminum

[@joemurray1833]

@@petejablowski2123 the copper is used for a heat sink while welding thin aluminum.

[@SlowEarl1]

Great tips and appreciate your honesty on mistakes. My Boss says show me a Guy that doesn't make mistakes and I will show you a Guy who doesn't do shit!

[@RR-ys2qs]

Thanks for the video! Doesn't anyone use a spool gun? I found it relatively easy to repair holes and cracks using such. I never learned to Tig aluminum, and I'm not sure that I need to with a spool gun set up in the shop.

[@sblack48]

based on some experience with aluminum aircraft structures I would think riveting in a doubler would be advisable. Otherwise you will be back doing this after a season of pounding in the waves. nice video.

[@kh2140]

Would brazing those cracks be ok?

[@Freshwaterfishkeeper]

What material was used? I assume it’s a 5356?

[@bruced1429]

I was wondering what aluminum filler rod you were using? (5554 ?). Also why not mig aluminum in pulse? i would have used that process because it is faster and easier to get to the cracks.. You can go uphill or downhill with pulse mig aluminum.

[@philanderingwhitecollartra8281]

actually you cant go downhill with aluminum.. sure you can go downhill but you cant pull, cant downhill, cant overhead.. sure aometimes you will need to when you must( but you can create a procedure for anything with enough knowhow and proven engineering procedures)

[@xXxXcrosbykidXxXx]

@@philanderingwhitecollartra8281 You can certainly weld aluminum mig overhead, I've done it a plenty of times with a spool gun.

[@philanderingwhitecollartra8281]

@@xXxXcrosbykidXxXx code work welding under a supervisor you wont..

[@Tazznbk]

​@@philanderingwhitecollartra8281G'day mate, I manufacture tinnies (aluminium boats) down here in Australia. I guarantee you that I weld in any direction necessary, and I can tell you that my mig setup much prefers going downwards on vertical sections, and that overhead welds are also completely standard, and accepted.

[@philanderingwhitecollartra8281]

@@Tazznbk whats the codework section for explosive lamination welding?.. like stage building & the brown m&m candy.. details in the statement but everyone has two bits when they break a drill

[@Markb8608]

hi, will the high frequency ruin car and boat electronics

[@purplelightswitch2160]

Do you clean it with muriatic acid

[@kevinmorin7965]

IMO, after building a couple hundred welded boats, the panel was too light to hold the to opposite side masses. Aft, the large overhang mass was stressing the panel (transom) and inside the corner of the seat(?) was also stiff. The cure would be to put gussets on one side or the other in order to unload the flexure of the small area between the two larger masses that are rigid. Welding up the problem will not solve this, in fact; it will weaken the area considerably since the HAZ is now wider than originally and so the original material's temper is now gone so its weaker than initially. Even a fish-plate on one side or both sides would have much more a solution than just sealing the failure line.

[@WTFChuk]

Just a little tip: if you have a crack like this, this IS NOT the proper way to repair it! Besides the fact that he filled a much-too-large gap, a stress crack should tell you that the structure has either insufficient strength or a stress riser in that area. Or both. His "repair" is pretty much guaranteed to crack again, most likely right down the middle of the bead, or possibly at the toes of the weld. A well-adjusted person wouldve gotten some 5052 or 3003 sheet metal of similar thickness to that being repaired, and made patches over the cracked area. Preferably on both sides. The reason for using 5052 (preferable) or 3003 rather than 6061 is that they are much more ductile. This makes them much easier to form. They also weld really nice and have adequate strength. They are also much less prone to hot shortness, and their extra ductility and elongation reduces the likelihood of post-repair or in-service cracking. On top of that, the resulting repair is much stronger and less prone to stress risers. Fortunately, when his "repair" fails, he can grind it down and repair it with a proper patch like I suggest. Then all will be well :-)

[@Tazznbk]

Agreed. I'd even consider throwing a 90° gusset on the box outside the transom, and similarly on the battery box. Preferably that they overlap each other like he was saying that he'd have preferred them to have been aligned to start with.. It looks like the slight gap 50-100mm in between the outside box and the battery box are causing vertical flex stress fractures, so negating any of those vibrations long term would be preferable to a simple fix of just welding over the cracks and calling it a day.

[@AHill-oi9ct]

My uncle taught me about the gussets. I like using them even when I don't need them. Gives me something to use those scraps on!!! I love welding

[@jackmasters9953]

WTFCHUCK. Question for you. I have a crack in the hull of my Lowe fishing boat. It’s been welded twice now with little success. You mention welding a patch over the crack. I guess my question is, wouldn’t the weld around the patch make my hull weak?? I don’t want to make the problem worse. How do I know what type of aluminum the boat is made of?? Want to make sure that I have the right type for the patch. Thanks in advance. 🎣🎣🎣😃

[@WTFChuk]

