You are the most relatable boater ive found, i also have a 12ft aluminum boat, 15hp motor, and a trailer i bought seperately. Everything ive wondered, i found the answer on your channel. To me, its like a very nice coincidences. I also have a same crack on the transom, but on the center.
I'm 100% sure that this is the ONLY boat channel I need to watch for all of my learning , information and entertainment needs Thanks again for another great video. Mark from Harford county.
Your sound effects are hilarious!! Very good video. I just replaced my transom with plywood lots of marine goop sealant and painted steel plates. I used 1 1/2 inch x 1/16 aluminum angle overlapping with lots more marine goop. I wish I would have watched this first. I did seal the wood with 2 coats of marine mast varnish. I'm 68, I bet this will last the rest of my life. Thank you for sharing!! PS I did learn how to weld aluminum this summer with map gas. Practice practice practice.PSS... I learned about riveting this summer too. Learning is good! Again, thank you!!
Thanks for putting this video together. I like that you scaled down the size and cost of the repair to something practical for your use. Many times people don't take into account the total worth of the boat while they go and over spend and over build. The boat forums have people that spell doom and gloom if you dont use marine ply, coosa, seacast, etc. I also really like the trick to use jbweld to avoid galvanic corrosion. Overall, looks like a success! Also confirms that aluminum is the way to go if you want an older less expensive boat that is easier to fix up. Old fiberglass boats with transoms that need work are..... a whole other headache 😅
Excellent video sir in quality and content, thanks for sharing! Going to be tackling this project on my grandfathers 1968 14' jon that I've fished out of since I was a kid.
Want an extra problem for your boat? Watch this video! Jk! This guy is very thorough, maybe too thorough for a quick transom replacement. I know for most of us this is a love affair, and even though we say we’re saving money we end up wasting money i.e. time, in the long-term. Once you drill rivets there’s no going back! A very thorough video! Well done!
Great video! I also use stainless machine screws with a flat metal washer followed by a flat rubber washer in between the boat aluminum. I usually just put silicone under the rubber washer before I tighten it down. I use a flat metal washer and lock washer on the inside of the boat. Anytime I have a rivet go bad, I just replace it with this setup. Thanks again for the video. I'll be going with Coosa board.
There is a system designed specifically for plywood boat building, it’s called the W.E.S.T System, wood epoxy saturation technique. It’s been in use for decades and is designed to seal wood in marine environments. I learned of it some 40 odd years ago. Nice work BTW!
Great video. My aluminum boat is almost exactly the same design as yours. I'm using a treated 2 x 10 solid board (sealed with marine varnish) for my new transom. I've got to notch the top inboard edge to allow the transom to slide up under that 1" lip along the top of the boat.
I’ve done similar repairs over decades and found that T-11 siding/ exterior plywood worked very well. I had enough scraps from a few tool shed builds. Not technically the prettiest solution but cheap and effective.
Nice repair! JB Weld is awesome stuff, but doesn't go with aluminum very well. Epoxy hardens into a brittle plastic. Aluminum boats flex quite a bit. The epoxy cannot move with the aluminum and the bond breaks and or a crack develops over time. A longer lasting adhesive/sealant would be 3M 5200 or similar. When 5200 cures, it remains flexible and moves with the aluminum. It won't crack or debond.
That's too much work Nixon that marine-grade he should have clamped into the transom drilled it and use Marine 5200 I'm trying to get something done quick I would have ran with the plastic board I think it's called starboard
Wayne, you are *fearless* with this stuff. Nice vid! Next time you install a wooden component on a boat, use oil-based polyurethane varnish (Valspar, etc.), thinned about 10% (at least six coats with dry time between). It will soak in and protect the wood from within, rather than acting like a hard finish on top of the wood like paint does. The poly is far more robust and will last years longer than paint.
Thank you for taking us along on this build! I really appreciate your sharing the steps including your thought process, research, analysis, options, decision making, execution and the recap summary. I am guessing you must be an engineer? I like that you decided to complete the welds and the rivets despite the added challenges. I think the results speak volumes of success and self-satisfaction! Appreciate your videos! Please keep up the great work! Stay safe and I look forward to your next post!
