Alum stringers, fiberglass boat?

[albernifisher]

Okay I told myself I'll never rebuild another boat, the voices in my head are starting to talk to me again... Anyone ever try to put aluminum stringers in a fiberglass boat???

 

[Big Green Machine]

Is this just preventative maintenance or are the stringers done in the Searay?

 

[albernifisher]

My stringers are done. I'm thinking about getting another project boat and maybe putting aluminum stringers in it???

 

[Sculpin]

Why don't you just get a whole aluminum boat built .

I know your thoughts about stringers are just the beginning. Imagine what you could do with more dreams........

 

[SpringVelocity]

Sea ray's are such nice boats... Can't say I heard of that. I heard of people using different materials for stingers but never metal... You never know though... Even still if you went that through that you would have to beef everything up for strength etc...When you cost it out it probably wouldn't be worth it.

 

[chris73]

I am not seeing the upside of an alum stringer. You would have to custom weld and construct alum beams to properly function as stringers. To fit them perfectly to the hull seems like a difficult task. And then? Fiberglass over alum to the hull? Probably not a good idea. Stick with the typical materials.

 

[Gypseas]

Aluminum gets its resistance to corrosion from it being exposed to air (oxygen). You encase it in fibreglass and might have a problem

 

[seadna]

Aluminum gets its resistance to corrosion from it being exposed to air (oxygen). You encase it in fibreglass and might have a problem

I doubt that will be a problem at all. I'd be a lot more concerned about the differential coefficients of expansion between aluminum and fiberglass. E.g. I bet fiberglass and aluminum expand at different rates at temperature changes. I'd expect that the aluminum would separate from any wrapping in glass. The aluminum in the absence of air (surrounded by glass) wouldn't corrode.

 

[albernifisher]

I work in a truck shop, we do tonnes of fiberglass work. One of the things we do is glue in aluminum hood braces in kenworths,the two part glue we use is so strong that the fiberglass will tear before the glue will let go. I would build the stringer so it would be like a "I beam" and bed it in with the glue

 

[seadna]

I work in a truck shop, we do tonnes of fiberglass work. One of the things we do is glue in aluminum hood braces in kenworths,the two part glue we use is so strong that the fiberglass will tear before the glue will let go. I would build the stringer so it would be like a "I beam" and bed it in with the glue

That would probably work fine. I've used a 2-part glue (Weldmount) to attach stainless steel metal studs to fiberglass. Similar to your experience, the joint is stronger than the fiberglass. However, stainless and fiberglass have more similar coefficient of thermal expansion than Al and glass. So I think you need to carefully look at the length over which the joint is made and test it over a range of temps from a little below 0C to maybe 40C.

 

[sasqman]

@albernifisher did you ever end up trying the aluminum stringers?

 

[Rayvon]

I'm sure somebody would have done it by now,if it made any sense.As "Seadna" says the expansion is bound to be different,condensation from heat differential will corrode the aluminum,the bond to the hull will seperate,possible electrolosis in the aluminum.Not worth the experiment me thinks.

 

[ship happens]

It's just not somthing you do in marine. If you want a permanent stringer you go with hollow fiberglass stringers.

 

[Brando]

I think there are so many other good options now It’s not worth the hassle. Coosa foam epoxy hollow fiberglass etc. epoxy barrier coats below the waterline are a great help as well in stopping the osmosis issues that many older poly based bulls suffered from.

 

[gunnerlove]

 

[Whole in the Water]

With temperature differences I wonder if the aluminum stringers would sweat (create condensation) like an aluminum boat does? If it did it would just create rot.

 

[macro]

Look at any tinny thats got a fiber glass patch on it.. chances are its delaminating. Glass wont stick to aluminum for very long.