Should i use jb weld or aluminum epoxy to fix a crack on. That puts the metal under tension, which can lead to cracks. The aluminum particles contained in the epoxy will adhere to the cracked part, creating a permanent bond that will hold up in most situations. Aluminum cools so fast that it doesnt provide adequate time for the weld bead to flatten or the crater to fill. Aluminum boat repair question the united states catfish. Repairing a cracked weld on aluminum boat trailer in tight area between crossmember and ibeam. Anyone can easily weld aluminum with a propane torch.
Tested it by filling the boat with water then lake tested. Therefore, to repair a crack in aluminum, you must first excavate the cracked area with a grinding wheel or burr and completely remove the crack. It is right in the middle of the wheel in the big flat spot. Woodfree, all welded construction are two great places to start. It is in this area that a crack will propagate through the weld metal. It makes for a very strong bond and with a little practice can be done quickly with great looking results. How to repair an aluminum boat hull gone outdoors your. Even if the welding power supply has a crater fill function, it is often not completely effective. The more magnesium an aluminum magnesium alloy contains, the less likely it is to crack. If you repair it with jb weld and it cracks again, you will have to have it welded for sure. Sep 01, 2018 i concur with the answers i have read, but i want to add a story.
The easiest way to prevent crater cracks in aluminum mig welds is to back step at the end of the weld. Best practices for welding aluminum the fabricator. Still, aluminums ability to resist corrosion, its high strengthtoweight ratio, as well as its high electrical conductivity make it an excellent choice for many applications from aerospace to heat exchangers, trailer fabrication and, most recently, automotive. The boat has been designed to provide the quality that is expected from alumaweld at an affordable price level. I just do not want to go ripping off the motor, and bilge pump so i can take it to some shop and not be able to fish for who knows how long. The cause of the failure was the aluminium being grossly overheated and the sheet breaking away from both sides of the weld. Aluminum boat crack repair this old boat lake ontario. Hts735ii will join all aluminum alloys, including those that are not successfully joined by high temperature brazing. Aluminum boat, jb weld repair, now what to do page. If you do know how to weld aluminum, the equipment is expensive to rent and not costeffective for small repairs. If you dont know how to weld aluminum and dont know anything about boats take it to someone who does the right way to fix a cracked boat hull is an insert of the proper material, size, radius corners, welding process, skilled tradesmen, etc. Unless you have a welder for aluminum, this is a fantastic fix.
Super alloy 5 works great on a number of common problems that occur to aluminum boats such as cracks, splits, holes, thinly worn areas caused by dragging on rocks and gravel. Repairing crack in aluminum on lund boat ohio game fishing. He told me it probably would not last long due to heating of the metal and fatigue. Weld defects like cracking, weld smutsoot, and porosity are also real concerns. To ensure proper adhesion, you need to prepare the surface of the cracked. Alumiweld, aluminum welding, aluminum brazing duration. The aluminum crack sensitivity curves fig 1 is a helpful tool in understanding why aluminum welds crack and how the choice of filler alloy and joint design can influence crack sensitivity. My 84 tracker has developed a pretty good sized crack right at the bow, at the very top. An all welded roughneck aluminum jon boat is designed for the best combination of atrest stability and dry, smoothrunning capability in skinny water. There is another piece of alumimum that butts up against the transom that looks like it was welded together or had some kid of sealer in the past. Repairing aluminum with epoxy is costeffective and easy. Preventing cracks in aluminum welds lincolnelectric. You need to use an epoxy that is aluminum based to ensure that it bonds correctly to the surface of the aluminum. You have to clean away the paint with a wire wheel or sandpaper the area first.