Good video/discussion! I also used exterior ply after reading about treatments/construction of plywoods. I glued and screwed the sandwiched sheets together, then weight pressed on flat floor. Sealed exterior surfaces with several coats of clear polyurethane. My boat had a smaller thinner wood plate on the exterior which I replaced with a similar sealant treatment. I too opted for the SS hardware for all attachments and also used JB weld for sealant/anti corrosion. Should outlast me.
RE drilling the wood. The method is known as drill fill drill. Any water leaks at the bolts is in direct contact with untreated wood and right were stress is applied. So the solution is to: 1 Mark the location 2 Drill out over sized holes 3 Fill with thickened epoxy or something 4 Drill the hole size you need.
While I haven't replaced a transom, I'm really impressed with the sealant properties of Rustoleum Rocksolid Polycuramine . You'd need just a bit for the transom, then get ready to spring into action to coat your garage floor.
Sikaflex sealant, glue 2 sheets of far eastern plywood WBP together with urea formaldehyde glue for transom board.. About drilling through, put a bolt through a plug of sikaflex. Just squirt and push, messy but effective. Both sides of a rivet kit helps !
I've used waterproof exterior plywood to rebuild my engine an seat wood backing. Applied Beir waterproofing sealer for extra protection that was 10 yeas ago and no issues or rot
NICE VIDEO THANKS FOR SHARING! I wonder if you cut brace in half then when you get ready to put it back is eather weld it or bolt it back together seem to be easier then taking out rivet just saying.
When I used to do auto body work we only called the thick ones "fender washers" - I remember trying to hand one that was thin to a guy and he threw it across the shop. He may have been wrong, but I always remember that.
Excellent job, especially on that dogleg brace! I have a 14' 1972 Polar Kraft that was my dad's boat, he gave it to me twelve years ago when he got unable to fish anymore because of health reasons. I should have replaced the transom back then, but the entire thing is held in with rivets so it has scared me off from replacing it. It has dual dogleg braces side by side, and of course both ends are held in with rivets. However the top brace and corner braces aren't welded on but are held on with rivets so I should be able to remove that and slide the new transom in from the top. I really don't want to mess with the bottom rivets on the braces. Even though that boat is fifty years old, it doesn't leak. That boat is extremely solid, and the paint still looks great. It's the olive drab color with those white speckles all in the finish, I have no idea how it's done. Anyway, your video has given me the courage to finally replace the transom in my old boat.
I definitely would have used teflon/delrin fender washers on the outside to isolate the SS and AL. The epoxy will squish away and you'll still get some metal-metal contact. If you do any aluminum boat and trailer work, I'd spring for a welder with an AL spool gun. I picked up one from northern tool a few years ago and it works really well. But great job on an inexpensive fix regardless!
Hey Wayne, great video. I have a question unrelated to the transom. While watching this video I noticed that your keel on the boat has a small hole. What is this hole for? My 14 foot aluminum Seaking brand boat has a similar hole. What is this hole for? I heard that it is meant for the keel to drain. Know anything about this? Thanks!
One of the most helpful tutorials I've seen on transom replacement. Thank you. Consider the amount of time it takes to research other people's learning curves. Money is a universal trading value of our time (unless you're a central banking institution, but that's elite corrupt economics). I digress... I also had similar cracks in my transom C-channel and used mapp gas to "weld" fluxless aluminum rods. It worked great, until a very small amount of pressure was applied and then the cracks split right through the solder. I also have other issues of corrosion and pinholes throughout my transom aluminum, leaving me with more work than I signed up for... I would love to pick your brain on a bunch of things, but one thing that jumps out is why didn't you screw the two pieces of bcx together instead of using clamps? I mean the paint gallon cans and cabinet doors did look a bit sensational....😂 I was glad to see that you used stainless steel sheet metal screws and the same washers I chose and that you mentioned not allowing them to contact the aluminum. I hope this lasts a very long time for you.
