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From what i understand, tighten the rivets up by bucking up with an iron, and using a hammer. After that, coat the inside with a product called Gluvit. Supposed to work real well. Check out the Starcraft forum on iboats. Lotsa good info...
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Gluvit Epoxy Sealer
This is what we sold for that.
NRA LIFE MEMBER
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS
ESPECIALLY THE SNIPERS!
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Campfire Tracker
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rost- welding is permanent, re-riveting is permanent. Either will work well, it just depends on how much time and money you want to put into an old boat.
One of the problems associated with welding aluminum is changing the hardness of it. In many cases, the rivet or damaged area of the boat is annealed to a softer temper after exposure to heat from welding, and that soft area will be much more susceptible to later damage. Herein lies the reason we never weld repair, aluminum aircraft primary structure or skin.
Many people will choose to weld rather than rivet simply for the reason it's easier to do.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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take a kid along with you and hand him a rusty bail can to bail with
That is how I was introduced to fishin'
I sluffed off on the job until I noticed how fast the old rotten wood row boat leaked, and how far we were from the shore of that ice cold Michagan lake...
back to bailin! Kids these days are so soft that they'd probably drown waiting for someone to show up and help. 
4 out of 5 Great Lakes prefer Michigan. 
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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They do make wicking type sealers for castings, and threaded connections. The sealer is so thin that it wicks into joints by capillary action, and then cures after it loses contact with oxygen. Don't think that would fix loose rivets, but if he has re-riveted most of them, it may help significantly on the leaks.
"...the designer of the .270 Ingwe cartridge!..."
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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I've never seen it done but I always thought that truck bedliner goop would great way to seal a leaky boat. Tighten up the rivets as best you can and then cover the inside with a thin layer. It would add some weight though. The problem here is that the water will still get through the cracks, then you have it under the liner. A little freezing and thawing and it's sure to separate sooner or later.
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― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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i have 8 or 9 old aluminum boats i put in mississippi river lakes once the water falls out. no need to have a leaky boat.
put the boat on a couple saw horses. fill 4-5" with water. get a dark crayon and mark every leak. take it to a good welder (who can properly weld thin alimunim beacuse many can't) and have every leak welded. go fishin'
i've tried other repair methods and nothing has worked for me as well as welding. ymmv.
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Campfire Outfitter
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my brother and I have fixed thousands of loose rivets..get a pneumatic hammer,and a concave bit.Use a 4 lb sledge on the inside,tighten any leaky rivets.An hour or two will do it.
We even bought a few boats for scrap because they leaked so bad,and were able to fix them easy.It you lived close ,I'd show you how to do it.
**********************
[the member formerly known as fluffy}
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Campfire Ranger
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I appreciate the suggestions guys. It's not really all that old as aluminum boats go, and if I can save it I will. Next step will be to really see just how bad it leaks and then take it from there.
4 out of 5 Great Lakes prefer Michigan.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I'll add this. If there's any paint of any type in the bottom of the boat it would nix the idea of sealants, epoxy or bedliner material. The stuff most manufacturers apply never adheres well and anything applied over the top is only as good as what's underneath.
One other thing to look at is the structure of the boat. I'm talking the seats, stringers, transom - all the bit and pieces that tie the boat together. The stronger it is the less it flexes and the less chance you'll have of things working loose again. It makes a big difference.
I mentioned the bedliner thing as a relatively cheap down and dirty quick and easy way to go. I will agree that replacing the loose rivets is probably a better way to go. That and a little silicone would be a more permanent fix.
Welding is a good fix but the thinner it is the more problems you'll run into for the reasons levrluvr stated. Especially with the seams.
