Aluminum Repair

Tedd	I removed a piece of plywood from the transom of my 1967 Starcraft aluminum boat yesterday and found a lot of pitting and a few small holes in the aluminum. I'm not sure if the previous owner put the plywood on to cover/protect this area or if the plywood helped to case the damage. I would like to repair this as much as possible and am looking for recommendations as to how to proceed. Is there an aluminum paste I can use and, if so, what brand is best? I'm planning on replacing the board that I removed to protect the area and strengthen the transom. When I bolt this on, should I seal it with 3M sealer? The plywood I'm using I sealed with a resin sealer. Should I also seal the transom wood that is exposed on the interior of the boat to protect it? It doesn't look as though it has been treated with anything before. Thanks in advance for any help Tedd	2002-04-08
djohns19	Ted, Seal the transom COMPLETELY with resin and make sure to seal any holes you drill with good sealer. My current project had the same concerns on the AL sandwiching the wood. It was from the wood rotting and releasing chemicals. Don't worry about it. Just spray the the Aluminum with Zinc Chromate paint.	2002-04-08
crab bait	What kind of " resin sealer " are you using ,,, TEDD	2002-04-08
Tedd	It is "Seafit Penetrating Epoxy". Would there be something better to seal the exposed transom wood with?	2002-04-08
djohns19	Tedd, That will work fine. Just watch the fumes!	2002-04-08
Tedd	Thanks for the help djohns19. I'm not sure the paint will be enough for the aluminum repair. One of the holes is a little smaller than a dime. Will the paint you recommended fill this in? Also, should I try and make a water tight seal between the plywood I'm attaching between the motor and the transom to protect this area more?	2002-04-09
djohns19	Ted, No, you will need to repair those holes. I am assuming the holes you decribe are not attachment (rivet or bolt) holes. For those, I would recommend you rerpair them with either JB Weld or Marine Tex. If you use either, you will need to paint over them. Once you have those repaired, just epoxy, on all sides, the wood you are replacing. I'm sure there are some holes trhat are supposed to be there. Just make sure you seal those with a good sealer. I recommend 3M 5200. Any aluminum areas that you are going to paint should be primed with Zinc Chromate, for best paint adhesion.	2002-04-09

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