Honestly I didn't think about screwing the 2 pieces together at the time because I don't do a lot of wood working. Looking back, it sure would have been a better idea!
For pinholes you can get by with JB Water weld. Has thus far held up for 4 seasons under water and still holding. I check it often as I am seeing how long it lasts.
both marine and X grade plywoods use exterior glue, the difference in marine grade plywood and the BCX you used is there are no voids in the marine plywood laminations , there are in any other plywood.
That sucks that your back corner triangles don't unbolt and come out. Mine had 4 screws in each of the back triangles caps to keep them in or to remove them, along with the strip of metal that goes all the way across the top of transom board. On my boat I have 3 of those dog ear braces things coming up from the floor of boat to the transom board so I'm kinda glad they do come out so i can just lift up on the transom board to take it out. I've been slowly restoring a boat that I got a couple years ago. Its the first boat that I've owned so I've been having to watch different videos to see how to repair or replace stuff. I took it apart and kept the original transom board to make a new one but didn't know which material I was gonna use yet. I have a 1966 Mirrocraft 14ft vhull deep fisherman.
@WayneTheBoatGuy I have used 3/8 inch thick plastic cutting boards to fix a canoe where back end was cut off. Made a template out of cardboard. Glued two boards together. Rolled edges inward where was cut off. Used marine glue on inside and outside. Sealed with flex seal. Has lasted for three years of regular use. The marine glue and prep I believe were key to making it work. As well as bracing the top to eliminate flexing as much as possible. Used a trolling motor on it for a year then made a wooden bracket out of oak to side mount it. I liked the plastic because it was rigid and more permanent fix.
Doing things yourself gives you a good sense of self worth.CHEERS from Here!!! P.S. The "Drill,Fill, and Drill metheod of drilling a bigger hole than you need then filling the hole with thickened epoxy, then drilling the right size hole for the fastener in the center of the filled first hole works well.
When you drill holes through transom wood you can drill them larger than needed. Then fill with fiberglass resin paste. Then drill again the smaller hole size you need. Now you have a hole that is isolated from the wood. If you fiberglass acx or bcx well it will last a very long time. There is another very easy way to replace a transom and about the price of coosa. It's a pourable epoxy of sorts, but you need a void to pour it into.
Great job!. For the cost this is the way to go. Though I personally would spend the extra money if I could swing it for the Cosa board or even the aluminum transom since those will last for the life of the boat, (after all who wants to do this again in their lifetime). For a longer lasting wood transom I would suggest that one use marine grade fiber glass resin (Bondo) to seal the boards (it does a superior job of waterproofing the wood and isn't that much harder to apply than paint). Also I wouldn't only glue the two 1/2" pieces together but use stainless screws with marine grade sealant in the holes (you can also counter sink them just below the surface and fill it in with additional sealant. I also have worries about getting those bolts you used JB Weld on back out in the future if ever you have to replace that transom again down the road (you think those original aluminum bolts were a pain!). But hopefully this will be the next owner's headache ; ) as your transom should last for many years to come.
You bring up some interesting points and options. I wonder how much harder/easier 3M 5200 would be to remove in a decade compared to the JB Weld. It might be "too" good!
@@WayneTheBoatGuy the “ 4200” is a little less tough to remove. It’s for things you want sealed , but may need to remove in the future, not so “permanent” as the 5200.
Nice Job... The truth about marine ply vs other is more about the glue. In the past, some plywood was made with water soluble glue, thus it would fall apart faster when exposed to the elements, even if treated. Nowadays, all ply is made with waterproof glue, so the only real difference is grade of wood.
The brace helps with keeping the transom from flexing especially with a heavier outboard. I don't know who might sell a dog leg brace as many boats don't have a standard configuration.
I had a 14 ft tracker aluminum utility boat. I put a new piece of toilet partition. Solid plastic and indestructible. I laminated it fully to the inside of transom With lock tight pl 3000. Its 5 times stronger than original
Wayne you did an outstanding job with this video, and i've seen a dozen with mixed reviews. I don't have your carpentry skills so I plan on going the Coosa board route. I did however want to ask what specific kinds of rivets you used as well as the method of fastening them. As you know rivets are like screws, there are many kinds and sizes. Thanks again for a great job.