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Campfire Tracker
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I do a lot of bass fishing & have had a small water aluminum boat in addition to my fiberglass bass boat for over 40 years. The places where I use an aluminum boat tend to have stumps, laps, etc. so the boat gets abuse. When they leak I try to tighten the rivets as best as I can. Then I use E-Z Weld Aluminum Repair Rods. Ph. 770-655-1862 email pitchman 1212  aol.com. I use a drill with a coarse grinder to clean around the rivet. Then melt the rod with a torch all around the rivet & let set up. Works for at least 4-5 years. The Cabela's product may be similar & probably works as well. I build carpeted floors for my aluminum boats as well as decks, etc. I have purchased boats like Alumicraft & rigged out & used for 3-4 years & sold for more than the boat, trailer & componets cost.
Life Members SCI & NRA. NRA Instructor & RSO. What have YOU done to support hunting & gun rights?
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Campfire Ranger
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JB weld and trade out the bunks on the trailer so they support the entire boat lenghtwise. I haven't had much time to look at how well the boat is supported, but at a glance it appears that the boat needs more support from the trailer. I only see 2 rollers, one near each end of the boat, and 2 bunks that support the rear 1/3rd of the bottom hull. I know that the previous owner trailered it into Ontario at least a few times and I suspect they had loaded the boat down with gear for the trip. This extra weight combined with poor support put a lot of stress on the areas of the boat that did have support, leading to the leaks.
4 out of 5 Great Lakes prefer Michigan.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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rost- welding is permanent, re-riveting is permanent. Either will work well, it just depends on how much time and money you want to put into an old boat.
One of the problems associated with welding aluminum is changing the hardness of it. In many cases, the rivet or damaged area of the boat is annealed to a softer temper after exposure to heat from welding, and that soft area will be much more susceptible to later damage. Herein lies the reason we never weld repair, aluminum aircraft primary structure or skin.
Many people will choose to weld rather than rivet simply for the reason it's easier to do. Just different takes on it really, I"d never rivet my AL airboat when I had the chance to weld it. Welding is just more permanent. Of course we also run hull jacks in the hulls too to add stability where its needed. And when given a choice to rivet or bolt the poly on, the bolts get chosen every time. On aircraft, you deal with a different issue. Of course you are having good luck with rivets and there isn't anything wrong with that. Other than I'd rebuck em hard if it were mine and then weld over them all. Of course airboats take a much more horrible pounding than any water boat ever will and the welding just seems to hold better.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Campfire Ranger
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I'll add this. If there's any paint of any type in the bottom of the boat it would nix the idea of sealants, epoxy or bedliner material. The stuff most manufacturers apply never adheres well and anything applied over the top is only as good as what's underneath.
One other thing to look at is the structure of the boat. I'm talking the seats, stringers, transom - all the bit and pieces that tie the boat together. The stronger it is the less it flexes and the less chance you'll have of things working loose again. It makes a big difference.
I mentioned the bedliner thing as a relatively cheap down and dirty quick and easy way to go. I will agree that replacing the loose rivets is probably a better way to go. That and a little silicone would be a more permanent fix.
Welding is a good fix but the thinner it is the more problems you'll run into for the reasons levrluvr stated. Especially with the seams. You raise a good point about not applying any coatings. If I do apply any coatings, Gluvit was mentioned earlier, it'll probably be on the unpainted bottom of the hull.
4 out of 5 Great Lakes prefer Michigan.
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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On the trailer make sure the bunks extend past the transom. The longer/wider they are and the more support under the boat the better. Get rid of the rollers as a means of support. The rollers should only be used for guiding the boat onto the bunks.
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 19,504
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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On the trailer make sure the bunks extend past the transom. The longer/wider they are and the more support under the boat the better. Get rid of the rollers as a means of support. The rollers should only be used for guiding the boat onto the bunks.
Good idea on lengthening the bunks. I'll look into that. You're right about the rollers too. The forward one has been beaten into rubber shreds because it's the only support the hull has forward of the bunks. This is also the area of the hull that has had patches welded on the hull.
4 out of 5 Great Lakes prefer Michigan.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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At the front of the boat having it tied down and securely supported by the winch (if you have one), the eye and a roller or v-block will prevent it tilting foward and back on the bunks. It helps to distribute he load.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Probaablly replacing all the rivets with larger ones and sealing all rivets and joints.
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