Aluminum Stringers?

[79TahitiCBB]

I have a 79 Tahiti with a very mild 454, and engine length stringers. Of course the previous owner let is sit with the drain plug in for a few years and the stringers are shot.
So I am plannin on replacing them in a couple weeks and was talkin to a buddy and we were wondering about just using aluminum tubing instead of wood.
I did a search both here and on Barney's sight and didn't come up with much. What do you guys think?

[HBjet]

Why not just use wood again? Never heard of anyone wanting alum. stringers... Good Luck
HBjet

[Jungle Boy]

I got them:D :D
Can't imagine why anyone would want wood ones.:eek: :eek:
check out jungle's pleasure ride to see aluminum stringers

[fourspeednup]

Originally posted by Jungle Boy
I got them:D :D
Can't imagine why anyone would want wood ones.:eek: :eek:
haha, we get it:D

[HBjet]

Originally posted by Jungle Boy
I got them:D :D
Can't imagine why anyone would want wood ones.:eek: :eek:
you don't count...
HBjet:D

[shaun]

I may end up having to replace the stringers on my boat as well. My dad told me that the last time he looked at them they looked like they where buckling alittle bit. I assume they are getting rotted. How difficult of a job is this? Should i even try to do it my self or should i pay somebody to do it? How much am i looking at spending to have somebody do it?

[quiet riot]

yah, mine haven't rotted either.:D It might be hard to weld them to fiberglass though. :rolleyes:
jd

[Danhercules]

I am no boat expert by any means, but that s good point. Why not aluminum. Just glass it in. If not aluminum, what about TREX? A manufacured wood product that dose not rot?
Oldrigger??? Where are you???

[UBFJ #454]

You might consider LEXAN/Composite material sandwich stringers.

[mud duck]

Why not? Fiberglass will stick to aluminum, right?
Examples of aluminum hull structure:
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/519/452aluminum-cougar-cat-654569_5-med.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/521/120ft-sport-2022395_4-med.JPG

[HalletDave]

Originally posted by Danhercules
I am no boat expert by any means, but that s good point. Why not aluminum. Just glass it in. If not aluminum, what about TREX? A manufacured wood product that dose not rot?
Oldrigger??? Where are you???
Dan,
I am getting ready to replace the bunks on the Hallett Hauler with Trex. The lumber yard that I am geting the Trex from tells me I can staple the carpet on to the Trex with no problems.
I decided on the Trex since no one in the Antelope Valley has any kiln dried douglas fir. I don't want to take the chance of wet lumber bowing or twisting.
If there are any reasons why I should not use the Trex product as trailer bunk replacements, please chime in.

[spectras only]

I would choose a simple solution [ being cheap ] if you don't want more lumber in your boat;) .Cut 2x10's out of styrofoam , shape it to the angle of your V and encapsulate it with # of layers of mat & rowing. Sunrunner boats built their boats in a similar fashion with metal plates imbedded for engine mounting. Never seen a rot problem with those boats. I've seen trailers with the Trex stuff ,I'll replace my bunks with that when due:cool: If you can find kiln dried douglas fir ,thats what I would use for stringers.

[Oldsquirt]

Originally posted by HalletDave
If there are any reasons why I should not use the Trex product as trailer bunk replacements, please chime in.
Apparently it has little or no strength. It is just recycled plastic with some wood particles imbedded in it. It is designed to span distances of 16" not 8'.
Here's a thread from another board:Trailer bunks (http://www.realjetboats.com/cgi/yabb/YaBB.pl/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1075601403)

[79TahitiCBB]

So you guys running allum, are you having any problems fiberglassing them into place? Are you just using standard polyester resin or anything special?
Also are you just running the stringers or do you have to go all out like mud duck and build an entire engine compartment?
BTW mud duck sweet setup. I am gonna do something like that when I get to building my river jet.
Mike

[Back Forty]

Aluminum honeycomb core.
Build the structure, glass/ epoxy and vaccum bag the thing, then glass it in as one piece.
The stuff comes in many forms/thicknesses and so on.
Lots of this stuff out there.
Just a thought.
http://www.freemansupply.com/AluminumHoneycomb.htm
http://www.mcgillcorp.com/alcore_brigantine/products.html

[dorC]

I *believe* that glass will not stick to aluminum. The bond between the two is weak and will separate.