I plan to do a rivet video in the future - but basically try to determine the size of the rivets you're replacing and match them up. The 'size' is the size of the hole where the rivet was - check that will drill bits to find which drill bit fits perfectly in the hole. Then match up the head shape and get the right length rivets (I had to guess this one), but you want enough sticking up to flatten without having too much sticking up.
Couple things. The latex paint will not do well in constant moisture . Aluminum slider woks well but you have to clean the aluminum with a stainless steel brush otherwise you are embedding carbon into the surface of the aluminum. When it come to welding or brazing Aluminum cleanliness is king. The other issue with brazing aluminum is, it’s a giant heat sink so it cools very fast. The bigger the piece the harder it is to get it to temp and keep it there.
Did you look into the liquid transom option? I've been considering going that route on my boat. The Idea of removing the entire rear deck to access and remove and install the full board seems daunting, when I can remove the board in pieces and pour the new transom in.
Simply cover both sides of transom wood with fiberglass cloth and resin and it will last a lifetime. Also. Anywhere a hole exists I would use 3M 5200 sealant. Great job by the way.
liquid nails aint no joke . i acualy built a shower using river slab rocks sandstone all shapes and sizes. i used finished nails to hang all the rocks up on the wall then one at a time liquid nailed them putting them back in the nails to hang and dry .when all was done i pulled all nails and the rocks wasnt going nowhere. they was stuck good and these are big heavy rocks. finished up bu mortering in between them all and till this day 20 years its like it was done yesterday. so i like useing it . if you dont plan on ever trying to take what you nailed down down . lol
I was looking for aluminum hardware, but couldn't find any locally. It seems that many people use stainless with aluminum these days, as long as there's "something" in between the two metals.
I've heard that there's a stainless steel that is more closely comparable with the aluminum. I believe that it is called 316L stainless? Are you familiar?
The hardest job your small tinnie will ever do is to ride down the hi-way on its trailer with the motor attached to the transom. If at all possible, mount the motor when you get to your destination. if you do this, the transom will never crack along the top. And, the transom will bnever develoop the buckling that is the sign of work stretched sheet metal. Aluminum work hardens as it vibrates, causing micro cracks that will become visible. The wood rot issue is real, but it's a very old boat that has it - usually. Replace it with marine grade plywood. It does NOT have to mahogany marine. It can be regular fir, but paint it with three coats of thinned epoxy resin, then prime and paint with your choice of paint. It doesn't have to be marine paint at $100 a quart. House paint that is semigloss is fine, as it is outdoor rated. Coat and paint all surfaces before installing.
I would replace the plywood with Trex decking. It's an inch thick and will last forever . It comes 6 inches and is tongue and groove so it will lock into the piece next to it. It comes in various colors from a light gray to browns ect for making it blend in with camo and b=never needs painting
Great job…..but make sure you wear a life jacket. 😀 Seriously, I don’t know that I would have used plain plywood with what ever sort of paint you had laying around, and the ends should for sure have been treated with something more serious, because that’s plywood’s biggest weakness by far. That "welding" I’m not too sure about too. I only had about 70 hours of training in stick, mig, and tig. The tig was specifically for aluminum. It’s a pain in the butt, because aluminum is such a good heat sync. The point is though is that welding isn’t just like gluing. It’s about melting two metals together. So I have no experience about brazing (except in the kitchen) but don’t think it’s anywhere near as strong as welding. So I would have put a patch of aluminum over the break. Maybe braze the break, sand it down, then put a patch. That would have maybe quadrupled the amount of material used to hold it together……or just had a pro do it. 🙂 Great video though. You had some really good little tips. You did it in a fun way and with some humility. I liked it, and you have a new sub…..subscriber that is. Not into the funny stuff. 😀
Wha5 you do is either drill out the rivets or cut the brace in half 🌗 later insert a sleeve in side the brace and bolt it back. But best is drill out the rivets. Another instead of plywood again put Malard material it's l8ke plastic chopping board.
