I am almost ready. I've been struggling down this prep to boat building
path for about six years now. I have a pretty decent MIG (Miller 212 with
spoolgun) welding rig, and I have experimented on materials as thin as .043,
and can make pretty decent welds on .100 and larger.

I'll be tackling an aluminum boat repair project in my spare time starting
now. I bought a Tracker with some damage really cheap to play with. ($250
boat and trailer.) The salvage value of the aluminum is that much.

Anyway, I have noticed most aluminum boat builders use a plywood filler in
the transom. Now before all the "wood is fine" zealots jump in... I know
its fine. We have been making boats out of wood (the human species) since
there were boats. The thing is that there are other materials available.
Most of the big bass boat manufacturers (fiberglass) advertise NO WOOD
construction. They use some form of other material for transom and
stringers. I am looking for a suitable non-wood filler material to go
between the sheets of aluminum for the transom of this boat and any future
boats I build. Something tough, with little or no compression, won't dry
rot, or degrade because of an additive to make it degrade (like most
plastics do). Any suggestions?

The obvious solution of course is to make a solid aluminum transom until you
consider the weight. Aluminum is really heavy when you start getting that
thick. We think of it as light compared to steel and it is, but still, an
inch and a half transom made of aluminum will take three men and a boy to
lift into place. Strong men. I had considered braking (bending) the
transom shape and filling it with resin, but again that is pretty heavy.
Not as heavy as solid aluminum, but still pretty heavy.

I had considered a compromise. Some time of honeycomb aluminum construction
transom with solid insert tubes welded in for the bolt holes, but I have no
idea how to build that. The solid insert tubes part would be easy. I mean
the honeycomb.

I have a little time to think about this, at it will probably take me 6
months to finish the repair job I am experimenting on. I'm taking out all
the wood casting decks and the sole to replace with tread plate along with
the necessary repairs. I'm also redesigning the areas that are damaged to
prevent the same type of damage from reoccurring without a lot worse force
trauma.

To all you stitch and glue guys, sorry. I think I'll go with aluminum.
Nothing wrong with wood. I just want to do it my way. LOL.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com