@@jackmasters9953 all good questions. Theres no easy way to tell what alloy the hull is made of. The main question is whether it's a weldable alloy or not. Some alloys are so prone to hot shortness that they are considered "non-weldable". Or, at the very least, they are considered very difficult to weld. 7075 would be one of those alloys, but it's highly unlikely your boat is made from that material. 6061 is weldable, but its prone to hot shortness. Welding it requires sufficient admixture with a suitable filler material in order to prevent cracking as soon as the bead starts to cool. Both 4043 and 5356 will work, but 5356 requires more admix to ensure the weld wont crack upon cooling. One way to tell if the alloy that your boat is made of is readily weldable is if it has factory weldments. Lack of weldments doesnt necessarily mean it's a difficult to weld alloy, but it also doesnt prove it is. Even if the alloys are weldable a manufacture may still choose mechanical and/or adhesive fastening to prevent in-service cracking In the HAZ of any welds. There is a reason manufacturers of airplanes with aluminum skins and structural members use rivets, bolts, and adhesives over welding. If you have repeated issues, you may want to consider mechanical repair rather than welding. I'd also look into WHY the cracks are happening. Obviously the problem area is under enough stress to fatigue the material and start a crack. Figuring out where the stress is coming from a d looking into reinforcement may be a good idea. Be careful though. Without a thorough and proper analysis it's easy to simply move the stress concentration to another non-reiforced area and end up with the same problem. If you do decide to weld vs another method of repair, you definitely want to stop drill the ends of the cracks. Then, I'd use a saber saw to cut through the crack and widen it. That way, you can weld the stop drill holes and the gap where the crack used to be to the reinforcement patch. On the patch itself, make sure there are no sharp corners. Large radii are your friends. Even though welding will turn a sharp corner into a bit of a radius, a bigger radii is always desirable. I'd say to cut and/or file the corners of the patch to at least a 1/2" radius. Finally, use as little heat as possible. Try to avoid the bubbling through appearance. In the end there are no guarantees if you're simply repairing a crack. Like I said, finding out why the cracks are happening and fixing the underlying issue is the only way to prevent future cracking.

[@jackmasters9953]

@@WTFChuk thanks for the response/advice!!! I can call the boat manufacturer and ask them what alloy they use. The problem crack is directly under the captains seat. How the seat base is attached to the structure of the boat is the problem I believe. It’s an old boat but buying something else in retirement won’t happen for a while. Also, I’m not interested in pulling the floor out and seeing what’s going on the inside. I’ll let you know how it all turns out when our weather breaks in southern Michigan. Thanks again for your help. Means a lot. Have a great spring !!🎣🎣😃

[@johnmoriarty6158]

Meat grinder for the win.

[@peaser7667]

Use a foot pedal and get hot into every dab and back off. Rock that pedal.

[@kirstenspencer3630]

Salt water corrosion adds to the fun...

[@snafusnafu7409]

Hi u don't half look like someone else I watch on yt he does motorbike in a shield in his backgarden great work look at the doghouse yt

[@samuelsnyder5169]

That’s an engineering flaw, it’s pre-wearing. You need a doubler or to un square that box step.

[@sportsfanivosevic9885]

It's important to know which grade of aluminium you have. If you can't identify the grade, do not proceed.

[@jamespaul9493]

Need you some safety glasses under that hood other than that you got a great video here!

[@msamour]

Hi there, great information on preparing the surface, I do appreciate that. It would have been nice to know right off the bat you were using a 3000$ welder. The boat I'm fixing is not even worth 10% the value of that machine. I guess that type of repair are for people with financial means.

[@samlopez5507]

Use a jumbo gas lens. It’ll look better.

[@rh_official_98]

👍👍👍

[@คนต่างเมือง]

Good jod👍

[@titomartinez5783]

A little more practice will go a long way🧑‍🏭

[@stephentyas4698]

aren't these boat's manufactured from the wrong aluminium alloy to crack like this.Just remembering the old aircraft like the Comet stress cracking.

[@PowderMill]

🤣 “Chasing Critters” So… when are inviting you treasured and adoring KZbin Fans down for a Critter Roundup? J/K 😉 I’m just a lowly retired firefighter and licensed electrician (on days off) but truly love your videos. The skills displayed and taught are Excellent! Thanks from a Sparky. Let’s Go Brandon // FJB + Crack-Head Hunter P. Biden (the “P” stands for Pederast)

[@MAC_6.7]

Dudes gotta be from Florida lol

[@paulkurilecz4209]

Please, stop saying "stress crack". All cracks are due to stress. For me "stress cracks" is like fingernails on a blackboard to others. Great presentation.

[@peaser7667]

That weld looks terrible.

[@wtfatc4556]

It does the job. Get it?

[@keepitreal5148]

@@peaser7667 😅

[@BradleyBrower-zb4yf]

Yeah I would probably start grinding lol

[@Farmlifebelike]

if i did not know any better id say your a nuclear welder

[@davyirvine3951]

so much talk little action

[@philanderingwhitecollartra8281]

all aluminum welders should be clean shaven and fit checked with appropriate respiratory protection.

[@whodat90]

My welder doesn’t have any hair to shave, but does have a pretty strong fan. Does that count for respiratory protection?

[@philanderingwhitecollartra8281]

@@whodat90 depends on your legs..?