1980 Grumman 4.6 Sportsman all aluminum build

[Flatbotm]

I am not a professional welder but I've welded for about 20 years. I did have a job for some years that entailed some fabrication. I've had some tig lessons from the miller rep.. The welder and spoolgun set up I have for home is around $2000. I have a Hobart ironman 230 with a spoolgun for aluminum. Your going to invest at least $500 to $1000 to pick up a decent mig to weld aluminum. I would say anyone can do it it just takes practice. I started with a $299 110 Lincoln.

 

[Flatbotm]

Here is my set-up. If you are going to buy a welder go with a quality name brand and it will last you the rest of your life.

 

[hercdrvrwo]

So not something I can hop on and expect to do easily -- I know its a skill many practice at which is why I pay well for someone who knows what they are doing! When I have time -- or on my next boat because I plan to do all Aluminum vs wood like I am doing now.

Thanks for the info brother -- good luck on the boat and keep the pictures coming!

Cheers
Dan

 

[Flatbotm]

It's not too difficult Dan. Aluminum welding with the mig spoolgun is fast. If you don't move fast enough you can make holes in your boat real quick. Tig welding gives you more control but is much more time consuming.

 

[Flatbotm]

At this point I have all the cracks welded up, the vertical stringers riveted back in the boat, and added 1in square tube to them that I'm going to start building my front deck of. I also had to make some repairs where the previous owner had put lag bolts thru the bottom of the boat.

 

[magoo]

Lookin' good brutha! You're gonna have a ton of room under that floor when it's all said and done!

 

[Flatbotm]

Thanks my friend! Seems like I'm moving along at a snails pace but I keep moving. Tonight I got started laying out the front deck.

 

[Flatbotm]

I completed a little more on the front deck last night. I riveted it to the sidewalls so I didn't melt the foam or catch it on fire.

 

[Mojo]

Looking good man. Wish I had access to a nice spool gun set up like that. I've got to stick with the pop rivets.

 

[kcatto]

Nice boat, and we are almost neighbors.... I notice eufalla in one of the pictures you posted of your boat...

I am just south of shawnee.... now a question please, as I am new to this part of the state I just moved here from west of yukon....

Where do you source your aluminum? I have a few places in the city and around el reno but both of them are about 80 miles away, I would like to get supplies closer....

I am getting ready to start my first boat build and I am trying to get stuff together....

thank you,
keven

 

[Flatbotm]

Thanks Mojo. I worked for a place that spoiled me on tools. They had a millermatic 250 with a spoolgun plus a miller water cooled tig. I made it my goal for a few years to buy those tools for myself. Keven I'm in Ada. I couldn't find the square tube anywhere close so I bought it from onlinemetals.com which ships out of Dallas for us. It was close to the same price as it would have been for me to drive. The sheet I bought locally at sherells in Ada. If you find a better source let me know.

 

[Flatbotm]

I haven't had much time to work on the boat in the last week. I worked on the framing for a few hours last night. I have some piano hinges ordered I should see them in the next few days.

 

[stomper]

I like the way you are doing it with all aluminum. When I do my boat thats exactly what I am going to do. Light and will last for ever.

 

[stomper]

stomper » 24 Sep 2013, 10:04[/url]"]I like the way you are doing it with all aluminum. When I do my boat thats exactly what I am going to do. Light and will last for ever. But again I am also set up for metal fabrication an have a millermatic 210 with a spool gun and all the other goodies to go along with it, tube bender, plasma, laithe, mag drill.......It all makes a project like this much easier. I like to help out others

 

[Flatbotm]

Thanks Stomper. Ill be getting the tube bender out later in the project. It's one of those tools I don't use near enough to justify the $2000+ investment. But when I want to build something it sure is nice. I have about 140 ft. of 1" round tube for a custom top, grab handles, and a windshield. Back before I had a plasma I cut everything with a makita grinder. I've gone thru hundreds of cutting disks. Lol

 

[stomper]

what kind of bender do you have. I built the gottrikes one and give it a lift kit with hydraulics. I can do a 100 degree bend in a single stroke with a 24" stroke cylinder. If you are interested check out the link below. Sorry didn't mean to hyjack your thread.
https://www.minibuggy.net/forum/shop-talk/17336-tube-bender-help.html
Is the tubing that you are going to use aluminum, if so what grade. I haven't tried to bend aluminum tube yet but I have read that it's not very idea. Some have good luck and others don't. I have thought about annealing it but then it turns soft and looses some of its rigidity.

 

[stomper]

what kind of bender do you have. I built the gottrikes one and give it a lift kit with hydraulics. I can do a 100 degree bend in a single stroke with a 24" stroke cylinder. If you are interested check out the link below. Sorry didn't mean to hyjack your thread.
https://www.minibuggy.net/forum/shop-talk/17336-tube-bender-help.html
Is the tubing that you are going to use aluminum, if so what grade. I haven't tried to bend aluminum tube yet but I have read that it's not very idea. Some have good luck and others don't. I have thought about annealing it but then it turns soft and looses some of its rigidity. I have also heard that if you get a batch of tube that has just receintly been made, it will bend much nicer. I am interested because I want to build an ice shack out of 1" sq tube but don't want to waste the money buying a new die or time building one if it isn't going to bend.

sorry for the double post. I hit the Quote button instead of the Edit button.

 

[Flatbotm]

I have a Jd2 model 32 full hydraulic. I've got 1", 1.5", and 1.75" 180degree dies. The dies are expensive. I think the aluminum I have is 5052. Ill look when I get home.

 

[stomper]

That tube bends nice. the only tube I can find around here is 6061 which is not as forgiving.

 

[Flatbotm]

Most the 6061 I see is T-6. Not bendable. I've seen some 6061T-0 that would bend nice. You can probably temper the t-6 to be bendable but I don't know much about tempering. I bought the 5052 from a aluminum recycling place that bought up surplus from Boeing. It was pretty cheap I wish I could get more. He even gave me 2 sticks for free that he ran over with the forklift.