They will probable charge more time for cleaning up the mess than they would have to repair the crack. Oct 20, 2005 outside of that, be careful with heat. Welding aluminum is a task best left to the professionals. I had it on the water over the weekend and had to bilge it a few times, so when i got home, i filled it up with water and found a crack in the passenger side of the hull, more towards the front of the boa. Back those up with our unflinching eye toward quality, and youve got a dependable. You can easily repair corroded or oilimpregnated areas that can be next to impossible to fix using welding machines with aluminum welding rods or other brazing products. I was just wondering if anyones had experience fixing a cracked block with jb weld. I know absolutely nothing about any form of welding. Attempting a repair without knowing the cause can be extremely.
This instructable will teach you how to use a propane torch and some aluminum brazing rods as a quick way to bond aluminum without using a welder. Hot cracks are also a result of solidification, but they have a different mechanism and happen at a higher temperature. Press the metal scraper downward to force the epoxy into the crack. In this video, an aluminum boat with a separated seam is repaired quickly and easily, using super alloy 5 and an oxyacetylene torch. Dec 04, 2014 the cracks surface also has an oxide layer. Need help with pontoon leak the united states catfish.
Whilst it may be an urban myth there is a local story about a guy who built a large cray boat 10m and it survived only 6 waves before it blew into ribbons. Found several leaks on my aluminum jon boat a couple weeks ago, this video is how i sealed the leaks by using jb weld. If you try to repair the crack merely by welding over it, the oxide layer will keep the crack from mending, and it will still be there after welding. Diy repairing a hole or crack in an aluminum boat super. Marineweld sets in 46 hours at room temperature and is fully cured to a dark grey color in 1524 hours. While many boat owners resort to temporary fixes such as epoxy, super alloy 5 is a permanent repair for aluminum boat seams. Super alloy 5 is an aluminum welding rod that brazes all types of aluminum with any torch. I have never welded aluminum before, however i have a hobart handler 125 with the mig conversion, and was wondering if this seems like a feasible repair for a beginer like me to make. I did not want to trailer the boat to a weld shop for fear of making the crack bigger. The majority of aluminum base alloys can be successfully arc welded without cracking related problems, however, using the most appropriate filler alloy and conducting the welding operation with an appropriately developed and tested welding. As far as seaworthiness if depends upon the designerbuilder as well as the quality of the welds and strengthing.
If you have cracks you should use a magnaflux process to find the end of the crack and drill a stop hole. If the foam is where the hole is in the boat the foam holds moisture making it allmost impossibe to weld. Most welders would use any kind of welding rod to fix this. The absolute hardest thing you can put on aluminum is the oxide itself.
How to avoid cracking in alum inum alloys esab knowledge center. How to use epoxy for aluminum repair it still runs. Super alloy 5 aluminum welding and brazing rod muggy weld. If you just take your finger off the trigger at the end of the weld, you will get a concave crater and possibly a crack. In addition to a low melting point and high thermal conductivity, aluminum is especially prone to burnthrough on thin sections and may experience lack of fusion on thick ones. Join the thousands of customers that have easily repaired aluminum, cast aluminum, copper, brass, pot metal and magnesium.
The rod needs to be compatible with the series aluminum your welding. The problem with some of the newer boats when it comes to repairing or welding them is that the manufactures use that spray in expandable foam for floatation. Cracked aluminum can be adequately repaired without welding using an epoxy embedded with aluminum. Do not attempt to repair cracks on any bicycle frame regardless of material with jbweld or any type of epoxy. Its a very difficult trade to learn and to do well. The aluminum particles contained in the epoxy will adhere to the cracked part, creating a. Hello i have a 17 foot aluminum boat and i recently noticed a crack that is seeping water. Also aluminum boats are made from 5052 series alum for its corosion resistance. I concur with the answers i have read, but i want to add a story. This seals it for good and will not leak or come off. Using a propane torch you heat the aluminum and melt the stick over the rivet or crack in a circular rubbing movement. Its only in the last couple of decades that its been possible to massproduce welded aluminum anything with success.
