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Aluminum stitch-n-glue
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"Brian D" ha scritto nel messaggio
news bR5c.27221$JL2.316008@attbi_s03...
Awhile back, there was a thread concerning stitch-n-glue using aluminum
rather than plywood. Although I do not believe it could be a high enough
quality solution to boat building,
It looks that the flame with P.C. have changed the course of the thread from
the original subject...
I am still interested on it (I mean to the original subject....).
Any more info?
I missed the start of this discussion, as I just subscribed tot
rec.boats.building, but here's my 0.02 cents.
I know that aluminium can be glued, used epoxy, with very good results.
Forty years ago, an aircraft company in the Netherlands, Fokker, was
already using epoxy glued joints in their aircraft. These were, however,
contact-joints where aluminium parts were overlapping to an certain
extent, the epoxy being in the overlap.
I myself have glued smaller parts of aluminium using epoxy many times
without a problem. Just sanding, degreasing and it glues rock-solid.
So it seems to me that glueing glass tape to aluminium is no problem. In
theory stitch-and-glue using aluminium is possible.
Maybe the main problem is the strength of the joint in relation tot the
strength of the aluminium. I can imagine more layers of tape are needed
than when joining plywood panels if you not want the joints to be as
strong as the aluminium. This would also mean quite extensive fairing of
the joints afterwards, adding a lot of fairing compound and some weight.
In the end, the question if it's a realistic and practical method
remains. A completely glass covered plywood boat is also pretty
maintenance-free, and, in the case of a small boat, probably lighter.
The joints will always be the weakest point when the hull is deformed.
The aluminium can bend, the joint will crack.
There must be a reason why the method has not been used more widely, and
I suppose this is it.
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schippertje
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