12' Aluminium Skiff Kit

[Hood]

Just as easy to weld on small upstands where required and use clamps, also if you weld only the one side then they can quickly be tapped off with a hammer in the opposite direction and the remnants of the weld cleaned with a flap disc. That is a method I use all the time.

 

[Jim Davey]

Quick teaser...

 

[Jim Davey]

 

[Richard.]

It's looking lovely Jim.
You certainly ain't messing about are ya.
3 days in and it looks like a boat.
3 days into my projects and we are usually still at drawing stages.

 

[Jim Davey]

I have been thinking about doing this for about 3 years now. So you could call it a long term project

 

[Mark E]

Looks like a great facility to work in! How are you finding welding aluminium with a MIG?

 

[Jim Davey]

It's nice to have the space. I'm making the most of it while I can as it looks like we won't be moving in after all.

As for ally with a MIG it goes just fine. I do think I'll dig out a Phoenix for fully welding out the hull as hot start and crater-fill would be really handy on this thin material.
I will be TIG welding some parts, such as the rub rail as it will be easier (I hope).

 

[Hood]

It's nice to have the space. I'm making the most of it while I can as it looks like we won't be moving in after all.

As for ally with a MIG it goes just fine. I do think I'll dig out a Phoenix for fully welding out the hull as hot start and crater-fill would be really handy on this thin material.
I will be TIG welding some parts, such as the rub rail as it will be easier (I hope).

Looking good
What are you using to tack it, a Pico?

 

[Jim Davey]

Yeah, Picomig 305 purchased forum forum member HMB. It's a nice set but its not quite a Phoenix. I'll be swapping when it comes to the weld out. The setting I need for a good seam on 3mm is too cold at the start and a little too hot by the end so a hot start, with a nice transition to seam weld current, then a gradual slope out would work well here. Will save a fair bit of grinding back the starts.

 

[Jim Davey]

Well I found out why I was struggling with cold, blobby tacks, the wire I grabbed in a dimly lit shop thinking it was 1.0mm turns out to be 1.2mm, so with the right wire and program on the thing, it will run much better.
You'd think I'd have got that one right with my background wouldn't you?

 

[Richard.]

Well I found out why I was struggling with cold, blobby tacks, the wire I grabbed in a dimly lit shop thinking it was 1.0mm turns out to be 1.2mm, so with the right wire and program on the thing, it will run much better.
You'd think I'd have got that one right with my background wouldn't you?

No mate it's what we do. I still forget to turn on the bottle and connect the return more frequently than I should be.

 

[Jim Davey]

Not connecting the bottle makes such a mess!

 

[Hood]

I grabbed the Tig the last day, lowered the current via the torch and pressed the trigger, doing stainless and it was on AC
Sharpened the tungsten and started again, still hadn't changed to DC
Third time I got t right

 

[addjunkie]

I grabbed the Tig the last day, lowered the current via the torch and pressed the trigger, doing stainless and it was on AC
Sharpened the tungsten and started again, still hadn't changed to DC
Third time I got t right

Agezimers affects us all

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Agezimmers affects us all

Fixed that for you......

 

[Hood]

Fixed that for you......

If my knees get worse I am going to need one soon and I am only just past 50

 

[Jim Davey]

I've just had to go back several stages cut out the centre and forward boxes as I'm getting twist in the hull as I work the side plates in around the bottom plates.
I think the centre bench is maybe cut or folded a little squew-if as in order for it to sit level in the hull I have to shift it sideways by a good 30mm which gives me a gap one side, an overhang on the other and a rat-hole that doesn't line up with the centreline of the hull.
I think I'm going to pack up and go home for the night and try to figure out how to rescue it in the morning.

 

[Hood]

Not so good
Had issues when I was doing the one I did. If I recall the bottom sections just wouldn't line up and in the end I just welded in place and cut a chunk off the side. I think the parts had either been cut wrong or possibly had been designed wrong as the shape turned out as intended even though I had cut a good 20mm off of one side

 

[Jim Davey]

To be fair I expected a little bit of twist but not 25-30mm.?its just too much, so I think I'll try wrapping the sides around and tacking them, see if they look something like right, then drop the box and bench in and trim/fettle to suit.

 

[Jim Davey]

Eureka, boat had shifted over in the jig, not sure how but the bow was about 15mm off to one side allowing the port side to take on some twist. I think I'll tack the boat down to the jig to stop it shifting while I clamber in and out of it.
Don't you love a steep learning curve?