Devlin BB3 in aluminum

Thanks for the kind words HuntinDave! I definitely like your anchor solution better, I'll file that idea away for future use. As far as draft, it drafts the depth of the rocker. You can see in the last pic, the chine is just at water level in the stern. Since that picture was taken, I've added a 70# trolling motor battery in the bow, just aft of the fuel tank, that's brought the nose a little lower. Also, not evedent in the pics, are mount points for a bow mount trolling motor. This is the most comfortable small fishing boat I've ever used.
 
Mark,
A couple of dumb questions, if you please:
1.) How do you cut aluminum sheets? Aircraft shears?
2.) Presumably you used foam flotation. How did you weld without it catching on fire?
3.) I've been told it's easier to learn aluminum welding if you've never welded steel. Since I have no experience in either, I am wondering how hard it would be to learn?
Thank you, RM
 
There are no dumb questions. I used an aluminum cutting blade in a worm drive circular saw. The brand is Tenreu or something like that. They are carbide and the teeth have a negative hook angle. I built a 12" spaced 4X8 array of 1x2 firing lumber to lay on the floor, laid the aluminum on it and set the saw to just get through the sheet by 1/8". You can cut any radius you need this way.

The bow & stern compartments will be filled with expanding urethane. I haven't gotten to it yet. :rolleyes:

When I built, Pulsed MIG welders were only availble from Miller, Lincoln and other big Mfgs. and were $3000 plus. There are now a dozen or more Chinese welders available for $300 ish. Watch some you-tube comparison videos to get a feel for the better brands. I bought my son a Yesweld for Christmas, it had good reviews and seems to work as well as my Miller. Just make sure it's a pulsed capable welder. You will also need a spool gun. If you can find someone or a class that is willing to teach you MIG aluminum from the get go, I definitely would do that. No sense wasting time learning stuff you're not likely to use. The biggest difference between the two is amount of heat control required. If you learn that on aluminum, steel will be a cake walk. The book "Boatbuilding with Aluminum" by Pollard has a lot of good info on methods of work. Once you have that welder you'll find that you can build and fix trailers, equipment, storage racks and limitless other stuff. I couldn't live without one.
 
Great job! I have said for many years that an aluminum built Barnegat Bay Sneakbox would be ideal. I've even contemplated having one built by someone knowledgeable in aluminum boat building.
 
The bow & stern compartments will be filled with expanding urethane. I haven't gotten to it yet. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
I never get around to it in my boats either. (y)

Do you have any experience with laser welding? I have very little experience with any type of welding. I see a lot of videos of welding sheet material with a laser, and it looks quite simple. Not much of a learning curve, as there is contact between the metal and gun instead of maintaining an arc. I know you need a shielded room and special goggles. That aside, I'm wondering if laser welding might be an easy way for guys to break into aluminum boat building.
 
Good for you! I've been a fan of aluminum over wood my whole life but they just haven't been out there! For years I searched for a Gheenoe Canoe in Aluminum (doesn't exist) but I would take any marsh skiff in aluminum as I'm hard on equip and love the longevity of aluminum
 
RM Anderson said:
Mark,
A couple of dumb questions, if you please:
1.) How do you cut aluminum sheets? Aircraft shears?
2.) Presumably you used foam flotation. How did you weld without it catching on fire?
3.) I've been told it's easier to learn aluminum welding if you've never welded steel. Since I have no experience in either, I am wondering how hard it would be to learn?
Thank you, RM
Click to expand...
Sure makes me want to learn how to weld. I watched so many videos on pulse welders after this thread. My youtube feed is covered in them now. It seems like a pretty easy thing to learn with the right equipment. The last thing I need to put on my plate is making a boat.

@Mark Buechle what do you think it cost you to make this boat. Dont factor in time, thats free, but matierals wise? Exclude the welder as well in cost. With all the searching around, I did come across the stump jumper 1448 and its a great looking little boat as well. Of course, I may just need to add to my fleet one day and wondering if I should really delve down this rabbit hole or do something stupid and drive out to texas and eventually end up with one of those boats. Weight is similar to what you were able to achieve and size is pretty identical as well.

Last, how do these boats do in rough water? Ive always wondered about that. Some lakes I would still never venture out to with one of these, but my head is already turning in places I could go and hunt with one of these.
 
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