aluminum transom

[cbennett109]

Looking to build my transom out of aluminum rather than wood so I don't have a problem with it rotting again. Its a bass tracker ll that I got for free and and restoring it. I'm New to this boat building thing so any input would be greatly appreciated thanks

 

[BrazosDon]

cbennett, please post some pics. Thanks, BrazosDon.

 

[nbaffaro]

Most transoms are close to 1.5" thick. Normally made from two 3/4 pieces of plywood sandwiched together. Here plywood is actually preferred because the grains go in multiple directions. The problems come in when holes are drilled into that wood and let water seep in. You can combat this by over drilling the holes and filling them with an epoxy resin compound that has been thickened and then redrilling the smaller hole in the epoxy. Or you could used starboard with is hdpe with will not swell or rot ever. However, to build a complete transom out of solid aluminum is going to be extremely expensive and more than likely not worth it.

 

[bassboy1]

Not solid aluminum. Fabricated tubular structure is the ticket for a direct wood replacement. Once fabricated, it simply bolts in just like old wood was. Cost isn't really prohibitive, either.

In some boats, it is feasible to do a welded in structure, but on most of the boats that had factory plywood, a properly done welded in retrofit would cost much more than the project would be worth.

 

[nbaffaro]

Bass boy,

That transom is sweet. Hadn't thought of doing it that way. I see that you are an aluminum fabricator, what would a customer expect to pay to have some exactly like what you built fabricated for a similar boat. I'm just thinking that is going to cost a whole lot more than a sheet of plywood and some construction adhesive. (and maybe some epoxy if you're getting fancy)


OP,

There is no such thing as a free boat! Post a picture.

 

[bassboy1]

Bass boy,

That transom is sweet. Hadn't thought of doing it that way. I see that you are an aluminum fabricator, what would a customer expect to pay to have some exactly like what you built fabricated for a similar boat. I'm just thinking that is going to cost a whole lot more than a sheet of plywood and some construction adhesive. (and maybe some epoxy if you're getting fancy)

It will cost more than a sheet of plywood, but is still worth it for many. Not only do you have plywood that can rot, once a little moisture gets between it and the aluminum, it often turns into a breeding ground for poultice corrosion.

I've quite literally pulled boats apart (the green one with the new transom pictured previously, for example) that were 'perfect' everywhere else in the hull, but once the transom wood was pulled, there was a huge mess of white chalky powder, and pits that extended almost all the way through the skin. That particular boat was still salvageable - only a few of the pits were very deep, so it required a fair amount of surface sanding, then an acid wash to clear all the corrosion. Then, the deeper pits get rewelded.

The high cost in a transom replacement is the removal and replacement time. If I was brought a boat that already had the old transom removed, and the owner was going to install my new transom - all I had to do was fabricate it, we're under $250 on most average 16' hulls. All the 'large' accessories (engine, etc) have bushings welded in for the mounting bolts.



It's all relative. If the goal is to refurbish a boat on a tight budget, these transoms probably aren't the right solution, but if someone is spending a pretty good amount of money building real nice aluminum decks throughout the rest of the hull, and plans to hang onto the boat for a while, it can certainly be justifiable.