The difference between marine ply and cheap n ouse plywood isn't glue between plywood, its voids in the plywood. Voids give vapor and place for water and mildness to start the re rot process. Plus you can get much better wood spices than house plywood.
The Stainless Steel bolts and washers will/may slowly corrode holes in your aluminum transom by electrolysis. And, good luck removing those JB Welded bolts next time you replace that transom.
I used the JB Weld to be the barrier between the stainless and aluminum to hopefully prevent the corrosion. I know the JB Weld might be a real pain to remove someday, but also feel that it won't fail prematurely - which would cause corrosion. I wasn't able to locate any aluminum bolts to replace the ones I removed which is why I used stainless.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy I understand what you did but seems like nylon washers would work better and there are products in caulking-tubes created for the specific purpose of protecting plywood with holes that don't"weld" parts together. Doesn't matter...your work will last successfully longer than either of us.
@@richerwin6397 Nylon is used in many plumbing applications, even systems with high pressure. There may be different types of nylon but I've seen it used in faucets, shut-off valves, connectors, etc. Some nylon is flexible and some is rigid.
You would be surprised at the strength of wood glue and it actually penetrates the wood better than liquid nails. A properly laminated piece of wood with wood glue gives a glue Bond stronger than the wood itself. I also would have sanded the two surfaces and laminated those pieces with titebond 3 because it's waterproof once it is dry. Then as far as longevity goes I would have coated the entire new transom board in fiberglass resin or again titebond3 aka poor man's fiberglass resin. Would have made it stronger and waterproof so that it wouldn't fail. Also would have pre-drilled all of my holes before doing the resin so that the drill holes were also protected. Even regular Bondo polyester fiberglass resin works great I've actually used it to seal plywood for a plywood aquarium before. That aquarium is still running years later. By the way there's no difference between the blue and yellow bottle anymore except a mild amount of propylene additive. MAPP gas is now just marketing. It was discontinued ages ago but they kept the name for marketing the only difference is the tip which burns better so people think that the map gas is actually burning hotter when it's actually the same thing that's in the blue bottle, just propane with propylene additive and a more efficient tip, the burn temperatures are literally only about a hundred degrees different which for metal is negligible. At least for the BernzOmatic brand. Put your map gas tip on the bluebottle I guarantee you it'll do the same. It's just to charge you a higher price for the same fuel with the very minor difference of adding propylene to propane through marketing but it is not mapp gas. So essentially all you have to do is buy one bottle of MAPP gas and from then out just by Blue bottle refills and use the same tip. BernzOmatic still sells it as I said just as a marketing thing to charge you more. But it is NOT mapp gas. MAPP GAS WAS DISCONTINUED ALL THE WAY BACK IN 2008. There's only one viable substitute on the market and it's not sold by BernzOmatic. You just got conned.
Take the floor plywood out of the enclosed trailer and put the new stuff in the keeper. Toss the bolts and use air hammer and sledge head to seat rivets EVERYWHERE. Cheap no leak fix. And the brazing rods work excellent, but you just needed to temper the surface and rod before mating the two. But a quick trip on the tig and would have been done for less than $2 in gas and wire. Tinnys come and go, but the best ones have all your old stuff band-aiding them together ;) [As I own all the stated tools because I have broken many many many things in life, your costs may very]. Hobart 770206 Brazing Rod, 1/8-Inch by 18-Inch, Quantity-7, Aluminum for 15 bucks online. Run easy and make decent beads for emergency repairs, but yes will need MAPP gas or oxy-acetylene. And I have a sister in law that could held them boards down forever if you told her they had a job and no eyesight. Stay good friend.
He's way to check that boat if you're ribbons are gonna leak or anything's going to leap it's taking put your plug in Fill it up 2 or 3 answers and then you'll know
You are the most relatable boater ive found, i also have a 12ft aluminum boat, 15hp motor, and a trailer i bought seperately. Everything ive wondered, i found the answer on your channel. To me, its like a very nice coincidences. I also have a same crack on the transom, but on the center.
