aluminum boat build

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Here are some pics of a 22 ft. bay/offshore 3/16 plate 5052 aluminum boat. Attached Images
Reply:all water tight seams are tig welded and non water tight are mig welded with a spool gun and I am ready to throw the spool gun in the trash, and that is my helper Attached Images
Reply:Really cool. Will keep on eye on this build.
Reply:Wow...that is a really awesome looking project. And very difficult I suspect. Please keep posting updates on progress. I love boats almost as much as beer....  Almost.POVERTY...is the Mother of InventionMillermatic 211Millermatic 140Miller Thunderbolt XLArcOne 100STS inverter w/TIGThermal Dynamics 38XL Victor Oxy/AcetyleneJancy Slugger Holemaker IIJet 5x6 BandsawNever enough time & sleep.
Reply:Beautiful!  Can't wait to watch this thread.  It's gonna be a wet boat though.  Just sold my 23 footer last year. That stuff they tell you about it being a happy day is BS.
Reply:why so wet kald , help me outLast edited by g-man; 06-24-2013 at 09:03 PM.
Reply:here is a pic from the front Attached Images
Reply:Very cool project.  That looks like a nice space to work in too. Are you building to plans?  If so, which ones?
Reply:looks nice! wish i could build something like this! What are you going to be using it for? hunt, fish, work or play?Lincoln SA 200 Lincoln Idealarc 300/300 TIG
Reply:Originally Posted by g-manwhy so wet kald , help me out
Reply:Awesome..  Friend of mine built his own 18ft aluminum jon boat, saved himself a bunch of money building his own..tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:I would also recomend cramming the biggest fuel tank you can in there, postion being super critcal.  I had 140 gallon tank in a simlar sized boat with a Yamaha 250 hp SS2 OX66 and got a very good 1.5ish miles per gallon(less in rough water) and fuel was concern on more than few very long days.IMO you want your gunnels to be above knee high as well. Help keep you in the boat.Last edited by kald; 06-24-2013 at 10:15 PM.
Reply:Looking good! I'm building my 1st flat bottom it's 20 feet long with only a 48 inch bottom for squeezing into places bigger boats can't get to. Late to bed, and early to rise. Fish like hell so I don't have to make up lies. Syncrowave 200MM211 & Spoolmate 100
Reply:That Boat looks amazing.  There was definitely some love put into it.
Reply:Thanks for the kind words. I posted pictures to get feed back good or bad. if I could figure a way to get that flare with aluminum I would sure do it. I will add a spray rail and rub rail, maybe that will help some. I have already done the big boat thing, and if its rough its rough and I don't fish if its not good seas.Last edited by g-man; 06-24-2013 at 11:03 PM.
Reply:It is possible to increase the flare even with a single panel.  The shape of the panel will affect it.  Think of that panel as a U.  If you were to roll the U to the side to increase the flare the ends will rise up.  A panel that has ends that slope down will still fit but increase the flare.  The boat in the first picture is essentially built with one panel for the topsides and has a decent flare to it.The easiest way to accurately determine the shape is to spile it.   If you have your framework set up, you can take a long piece of aluminum (or plywood, but aluminum will show you how far the material will go) 3 or 4 inches wide by as long as that section needs to be, 12-14 ft or so.  Place the aluminum batten on the frame work where it will lay naturally (it will be sticking up at the ends).  you can then measure from the edge of the batten to the chine, deckline, etc every foot or two along the batten.  This batten is then taken off of the framework and laid flat on a panel.  Take your measurements and mark your chine, deckline, etc. edges. Fair through those marks with a good wooden batten for a fair cut line.   You will probably have an upside down U shaped panel. The boat in the second picture has a lot more flare to it.  That kind of flare needs to be planked up and each plank spiled for shape.  It's a lot more work but could be done in aluminum. (I've only ever done it in wood).  There was a good point made on the limber holes to allow drainage to the bilge.  These are a lot easier to cut prior to installation of the pieces.  Great build, please keep the pictures coming. Attached Images
Reply:Originally Posted by g-manThanks for the kind words. I posted pictures to get feed back good or bad. if I could figure a way to get that flare with aluminum I would sure do it. I will add a spray rail and rub rail, maybe that will help some. I have already done the big boat thing, and if its rough its rough and I don't fish if its not good seas.
Reply:I like the lines. Though there seems to be an extraordinary amount of internal structure taking away from usable hull volume.This photo shows the amount of flair on a typical 15' welded aluminum boat (Gregor).
Reply:there are notches on each end of all of the framing members for drainage to the bilge.I will build all of the storage and and fish boxes outside of the boat and there will be some notching on some of the framing members to drop them in
Reply:Originally Posted by jordan_5600looks nice! wish i could build something like this! What are you going to be using it for? hunt, fish, work or play?
