Question:
I have a Sea Nymph 16M; a basic open vee that get's some serious blue
water at high speed (well, OK, I draw the line at running in the
troughs up to 3-4' heights) during the fishing season. I want to
reinforce the bottom near the transom, add some plating aft (for
attaching gadgets) etc. I love the boat and don't want to trade up
(it draws 4" + keels and screams with 30hp)!
Here's my question:
I'm told that you can't (or shouldn't) weld 6000 series aluminum (I
assume that's what they use 'cause there are rivets and bolts
everywhere). The reason is that 6000 series gets its toughness from
heat treating and welding destroys that characteristic. On the other
hand, the rivets loosen up and rattle like crazy. One of these days,
they'll let go when I come down on a big one.
I own a MIG and two (small and large) OxyFuel outfits. If I knew the
alloy, I could buy some and experiment. I've seen aluminum
prefessionally welded in this application (an old 14' Sears; I've got
to fix up that one myself some day) and it's exactly what I want for a
finish. The question is: does anyone know what the SeaNymph alloy is
and/or does it really makes a difference?
Also, assuming I can weld (braze of solder; I don't really care if I
get the strong, smooth finish), what's the best wire/rod alloy(s) for
best flow, least heat, least corrosion, best strength (yeah, I know,
I'm not asking for much!)?
Answer:
Go to your local welding supplier and ask him what he would use.
He wants you to have good results because he wants you to keep
coming back.
