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So I want to strengthen the transom on my boat...there are a few options...one is welding or bolting a plate across the outside of the skin(.100") that is there now. I have a quote for 4 x 8 sheet of .250" thick 5052. that I could cut the transom out of... I don't need that large a piece but they only sell the whole sheet. I have a 49" square sheet of 5/16th" thick aluminum... I was wondering about cutting it and butt welding it to make a roughly 30" x 66" piece.
then I would only have my labor and welding materials... I have a mig welder at home and a TIG welder at work.. I could use...
feasible....??? ridiculous???....problematic???.... this plate will be tacked onto the outside of the skin now and will get the additional support of through bolts when I add a pad for the motor and a pad on the inside to help strengthen the transom even more...and to attach inside bracing.....in addition I have flotation pods that were welded to the transom, that I have cut off... I plan to recut them to give more clearance on the bottom to not drag when on plane..and to weld them to individual plates with a lip on each side that I can use to bolt to the whole transom assembly... this way if the pods need to be removed..i can just unbolt them.... so we are looking at roughly twelve 1/2"-13 ss through bolts.... 4 for the motor in the center, and four on each pod....so support will be spread out. the plate for each pod would also be 1/4" thick aluminum........I can afford the large 4 x8 sheet, but I still have a lot more items to replace on this boat rebuild....and need to try and use available stock and supplies when I can...
is the butt weld a good idea or not....sandwiched between the boats transom and three separate 1/4" plates on the outside( one under the motor and two that are part of the pods)... then on the inside Ill have a continuous 1/4" thick plate that just covers the bolt pattern of the through bolts....
bob
then I would only have my labor and welding materials... I have a mig welder at home and a TIG welder at work.. I could use...
feasible....??? ridiculous???....problematic???.... this plate will be tacked onto the outside of the skin now and will get the additional support of through bolts when I add a pad for the motor and a pad on the inside to help strengthen the transom even more...and to attach inside bracing.....in addition I have flotation pods that were welded to the transom, that I have cut off... I plan to recut them to give more clearance on the bottom to not drag when on plane..and to weld them to individual plates with a lip on each side that I can use to bolt to the whole transom assembly... this way if the pods need to be removed..i can just unbolt them.... so we are looking at roughly twelve 1/2"-13 ss through bolts.... 4 for the motor in the center, and four on each pod....so support will be spread out. the plate for each pod would also be 1/4" thick aluminum........I can afford the large 4 x8 sheet, but I still have a lot more items to replace on this boat rebuild....and need to try and use available stock and supplies when I can...
is the butt weld a good idea or not....sandwiched between the boats transom and three separate 1/4" plates on the outside( one under the motor and two that are part of the pods)... then on the inside Ill have a continuous 1/4" thick plate that just covers the bolt pattern of the through bolts....
bob
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