Reply:The best part is sharing with your little helper, congrats on keeping them involved. They will brag to their friends how "we" built a boat. Nice job, great project. Keep posting pictures on progress, can't wait to see it in the water.
Reply:It is looking great. Must be fun going through the process. We look forward to seeing the finish project.PlasmaCam CNC cutterLathe and Band SawClamps
Reply:Finally got to do some work on the boat, and this might be the toughest part of the whole build. The rub rail is 1/4" thick and 4" at the widest point and 2" on all three profiles. Doing it alone was tough but all of the radius is done and its whipped now. I will post more pics tomorrow when I finish the rubrail.
Reply:Looks like an outstanding job of fairing in that heavy duty rail. It had to be an sob, working alone. How'd you get it to bend?What do you have in mind to finish the open fronts? It is common to simply cut them back steeply (so that they taper from nothing at the bow) and cap them. This avoids a rather blunt appearance, unless you have in mind to install an anchor roller?
Reply:Originally Posted by ezduzitLooks like an outstanding job of fairing in that heavy duty rail. It had to be an sob, working alone. How'd you get it to bend?What do you have in mind to finish the open fronts? It is common to simply cut them back steeply (so that they taper from nothing at the bow) and cap them. This avoids a rather blunt appearance, unless you have in mind to install an anchor roller?super impressive build!
Reply:finished the rub rail all but welding it out
Reply:Sweet. I'll be keeping my eye on this thread.
Reply:I suspect you are getting gas contamination in your spoolgun gas. having such a large light grey smokey zone is the giveaway. with good gas coverage and proper wire speed and voltage settings there should just be a narrow black soot area if anything.Dynasty 200DXPassport plus w/ spoolmate 100victor 315c oxy/(act and prop)Miller digital elitemilwaukee power tools
Reply:Originally Posted by turkI suspect you are getting gas contamination in your spoolgun gas. having such a large light grey smokey zone is the giveaway. with good gas coverage and proper wire speed and voltage settings there should just be a narrow black soot area if anything.
Reply:just turning gas up may not fix the issue. start by checking for leaks. make sure you don't have any fans going. properly adjusted mig welding can be almost as clean as tig welding. I actually have enough practice at mig that I can mig better than I can tig.Dynasty 200DXPassport plus w/ spoolmate 100victor 315c oxy/(act and prop)Miller digital elitemilwaukee power tools
Reply:Originally Posted by turkjust turning gas up may not fix the issue. start by checking for leaks. make sure you don't have any fans going. properly adjusted mig welding can be almost as clean as tig welding. I actually have enough practice at mig that I can mig better than I can tig.
Reply:Beautiful work man!I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:G-man - thanks for sharing the great project and pics.Can you tell us if you are working from plans, and if so would you mind sharing the designer and model of boat? If it is from plans, did you but a CNC cut kit, or have you been cutting out all the frames. etc?I am building a 25' Glen- L Double Eagle boat in aluminum, with an inboard and shaft drive. Have all my frames cut out and have welded a couple together, but am going to get some more hood time in before continuing, to improve the welds.There have been a couple of nice aluminum builds on the Glen-L site, but the forum has been real quite and I have not been able to get any direct advice from the guys who have built the same model as I am building.Looking forward to seeing more pics and hearing any details on how you did things.
Reply:Originally Posted by NortheasterG-man - thanks for sharing the great project and pics.Can you tell us if you are working from plans, and if so would you mind sharing the designer and model of boat? If it is from plans, did you but a CNC cut kit, or have you been cutting out all the frames. etc?I am building a 25' Glen- L Double Eagle boat in aluminum, with an inboard and shaft drive. Have all my frames cut out and have welded a couple together, but am going to get some more hood time in before continuing, to improve the welds.There have been a couple of nice aluminum builds on the Glen-L site, but the forum has been real quite and I have not been able to get any direct advice from the guys who have built the same model as I am building.Looking forward to seeing more pics and hearing any details on how you did things.
Reply:[QUOTE=weldermike;3590241]Beautiful work man![/QUOTEThanks, it is a very fun project.
Reply:looking forward to seeing it unfold more.One note- I used to manually throw the anchor and chain over the bow, on my old 30' sailboat, and sometimes it took a few tries.  Finally welded up a Bow roller a few years ago, along with installing an electric windlass.  The windlass may be overkill, but having a bow roller to keep the anchor out of the way, and allow it to drop or be raised easily really made a difference.  Now we anchor for lunch or whatever, more often, as I don't have to do as much work, or worry about getting caught up in the chain and rode.  I plan on putting one on my new boat, although that is a ways away.  May even just make a homemade drum / windlass of some sort, with a big removable or foldable handle.please keep the pics coming - more the better.
Reply:G-man - Forgot to ask - what size sheets did you buy for the hull and topsides, and if you were to do it again, woudl it be worth extra cash to get 4' x 20' or 5' x 20' sheets, or would it prove too big to handle, etc?
