Skeg repair , FusionKing where are you ?

[Showdog75]

I've got a skeg to repair[replace] and would like a few pointers. I will attach a couple of pics to give you a idea of how much damage is involved. I plan to use a piece of 1/4" that is bigger than the skeg and cut it to shape after welding and blending is complete. Any advice or pointers are much appreciated. Btw this is a Mercruiser drive. One last thing , what would you charge for a repair like this ?

[nocheepgas]

Looks like time for a new prop as well

[Daniel]

I would quote about an hour for this fix.

[SundownIII]

"I would quote about an hour for this fix"

And you would lose your a$$

[sturugged]

skeg repair.

That one is a beauty, I would have estimated more than one hour for that repair. I guess it depends if you would blast it with a MIG. I have done many of these type of repairs and I usually use the TIG with a copper backing plate having a double vee type of preparation. I also usually wrap the gear case with soaking wet towels to draw the heat away and stop the seals from being cooked out. The copper backing plate clamped on works well as a heat sink to draw heat out of the skeg. Most of the time these repairs require a fair amount of sacrificial build up and then blending to get the contours. It would be nice to make a cardboard template if there was a little more of the fin left. I think that repair might be 4 or 5 hours depending on exactly how pooched it is. I havent had a single person complain or whine about how long it took because i never roasted the seals or leg oil. These fixes would bankrupt a guy if just done for a set hourly rate because of the consumables used. At least that is my opinion.

[FusionKing]

Sheesh I hope you wasn't holding your breath!!

OK...I probably would rather order a skeg for that if you don't have one.
If you used 1/4'' it would work fairly well, but you will probably need to build up a fair amount thoughout the middle besides grinding a lot also.
I have done a lot of creative methods such as that, but normally if it is too much to build up then I replace it with a replacement style skeg when available.
Whichever way you go I would still use what is left of that one there. It will be a stronger repair and less heat will go into the "bullet". IMO, no two are ever the same
I generally charge whatever the traffic will bear but, I wouldn't do that one like that for less than $250 if you have all the metal finished ready to paint etc.
I have been getting around $350-375 this summer for reworking Bravos that are generally twisted and scraped up with chunks missing.
Daniel, simply cutting off flush and welding on a skeg and then bondo over is not the kind of work my customers expect anymore. There are loads of folks that would be happy with that. I have pushed my way long enuff to get a reputation for doing work on the bigger and faster off shore boats. They break a lot more stuff and have more money.
Make every job you do a work of art. Few pits and nearly all grind marks sanded out. No low spots. Square and shaped perfect. If if looks like all it needs is slight filler and priming/painting you will get the nod and be first call every time. Many times now I have done a cav plat repair and had the customer point out the finish was better than the original on the opposite side.
I done a Y pipe fix on a 502, 2 Bravo 1's and a polished Sportmaster skegs last week.
This week it is a giant cav plate job on a Bravo III plus the skeg on it, and a Cobra skeg and an Alpha Gen II skeg as well.
They really don't pay nearly as well as the pontoon repairs we do but they come in so regular I ain't about to complain. If all I did this week was just those cast repairs it would still be better than having a boss IMO

[Aerometalworker]

Buy the replacement skeg and do it right. There is no "plate stock" that will work well from a corrosion aspect.

[bayweld]

I have done a lot of these skeg replacements....My customers are commercial fishermen with work skiffs and out boards...They are not so interested in looks as they are in function..I usually just cut a piece of 5086 alum plate and mig weld it on there...shape it with a grinder and sander...smooth it up a little and everyone gets back to work...This may not be the situation for you but it works very well ...the alum holds up and the skeg works as it is supposed to....hardly ever takes more than an hour...Your mileage may vary...good luck

[SundownIII]

And there folks we have the difference between a professional and a hack.

[Daniel]

"I would quote about an hour for this fix"

And you would lose your a$$

If the customer wants a quick fix that is functionnal and he doesn't care if it doesn't look like a show room piece. And I'm only fixing the fin. 1.5 maybe 2 hours max.
But if he wants the fin to look factory, that's another story.

[Daniel]

And there folks we have the difference between a professional and a hack.

It all depends what the customer wants. If the customer doesn't have much money to spend and wants a hack job that what we'll produce and if the customer wants a job that looks like new then you have to figure out if it's no cheaper to replace with new.
We've got some 3/8" aluminium plate at the shop. I bet I can cut a fin out of it very quick, cut the left over square flat, on the existing, V-up the end of the 3/8" plate and welded on, smooth the edges for less resistance on the fin in a 2 hours max. At $ 85.00 an hour plus materials I think it's fair for a quote.
And I always say to the customer, """ give and take """

But put a replacement skeg on this leg done professionally, 1 or 1.5 hours max

[wronghand]

Done 4 or 5 of them so far this summer-- for outboards up to about 110 size I charge a flat rate-- $200. For bigger motors, the price goes up because I end up using more/thicker material. Just did a 90 horse evinrude and 1/4" worked great. Doubled V-groove with TIG root and MIG fill and cap. 10 min. with a grinder and 10 min.with a sanding disc to "pretty it up" and I haven't had any complaints yet.

1.5 - 2 hrs @ $90 plus a little bit for material= $200 flat rate

[Daniel]

Done 4 or 5 of them so far this summer-- for outboards up to about 110 size I charge a flat rate-- $200. For bigger motors, the price goes up because I end up using more/thicker material. Just did a 90 horse evinrude and 1/4" worked great. Doubled V-groove with TIG root and MIG fill and cap. 10 min. with a grinder and 10 min.with a sanding disc to "pretty it up" and I haven't had any complaints yet.

1.5 - 2 hrs @ $90 plus a little bit for material= $200 flat rate

I wish, we would have a tig at the shop for some of the root we have to do. I have to use the mig for everything aluminium. I had this guy come over with and old 12 ' boat that was leaking from the front bow, where it always touch ground when it gets beached. I used a 1/4" X 1" 6061 FB, I clean the boat for welding cut the 18 " FB to match the width of the repair and mig the piece in place, concentrating all the heat on the flat bar and back stepping.
Did the fix and grind the repair smooth, 45 minutes I was done.

[Showdog75]

I ended up buying a replacement skeg. I know I could've made it but I've never used a bought skeg so I took Fusions advice and saved myself some work. Got it welded on tonite will wait til tomorrow and do my clean-up. It welded great as both pieces were good aluminum. I turned my hertz way down from what I normally run the Dynasty on and man oh man how sweet it welded.

[Showdog75]

A few more pics. Btw it took me about 2 1/2 hours so far minus clean-up but you guys must realize that this is what a bored Boilermaker does for fun and beer money so I'm not killing myself here[notice the Sam Adams in one pic and my Birkenstocks in another]. It sure is nice to work at your own pace with no peckerheads breathing down your neck. Btw I charged a mere $240 for this "hack" job.