newbie leak repair

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Spongebob

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Hi, I,ve been lurking for a couple of weeks and decided to join up. Great site! I just bought a 14' flat bottom cheap and am going to make a bass boat out of it. For now I just want to fix the leaks so we can fish it this summer. The leaks are coming from under both benches and all the rivets on the inside have hardened black goop on them. On the outside there is what appears to be spackle or concrete, not sanded, just smeared on.
Sorry for the long post but I just want to get started right. Any help will be greatly appreciated
 
You'll have to get that stuff off there and rebuck the rivets.

:)

Welcome, by the way!
 
A kinked wire cup brush on an angle grinder will do well.

You can rebuck your rivets, but they will leak again because they're already weakened... and rebucking takes 2 people.

The best and easiest one man method I've found for fixing leaking rivets is like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0MA1-5NXjs&feature=related

Closed end blind rivets dipped in epoxy before inserting into the hole will stop your leaky rivet problem and you don't have to have someone help you.

You can also remove and reinstall your benches with this method.
 
Thanks for your help. The video was good and I got started, but while grinding the concrete off of the rivets(outside of hull) the the tops got flattened and when I drilled I missed center on about 1/2 of them. Now I got some snowman and figure 8 holes to seal up. Is there hope or should I just carry a bucket. Feel pretty stupid so go easy. Thanks
 
Spongebob said:
Thanks for your help. The video was good and I got started, but while grinding the concrete off of the rivets(outside of hull) the the tops got flattened and when I drilled I missed center on about 1/2 of them. Now I got some snowman and figure 8 holes to seal up. Is there hope or should I just carry a bucket. Feel pretty stupid so go easy. Thanks

Options are; truss head rivets with an aluminum backing washer or step up to a 1/4" rivet or use stainless nut and bolt with 3m 5200.
 
Another option is to epoxy the holes and redrill after the epoxy sets up.

I like the Loc-tite marine epoxy for jobs like this, it's also good stuff to use to dip the end of the rivet in before setting it with the tool.

Just out of curiosity, how in the heck did you gring the heads off the rivets with a wire cup brush???
 
The wire brush wouldn't get the stuff off so I got out the angle grinder with a rust removal disc. I guess I started gettin into it.
Thanks for all your help.
 
I found this product interesting, I have no practical experience as to if GFlex works or not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=PdPr6D5J4-8

https://www.westsystem.com/ss/g-flex-epoxy/

Appears that West Marine sells it.
 
Can Truss Rivets be installed with a HD 1/4 tool or do they need to be bucked? The guy at JayCee said I need Brazier style with a special head and bucking tool, now I'm confused as heck. The only thing i.ve ever riveted is seamless aluminum gutter when I was a kid.
 
If you'll do the epoxy patch, redrill, and rivet method above all you'll need is aluminum closed end blind rivets, epoxy, and your HD setting tool like you were going to use to begin with... you just need a little more epoxy than originally planned now.

If you go with a 1/4" dia. closed end blind rivet the head will hide most if not all of the mistake hole.
 
Spongebob said:
The wire brush wouldn't get the stuff off so I got out the angle grinder with a rust removal disc. I guess I started gettin into it.
Thanks for all your help.

That's a riot ... made me LoL. I can just picture you squatting down under your boat with an angle grinder screaming at the boat and blowing sparks all over the place.

Anyway, the advice has been good so far, you would be fine with the epoxy, re-drill, blind rivet approach. JB Weld marine is good stuff!

Another option would be to cut out a small square around your snowman, and have a patch welded in. It would be incredibly strong and 100% water tight. Call around to some local fabrication shops, autobody shops, offroad/4x4/Jeep shops and ask for a quote. You might be surprised. I figure you could get three or four 2" square patches welded in for $150.
 
i should learn to follow directions. Always looking for an easier softer way. I ordered the 1/4" closed end blind rivets, bought the HD tool, got the LocTite Marine 2 part epoxy and even bought a new drill bit. Thanks for all your help.
 
Spongebob said:
The wire brush wouldn't get the stuff off so I got out the angle grinder with a rust removal disc. I guess I started gettin into it.
Thanks for all your help.
.


Spongebob?

I refer to this situation as "errors of enthusiasm." This is one reason I wouldn't let myself take electric tools while doing the first 90% of work on my boat.

Eventually, you will stop doing things like this. Took me decades, but I have a slow learning curve.


Best wishes.
 
I had a chance to finish today and No Leaks! (at least from the inside out) I replaced all the bottom bench rivets, 40 of em. My son and I are going to the lake Mon. I am still going to carry a bucket. Thanks everyone!
 
That's great! =D>

Hope you stay leak free Bob, but if you do get another leaky rivet you'll know exactly what to do and will be on it like a duck on a Junebug.
 

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