Reply:Originally Posted by NortheasterG-man - Forgot to ask - what size sheets did you buy for the hull and topsides, and if you were to do it again, woudl it be worth extra cash to get 4' x 20' or 5' x 20' sheets, or would it prove too big to handle, etc?
Reply:Good to know.  thanks.  This is my 1st build, and I am building upside down.  I plan - once the frames and longitudinal stringers are in place - to use a large paper roll to make rough templates of the hull plates required, cutting at the chine lines, etc.  Then, I will lay them out on the floor and try to see what size sheets make sense.One problem I have is that the hull calls for 1/8" sheet but some folks have recommended using 3/16" on the bottom, 1/8" on the sides, etc.  But, my metal dealer uses a supplier who has to cut long sheets from a coil, and they pass on a large set-up fee for changing thicknesses, from different coils.So, I can buy 4 large sheets of 1/8" much cheaper than 2 sheets of 1/8" and 2 sheets or 3/16" for example. And, the designer recommends against changing all hull sheet from 1/8" to 3/16".  They recommend adding more stringers instead, to beef up the hull, and keep the weight down.I do have a 150hp Cummins going in it, so I may decide to go all 3/16" for the hull, and put up with the extra weight.  I would like to hear 1st from someone who has built the same model.Last edited by Northeaster; 01-21-2014 at 08:23 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by NortheasterGood to know.  thanks.  This is my 1st build, and I am building upside down.  I plan - once the frames and longitudinal stringers are in place - to use a large paper roll to make rough templates of the hull plates required, cutting at the chine lines, etc.  Then, I will lay them out on the floor and try to see what size sheets make sense.One problem I have is that the hull calls for 1/8" sheet but some folks have recommended using 3/16" on the bottom, 1/8" on the sides, etc.  But, my metal dealer uses a supplier who has to cut long sheets from a coil, and they pass on a large set-up fee for changing thicknesses, from different coils.So, I can buy 4 large sheets of 1/8" much cheaper than 2 sheets of 1/8" and 2 sheets or 3/16" for example. And, the designer recommends against changing all hull sheet from 1/8" to 3/16".  They recommend adding more stringers instead, to beef up the hull, and keep the weight down.I do have a 150hp Cummins going in it, so I may decide to go all 3/16" for the hull, and put up with the extra weight.  I would like to hear 1st from someone who has built the same model.
Reply:Here is a site that supplies plans for different styles of boats. http://www.dynatraxinc.com/p/services.html   My buddy is building a 19' Seine Skiff from the plans listed on here.  There is considerable saving building vs buying one from another shop.  The learning curve isn't too bad but for the 1st time builder it is a good winter project when the shop is slow and there isn't a bunch of fisherman needing equipment repaired night away in the middle of the season.  Originally Posted by NortheasterG-man - thanks for sharing the great project and pics.Can you tell us if you are working from plans, and if so would you mind sharing the designer and model of boat? If it is from plans, did you but a CNC cut kit, or have you been cutting out all the frames. etc?I am building a 25' Glen- L Double Eagle boat in aluminum, with an inboard and shaft drive. Have all my frames cut out and have welded a couple together, but am going to get some more hood time in before continuing, to improve the welds.There have been a couple of nice aluminum builds on the Glen-L site, but the forum has been real quite and I have not been able to get any direct advice from the guys who have built the same model as I am building.Looking forward to seeing more pics and hearing any details on how you did things.
Reply:Please compare boats on above link to those on Specmar.com.  They have either obtained licenses to sell the designs of Specialty Marine or they are ripping them off.I read the blurb about the company and it doesn't mention this or any partnership.  Maybe one own the other - who knows.
Reply:Here is the fuel tank made from 1/8" plate It is 72" x 31" x 12" with baffles It is 96 gallons+/- and fits in the bottom of the hull center of the boat.
Reply:It was pulsed tig welded @ 160 amps with 85 amp background 50 pps 100hz 60% balance open outside corner.
Reply:Very pretty work.
Reply:Thanks , I still have to leak test it though. Originally Posted by ezduzitVery pretty work.
Reply:g-man:  AWESOME LOOKING BOAT!!!  I had one built a longggggg time ago.  20' flat, 1/4" aluminum, 4" I-Beams for floor bracing, aluminum platform on the rear and platform on the front as well.  We've been into the gulf deep sea fishing before but had to watch the weather closely.  If there's anything I could suggest to you is this:  consider building a "wash out" directly in front of the motor with a drain hole in the rear.  That one thing alone has saved me mucho problems especially when the water gets rough.  Any water coming into the rear of the boat around the motot immediately washes back out instead of coming into the boat.  Just a thought.........   Otherwise, your V in the front is one I wished I had specified when mine was built.  Great Job !!!!
Reply:I don't get it, when I run a long seam like you have, it shrinks, leaving a belly in the flat panel. What's your secret?