aluminum with adhesive...

Discussion in 'Materials' started by tws, Aug 13, 2015.

  1. tws
    Joined: Aug 2015
    Posts: 16
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: southern oregon

    tws Junior Member

    greetings,

    i recently scratched my new aluminum skiff, a gouge actually and wonder if there is a thick aluminum tape that i could cover the gouge with. if that option is not advisable, perhaps there is another method of covering/filling the gouge.

    any advice would be welcome...

    thanks for any help.

    tws
     
  2. Ad Hoc
    Joined: Oct 2008
    Posts: 7,773
    Likes: 1,678, Points: 113, Legacy Rep: 2488
    Location: Japan

    Ad Hoc Naval Architect

    Hi tws, welcome to the forum.

    Without knowing any more info or seeing the extent of the damage, hard to say. However, if you know a good quality local welder, get them to use a simple TIG fill the scratch, then gently grind back to match the local thickness/finish.
     
  3. TANSL
    Joined: Sep 2011
    Posts: 7,369
    Likes: 699, Points: 123, Legacy Rep: 300
    Location: Spain

    TANSL Senior Member

    Without knowing any more info or seeing the extent of the damage, hard to say. But filled with solder, without checking around, it seems unwise or at least risky.
     
  4. tws
    Joined: Aug 2015
    Posts: 16
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: southern oregon

    tws Junior Member

    here are a couple of pics
     

    Attached Files:

  5. tws
    Joined: Aug 2015
    Posts: 16
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: southern oregon

    tws Junior Member

    btw... the inside of this thin hull is painted from the factory... so i don't know if that would be an issue...

    tws
     
  6. gonzo
    Joined: Aug 2002
    Posts: 16,790
    Likes: 1,714, Points: 123, Legacy Rep: 2031
    Location: Milwaukee, WI

    gonzo Senior Member

    Welding will burn all the paint inside. It doesn't look like structural damage. If you want a cosmetic repair, a stripe could cover it up. Any tape for marine or automotive can work.
     
  7. tws
    Joined: Aug 2015
    Posts: 16
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: southern oregon

    tws Junior Member

    yes! thanks.. that's what i hoped for...

    can you recommend a thick aluminum (marine) tape?
     
  8. gonzo
    Joined: Aug 2002
    Posts: 16,790
    Likes: 1,714, Points: 123, Legacy Rep: 2031
    Location: Milwaukee, WI

    gonzo Senior Member

    Do you want aluminum? Use aluminum HVAC tape.
     
  9. Ad Hoc
    Joined: Oct 2008
    Posts: 7,773
    Likes: 1,678, Points: 113, Legacy Rep: 2488
    Location: Japan

    Ad Hoc Naval Architect

    As Gonzo has noted, if your hull is painted on the inside, a gentle TIG filling will burn the inside paint. But it shall be a more permanent repair.

    However I would be very careful with a tape. If the adhesive (even the tape material being exposed to UV can degrade) is not suitable for constant underwater usage, over time water will seep into the voids and cause corrosion.

    If you don't want to TIG it, simple epoxy filler will do. Treat it like a panel on a car.
     
  10. TANSL
    Joined: Sep 2011
    Posts: 7,369
    Likes: 699, Points: 123, Legacy Rep: 300
    Location: Spain

    TANSL Senior Member

    Not only that but the heat could open a crack where none existed before.
     
  11. tws
    Joined: Aug 2015
    Posts: 16
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: southern oregon

    tws Junior Member

    thanks everyone for your excellent help...
     
  12. Ad Hoc
    Joined: Oct 2008
    Posts: 7,773
    Likes: 1,678, Points: 113, Legacy Rep: 2488
    Location: Japan

    Ad Hoc Naval Architect

    Do you understand what TIG dressing/filling is and how it is done....have you ever done this?

    From your comment, clearly not!
     
  13. tws
    Joined: Aug 2015
    Posts: 16
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: southern oregon

    tws Junior Member

    absolutely not. i am not a welder of any kind... i basically understand that metal - aluminum - is heated and new metal - wire aluminum? - is added in the process. i had a talented local welder build my bow/chock - welding aluminum.

    however, in this case even despite the possibility of corrosion, i think something like tape might work ok...

    on close inspection there is a burr of metal that rises above the hull surface. and this i should probably grind down with my dremel tool... i have some aluminum HVAC tape and i could put it on in layers, each layer being bigger than the last. at best it's a cosmetic solution. the abrasion is well above the water line and is only visual issue.
     
  14. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
    Posts: 19,126
    Likes: 498, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 3967
    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    The metal duct tape is extremely thin and absolutely worthless, even as a cosmetic repair. It's literally a bandaid on a gaping wound. This type of tape, even the heavy duty versions, are about as thick as a piece of copy paper. The adhesive doesn't have the same contraction and expansion qualities, so as the tape swells with heat of the day, the glue doesn't as much. Simply put, weld the gash up. It's a simple, 15 minute repair for a TIG guy. Yeah the paint will blister, but the welder will grind it off before TIGing it up anyway. Several layers of tape will do nothing, but delaminate with UV and heat. Lastly, what do you think is going to happen to the gash as the boat flexes in wave and chop? Yep, it's going to move and get bigger. This is why you weld it up. If you insist on a DIY deal, then epoxy a patch on the back side of the gash, after grinding the face flat. When the reinforcement patch is cured, fill the outside with putty and paint.
     

  15. TANSL
    Joined: Sep 2011
    Posts: 7,369
    Likes: 699, Points: 123, Legacy Rep: 300
    Location: Spain

    TANSL Senior Member

    Ad Hoc, although I understand and have used TIG welding, it should not be very experienced and very smart to know that heat a plate until the temperature needed to melt, without looking (as you have suggested) what is behind, it can be an outrage.
    But if I was wrong, I do I have the ability and humility necessary to recognize my mistakes.
     
Loading...
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.