Best transom video anywhere on the internet, IMO.
Thanks!
15:30 as they say "a grinder and paint will make you the welder you ain't"😂
I'm 100% sure that this is the ONLY boat channel I need to watch for all of my learning , information and entertainment needs
Thanks again for another great video.
Mark from Harford county.
I just got a 68 Richline 14ft, and after watching your video I feel confident for when that day comes. Thank You
I have the same and was going to do the same.
You are on the other side of the world and everytime you learn me something. Thnx.👍
Greetzzz the Dutchy
Your sound effects are hilarious!! Very good video. I just replaced my transom with plywood lots of marine goop sealant and painted steel plates. I used 1 1/2 inch x 1/16 aluminum angle overlapping with lots more marine goop. I wish I would have watched this first. I did seal the wood with 2 coats of marine mast varnish. I'm 68, I bet this will last the rest of my life. Thank you for sharing!! PS I did learn how to weld aluminum this summer with map gas. Practice practice practice.PSS... I learned about riveting this summer too. Learning is good! Again, thank you!!
Thanks for putting this video together. I like that you scaled down the size and cost of the repair to something practical for your use. Many times people don't take into account the total worth of the boat while they go and over spend and over build. The boat forums have people that spell doom and gloom if you dont use marine ply, coosa, seacast, etc. I also really like the trick to use jbweld to avoid galvanic corrosion. Overall, looks like a success! Also confirms that aluminum is the way to go if you want an older less expensive boat that is easier to fix up. Old fiberglass boats with transoms that need work are..... a whole other headache 😅
Transom replacement came out very well. Congrats Wayne.
Thanks!!
Excellent video sir in quality and content, thanks for sharing! Going to be tackling this project on my grandfathers 1968 14' jon that
I've fished out of since I was a kid.
Very cool!
Want an extra problem for your boat? Watch this video! Jk! This guy is very thorough, maybe too thorough for a quick transom replacement. I know for most of us this is a love affair, and even though we say we’re saving money we end up wasting money i.e. time, in the long-term. Once you drill rivets there’s no going back! A very thorough video! Well done!
Cheap wood sounds like the way to go, I think I'll coat mine with fiberglass resin when I do it.
really enjoyed the video and it definitely will help me on my boat
Great job and solid tutorial!
Much appreciated!
Awesome video very informative and you are awesome at explaining, love your videos keep it up
Thanks, will do!
Nice job Man!!! Thanks for the tips and cost break down. Keep the vids coming!!
Great video! I also use stainless machine screws with a flat metal washer followed by a flat rubber washer in between the boat aluminum. I usually just put silicone under the rubber washer before I tighten it down. I use a flat metal washer and lock washer on the inside of the boat. Anytime I have a rivet go bad, I just replace it with this setup. Thanks again for the video. I'll be going with Coosa board.
There is a system designed specifically for plywood boat building, it’s called the W.E.S.T System, wood epoxy saturation technique. It’s been in use for decades and is designed to seal wood in marine environments. I learned of it some 40 odd years ago. Nice work BTW!
Yeah I built a plywood boat last year and got to use a lot of epoxy!
Drill a small hole at the ends of those cracks to prevent the cracks from moving further. Then, apply some JB Weld. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!!
Very well done video.
Great video Thanks for sharing a lot of good information here you make it sound verry easy.
It's not too hard on a small boat like this
Great video!!! Gives me the inspiration and instruction to replace on my 16 foot LUND tri-hull...THANK YOU, SIR👍👍👍
Great video. My aluminum boat is almost exactly the same design as yours. I'm using a treated 2 x 10 solid board (sealed with marine varnish) for my new transom. I've got to notch the top inboard edge to allow the transom to slide up under that 1" lip along the top of the boat.
I’ve done similar repairs over decades and found that T-11 siding/ exterior plywood worked very well. I had enough scraps from a few tool shed builds. Not technically the prettiest solution but cheap and effective.
