Was crunching some numbers tonight.....

TinBoats.net

Help Support TinBoats.net:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

stinkynathan

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 3, 2009
Messages
105
Reaction score
0
I just bought a 14' Starcraft a couple weeks back and I've been scheming on what I could do to it and the cost of those modifications. I did some number crunching on weight and cost of aluminum vs. wood construction.

I haven't seen numbers on this site like this for structural lumber/aluminum, though I did see it somewhere for comparing aluminum plate to plywood.

Here's what I came up with.

1" x 0.125" angle aluminum is 0.28# and $0.89 per foot.
According to 96" 1" x 0.125" angle at https://www.onlinemetals.com. This is a non shipped, non cut price.

A 2x4 is 1.28# and $0.29 per foot.
According to 96" 2x4 "Top Choice Whitewood" at https://www.lowes.com

A 2x2 is 0.64# and $0.145 per foot.
By dividing the 2x4 numbers in half. Of course, that 2x2 will be a little lighter because of what the saw takes out.

1x0.125 angle aluminum is 43.75% lighter than the same length of 2x2 pine and 21.875% lighter than 2x4 pine. =D>
1x0.125 angle aluminum is 3.07 times more expensive than the equivalent 2x4 construction. :(
1x0.125 angle aluminum is 6.14 times more expensive than the equivalent 2x2 construction. :cry:

Of course, this doesn't take into consideration any of pros and cons of each type of construction. In reality, the aluminum will be even more expensive because of shipping, local markup, fastener, and tool purchase costs. We all know the aluminum will require less maintenance in the long run, though.

pros and cons....pros and cons.... :lol:

Just some numbers for thought...





....and now that I've done all of that crunching, I hope my numbers actually line up...
 
you also need to factor in that many times you can scrounge wood for free or near free. No one is giving aluminum out for free these days.

When I did the decking on my boat I used scrap plywood from work. as much as I would have loved to use aluminum for the supports and decking, I couldnt turn down free. including hinges and carpet, I was only in about $30.

for that cheap Im fine with it only lasting a couple of years.
 
I did this same thing a few days ago. But something I thought of not only is the wood heavier but the the strongties and screws also add to the weight. With my boat being a jet and I want to play in the rivers too I'm trying to weigh out the alum vs wood vs budget problem myself.
 

Latest posts

Top