# Repairing hole in jon boat



## Jody Hawk (Apr 30, 2011)

I bought a used jon boat and found a small crack in it. How would you go about repairing it? Will JB Weld hold it? Thanks.


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Apr 30, 2011)

JB should work, but you may want open up the crack a little for bonding surface or put a few rivets in for the JB to bond to.


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## GoldDot40 (Apr 30, 2011)

I'd JB Weld the inside and outside the boat where the crack is. Don't be stingy with it either. Cake it on if you need to.


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## Jeff1969 (Apr 30, 2011)

Agreed, JB should work. Just make sure to clean the crack out and clean the areas around the crack with some vinegar or maybe some acetone.


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## Sterlo58 (Apr 30, 2011)

Jeff1969 said:


> Agreed, JB should work. Just make sure to clean the crack out and clean the areas around the crack with some vinegar or maybe some acetone.



Good advice


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## Buckfever (Apr 30, 2011)

Have the crack welded by a good welder. Tried the jb weld thing and the crack kept getting larger over time. It'll work, but I'd use it as a last resort.


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## jimbo4116 (Apr 30, 2011)

Buckfever said:


> Have the crack welded by a good welder. Tried the jb weld thing and the crack kept getting larger over time. It'll work, but I'd use it as a last resort.



That is good advice.  JB Weld is just temporary fix to a larger problem. The crack will more that likely expand, especially if it is on the bottom of the boat.  Might get by if is on the sides.

The best thing to do is let a welder seal all the visible crack  just for strength. Then scab a patch on the out side that is a few inches longer and wider than the crack.

You may end up with some pin holes. You can solder or JB weld those with good results.


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Apr 30, 2011)

I just remembered something I saw at a gunshow a few years back.  This guy was welding aluminum with just a metal rod and a mapp gas torch.  If you could get info about that stuff, it would be worth a try, probably save about $100 over getting it professionally welded.  Aluminum welding is rather pricey, at least around here.


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## Mangler (Apr 30, 2011)

If you can't weld it try riveting an aluminum patch on it and then goop JB on the seams and on the rivets. I couldn't find anyone to weld the aluminum and this technique held very well. No leaks....been about 2yrs now.


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## beretta (Apr 30, 2011)

Here is a link

http://durafix.com/


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## Ronnie T (Apr 30, 2011)

Duct tape!


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## gtparts (Apr 30, 2011)

Cough up the coins and have it heliarced right the first time. Once and done. Commercially you'd pay by the inch, but if there is a trade/technical school close by, find out if they teach welding and talk to an instructor. You might even get it done for free if you take him fishing.


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## Money man (Apr 30, 2011)

Spray weld is available, google rustbuster.

One of them is in Lithonia I believe.

Here is a link, there is a video too but embedding is disabled. 

http://www.rustbusters.com/works.html

I think this is the guy.

http://www.kudzu.com/m/RustBusters-of-Atlanta-13293062

Might be overkill for what you need. Might not work at all. Did wonders for a truck I had done with big holes in it from rust.


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## rospaw (May 1, 2011)

Take a small drill bit and drill a hole in both ends of the crack to stop it from cracking anymore. If it's a small crack lets say an inch or so clean it good, scuff an inch or so all around (both sides) an put the jb to it. Larger crack do all above but cut an oversized patch. Scuff the patch on one side. dry fit it with rivets so it all ready to riveted then heavy jb on patch and crack. while its wet put the patch on. Leave for min 24hrs. my .02


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## Twenty five ought six (May 1, 2011)

Dead Eye Eddy said:


> I just remembered something I saw at a gunshow a few years back.  This guy was welding aluminum with just a metal rod and a mapp gas torch.  If you could get info about that stuff, it would be worth a try, probably save about $100 over getting it professionally welded.  Aluminum welding is rather pricey, at least around here.



That stuff won't work on a boat.  Been there, done that, warped the hull.

For the same reason you can't solder a copper water pipe with water in it.  The hull acts as a massive heat sink -- you can never get the hull hot enough to make the rod "flow".  If you watch the guy doing the demo, it's all small stuff.  You can get the rods at most of the big box building supply places, Tractor Supply.

If you apply enough heat to get the hull material hot enough, the hull starts to warp.  Ask me how I know.

The best stuff that I've ever used is the blue-green stick from Cabela's.  It works like sealing wax ---hull temp is irrelevant.  It's some sort of plastic, and solves the problem of the repair material not having the same high expansion rate as aluminum.  

I'd for sure do the end holes that rospaw mentions.

Welding is good, but the stuff I mention worked fine for me.


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## jimbo4116 (May 1, 2011)

Jody Hawk said:


> I bought a used jon boat and found a small crack in it. How would you go about repairing it? Will JB Weld hold it? Thanks.



Your picture tells another story.  You dont have a crack. You have a hole that has been worn through the keel rib.

I just don't think JB Weld is going to hold well enough.  That area takes a good bit of abuse in ordinary use.  That is why it is worn down.  Better weld it.


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## rospaw (May 1, 2011)

Did i miss that picture of A HOLE not a crack or was it posted after i posted?  My fix is for a crack not a hole you can put you fist thru!  I might try a heavy rubberized glue on patch using a 3m 5200 then a second larger metal and rubber patch with 5200 and rivets. It will hold. S

still drill out any crack. make the patches large


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## Jody Hawk (May 1, 2011)

jimbo4116 said:


> You dont have a crack. You have a hole





rospaw said:


> Did i miss that picture of A HOLE not a crack



Hole, crack, crevice, crater .......whatever.  It's worse than I thought it was so I guess I'd better get it welded.


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## Money man (May 1, 2011)

Spray welding is designed to fill holes. Big holes, small holes, etc. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV-QPTpJaYo

Now I have a question, does galvanized steel stick to aluminum? Nevermind, just watched the video above and with a change of wire, they have the material to stick to aluminum.


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## packrat (May 1, 2011)

*repair*

Had the same thing on an older model Sears boat. As stated before, drill a small hole at both ends of the crack. Take a wire brush and clean both sides of the aluminum, both inside and outside of the boat. Use the standard JB Weld (not the Kwik-Set JB Weld) and press a "small amount" of it through the crack and smooth on both sides. Allow to dry and then comeback and add another thicker layer on both sides. After about a day smear a little GE Clear Silicone over the repair area on the inside of the boat. After that, you should be good to go for a while.


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## city boy gone country (May 2, 2011)

rospaw said:


> Take a small drill bit and drill a hole in both ends of the crack to stop it from cracking anymore. If it's a small crack lets say an inch or so clean it good, scuff an inch or so all around (both sides) an put the jb to it. Larger crack do all above but cut an oversized patch. Scuff the patch on one side. dry fit it with rivets so it all ready to riveted then heavy jb on patch and crack. while its wet put the patch on. Leave for min 24hrs. my .02



very good advice there


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