[mud duck]

I thought Glasstron claimed their boats were made with honeycomb stringers in the early to mid 1990's. I think they claimed to be rot free too.
I looked seriously at one with a 350 ci in it around 1994 or 1995, so I scoped out their web site then to learn more about their boats and their manufacturing techniques.

[mud duck]

Well, fiberglass will stick to steel. At least I have done it while attempting to hide rust on car fenders and wheel wells. I have used it to create a surface for body filler to cling to where holes in the car body existed. I know (and knew then) the right way to do it is to cut out all the old rusty metal and weld in new metal, but that was not an option at that time. :wink:

[Danhercules]

Originally posted by HalletDave
Dan,
I am getting ready to replace the bunks on the Hallett Hauler with Trex. The lumber yard that I am geting the Trex from tells me I can staple the carpet on to the Trex with no problems.
I decided on the Trex since no one in the Antelope Valley has any kiln dried douglas fir. I don't want to take the chance of wet lumber bowing or twisting.
If there are any reasons why I should not use the Trex product as trailer bunk replacements, please chime in.
I dont know. I was asking. I know TREX dose not rot, but about the strengh. Where's Old rigger?

[dorC]

Originally posted by Danhercules
I dont know. I was asking. I know TREX dose not rot, but about the strengh. Where's Old rigger?
Trex is a wet noodle. Absolutly NO strength.

[HalletDave]

Originally posted by OLDSQUIRT
Apparently it has little or no strength. It is just recycled plastic with some wood particles imbedded in it. It is designed to span distances of 16" not 8'.
Here's a thread from another board:Trailer bunks (http://www.realjetboats.com/cgi/yabb/YaBB.pl/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1075601403)
Thanks for the link OLDSQUIRT,
I think I will go hand pick some douglas fir tomorrow to replace the bunks on the ole Hallett hauler.

[dorC]

Don't use fir for your bunks. For that application you'll want pressure treated. Now, if you can't get the green stuff, you'll be stuck with the new copper treatment. The copper will corrode galvanized fasteners so you should step up to stainless fasteners.

[ezstriper]

ON YOUR STRINGERS, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GLASS THEM IN, I'M SURE THERE IS SOME SPECIAL EXPOXY YOU COULD USE, BUT IN MY OPINION, WHY BOTHER, IF YOU GLASS IN NEW WOOD CORRECKLY YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM IN YOUR LIFETIME, ROB...

[MANIC MECHANIC]

I did some research on this subject years ago, heres what I came up with.
The expansion rate due to temperature is radically different between the two materials.
Although epoxy frp will bond to aluminum,
Once the bond is subjected to repeated expansion/contraction
Cycles and of course the beating it will take on the water,
it is very probable that the bond between the two materials would fail.
Also, No offense mud duck, your hull is additionally strengthened by the bottom plate and structure, but to get the stiffness achieved in a simple wooden stringer by making one out of aluminum, you would have a stringer that weighed more than a wooden one.
Tim

[toad polumsky]

Haven't wood stringers worked pretty good for like a hundred years?

[TopCat]

i ran alkyhol in my old boat it had spun aluminum tanks /year later tanks developed all kinds of little leaks the guy who bought it used fiberglass resin to seal up the tanks 2 years ago and they still dont/but mahogany works fantastic

[TopCat]

they stil dont leak

[CrdStang]

I deffinately can't claim to be an expert, but I'd go wood. It's easy to shape, cheap, 'glass sticks to it. After cutting the angles/taper on my stringers, I bent them by putting them on to saw horses and usin a couple old SBC heads (who says Chevys are good for nothin?) for weight. Made them go in a lot easier.
Have fun, whatever you decide.

[INFINITEJJ]

I'm no expert either, but don't use TREX for anything structural. It was never intended for that purpose. The only thing it is really good for is decking, non structural handrails and planters.