Another great video! I hear the small butane torches actually work better at getting the aluminum hot. Worth a try and cheap
Nice repair! JB Weld is awesome stuff, but doesn't go with aluminum very well.
Epoxy hardens into a brittle plastic. Aluminum boats flex quite a bit. The epoxy cannot move with the aluminum and the bond breaks and or a crack develops over time. A longer lasting adhesive/sealant would be 3M 5200 or similar. When 5200 cures, it remains flexible and moves with the aluminum. It won't crack or debond.
Nice job! A quality repair.
I replaced the wood transom on my year 2000 Alumicraft T-14V with King Starboard boards, sized to match the original wood pieces. Once and done.
that's what I will be using on my 79 alumacraft 12ft. starboard (marine HDPE) is awesome, I've been using it on sailboat projects for decades.
Nice work mate, you've done a great job there!
Thanks a lot!
That's too much work Nixon that marine-grade he should have clamped into the transom drilled it and use Marine 5200 I'm trying to get something done quick I would have ran with the plastic board I think it's called starboard
Wayne, you are *fearless* with this stuff. Nice vid! Next time you install a wooden component on a boat, use oil-based polyurethane varnish (Valspar, etc.), thinned about 10% (at least six coats with dry time between). It will soak in and protect the wood from within, rather than acting like a hard finish on top of the wood like paint does. The poly is far more robust and will last years longer than paint.
Thanks for the tip!
Do you sand between coats with this method?
Thank you for taking us along on this build! I really appreciate your sharing the steps including your thought process, research, analysis, options, decision making, execution and the recap summary. I am guessing you must be an engineer? I like that you decided to complete the welds and the rivets despite the added challenges. I think the results speak volumes of success and self-satisfaction! Appreciate your videos! Please keep up the great work! Stay safe and I look forward to your next post!
Thank you! And no, I'm not an engineer.
Satisfaction guaranteed
Yea that's something lm going to have to do soon as well , great video showing how too . Ok summer is here I'm fishing 🎣 🐠🐟.....cheers 🍺
LOL - If it can wait til later - that's always an option!
Great Video-Thanks For Sharing-Tim in MI
The plywood lasted 50 years. You made the right choice.
Good video/discussion! I also used exterior ply after reading about treatments/construction of plywoods. I glued and screwed the sandwiched sheets together, then weight pressed on flat floor. Sealed exterior surfaces with several coats of clear polyurethane. My boat had a smaller thinner wood plate on the exterior which I replaced with a similar sealant treatment. I too opted for the SS hardware for all attachments and also used JB weld for sealant/anti corrosion. Should outlast me.
RE drilling the wood. The method is known as drill fill drill.
Any water leaks at the bolts is in direct contact with untreated wood and right were stress is applied.
So the solution is to:
1 Mark the location
2 Drill out over sized holes
3 Fill with thickened epoxy or something
4 Drill the hole size you need.
It looked like you use 1/4 inch diameter bolts for everything, even the handles. Did you drill the holes a little bigger, of just drill them 1/4 inch?
I think I drilled a little larger so the bolts would go in easier and to make room to seal the bare wood in the bolt holes.
While I haven't replaced a transom, I'm really impressed with the sealant properties of Rustoleum Rocksolid Polycuramine . You'd need just a bit for the transom, then get ready to spring into action to coat your garage floor.
I picked up 1 inch thick cutting board used for butcher shop. Perfect. They should use that material in new boat construction
good video!
Great video . In hindsight titebond may have made it easier to join the wood without a gap.
Sikaflex sealant, glue 2 sheets of far eastern plywood WBP together with urea formaldehyde glue for transom board.. About drilling through, put a bolt through a plug of sikaflex. Just squirt and push, messy but effective. Both sides of a rivet kit helps !
I've used waterproof exterior plywood to rebuild my engine an seat wood backing. Applied Beir waterproofing sealer for extra protection that was 10 yeas ago and no issues or rot
NICE VIDEO THANKS FOR SHARING! I wonder if you cut brace in half then when you get ready to put it back is eather weld it or bolt it back together seem to be easier then taking out rivet just saying.