Might be almost impossible to grind off old weld because inside joint, so im thinking a tig could just remelt the existing cracked weld. New weld craft dealership inquiry if you are an existing marine dealership i. Such bead shapes can have an effect on cracking, especially on cracking that occurs over time. Often riveted ones are made on a proven and successful design and can have better lines and seaworthiness than welded. I you have a hole, crack or leaky rivet it is super easy to fix on your own with a small propane torch and some hts73511 rods. How long will a jb weld job on a cracked block last page. You then paint over the bare aluminum with self etching spray primer from napa auto and then paint to match your boat color. Most times boats crack from either impact or material fatigue. I was wondering, what anyone here though about using jb weld on it. My experience thus far 5 hours is that it is holding well enough. If your quote was from a qualified welderfabricator,i think they were gouging you a bitjust my opinion.
Aluminum boat, jb weld repair, now what to do it sounds like you have removed the anodization or maybe just paint from the aluminum. The crack generally is directed down into the base metal, right at the weld toe. Xpress boats the original all welded aluminum boat in 1966, our very first weld established the foundation of a company founded on a commitment to manufacture the finest all welded aluminum boat. Crack in my aluminum jon boat the united states catfish. I covered the inside with the 3m and replaced foam. But there is no damage to the wheel anywhere except this 1 inch crack which if i could weld. I then purchased some gluvit epoxy waterproof sealer and coated the bottom of the boat for some extra protection. One day he was talking to a nice lady and she had an off the wall request. There was probably some salts from your battery left on the boat. This new repair technology performs well on aluminum, cast aluminum, pot metal, copper, magnesium, and all white or porous metals. Nov 28, 2018 aluminum melts, and also freezes, at 1,221f, so after the weld is fixed the pieces continue cooling and contracting. Repair aluminum jon boat leaks with jb weld youtube. The deep depression of the crater quickly freezes in a concave shape, exerting high tensile stresses on the surrounding metal. Below is a video of me filling the cracks and running the boat.
First, most cracks in an aluminum frame, especially when they are in the tube rather than at a weld signifies fatigue. I used the jb weld marine product to seal the spots that was leaking. The use of a 5% magnesium content filler, such as 5356, to weld 5052 can provide a higher magnesium percentage in the diluted weld metal and reduce sensitivity to weld cracking. The aluminum crack sensitivity curves is a helpful tool in understanding why aluminum welds crack and how the choice of filler alloy and joint design can influence crack sensitivity. Repairing a cracked weld on aluminum boat trailer in tight. Welded aluminum step deck with two storage compartments. Cracks in aluminum weld miller welding discussion forums. I had a friend that was an estimator for a residential painting company. It looks like there is a fine crack along this butt joint and it is leaking inside the boat. If this isnt done the weld will crack right down the center. The resulting bond is stronger than the parent metal 30,000 psi and can be bent, drilled, anodized, machined, plated, tapped or threaded. How to repair aluminum boat seams, tears, and holes with. Im a boilermakerwelder so i took it to my hall and tig welded itused a pulse arc welder to keep heat low. Be sure to press the epoxy into the crack and around the area of the crack with the scraper.
Welding aluminum produces ozone, nitrous gases, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, and welding in a confined or poorly ventilated space or with your mask directly above the weld will allowed you to inhale enough of these fumes to cause you respiratory distress, in the form of shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, and coughing. Aluminum repair brazing rods online anyone can repair. Diy repairing a hole or crack in an aluminum boat super easy duration. Marineweld is a specially formulated twopart epoxy cold weld system that provides for strong, lasting repairs for bonding different or similar surfaces, such as aluminum, metal, composites, fiberglass and others. Apply the remaining mixed epoxy to the one to twoinch area around the crack. I have an 18 aluminum deep v lund boat with a 115hp outboard motor. I was losing air pressure in a tire and the wheel hit the ground before i could get stopped. Hey hairballi weld for a living and do aluminum work everyday. You must specify with your dealership if you want to add any options i.