Those "big flat washers are called fender washers. Lol
When I used to do auto body work we only called the thick ones "fender washers" - I remember trying to hand one that was thin to a guy and he threw it across the shop. He may have been wrong, but I always remember that.
Excellent job, especially on that dogleg brace! I have a 14' 1972 Polar Kraft that was my dad's boat, he gave it to me twelve years ago when he got unable to fish anymore because of health reasons. I should have replaced the transom back then, but the entire thing is held in with rivets so it has scared me off from replacing it. It has dual dogleg braces side by side, and of course both ends are held in with rivets. However the top brace and corner braces aren't welded on but are held on with rivets so I should be able to remove that and slide the new transom in from the top. I really don't want to mess with the bottom rivets on the braces. Even though that boat is fifty years old, it doesn't leak. That boat is extremely solid, and the paint still looks great. It's the olive drab color with those white speckles all in the finish, I have no idea how it's done. Anyway, your video has given me the courage to finally replace the transom in my old boat.
Take your time and try to be patient around the rivets!
I definitely would have used teflon/delrin fender washers on the outside to isolate the SS and AL. The epoxy will squish away and you'll still get some metal-metal contact. If you do any aluminum boat and trailer work, I'd spring for a welder with an AL spool gun. I picked up one from northern tool a few years ago and it works really well.
But great job on an inexpensive fix regardless!
Ohh that's a great idea with the washers!
Titebond exterior would have
Been a great choice. Never been a big fan of liquid nails
Line of products. Nice job and
Great attention to detail 😊..
I agree for a little more get the none plywood meathode . Great breakdown of costs
That Coosa board seems like a great option.
I would of cut the brace a made an adjustable sleeve good idea? idk.. but I know it would work and that’s what I would of done! Great video Wayne!
That certainly is a clever approach to this situation!
Hey Wayne, great video.
I have a question unrelated to the transom. While watching this video I noticed that your keel on the boat has a small hole. What is this hole for? My 14 foot aluminum Seaking brand boat has a similar hole. What is this hole for? I heard that it is meant for the keel to drain. Know anything about this?
Thanks!
Yes it is to let that 'tube' section drain water so it doesn't crack under freezing conditions.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy yup, that's what I heard! Thanks.
I planned on doing exactly the same thing to my 1972 Newman 👍
Good stuff Wayne. Well done and great choices in materials too. 👍🚤
One of the most helpful tutorials I've seen on transom replacement. Thank you. Consider the amount of time it takes to research other people's learning curves. Money is a universal trading value of our time (unless you're a central banking institution, but that's elite corrupt economics). I digress... I also had similar cracks in my transom C-channel and used mapp gas to "weld" fluxless aluminum rods. It worked great, until a very small amount of pressure was applied and then the cracks split right through the solder. I also have other issues of corrosion and pinholes throughout my transom aluminum, leaving me with more work than I signed up for...
I would love to pick your brain on a bunch of things, but one thing that jumps out is why didn't you screw the two pieces of bcx together instead of using clamps? I mean the paint gallon cans and cabinet doors did look a bit sensational....😂
I was glad to see that you used stainless steel sheet metal screws and the same washers I chose and that you mentioned not allowing them to contact the aluminum. I hope this lasts a very long time for you.
Honestly I didn't think about screwing the 2 pieces together at the time because I don't do a lot of wood working. Looking back, it sure would have been a better idea!
For pinholes you can get by with JB Water weld. Has thus far held up for 4 seasons under water and still holding. I check it often as I am seeing how long it lasts.
Nice job.
Thanks!
Thanks for the reply.
Instead of latex paint on the wood, a better option might be to paint on fiberglass resin and let it soak into the wood.
Yeah, should have done Coosa. Thanks for the vid.
How is this holding up? I need to replace the transom on my new to me 14' jon boat.
After 2 years it is still fine - the boat is now with a new owner though.
Has there been any leaks where you bolted the brace to the hull bottom? Thank you.
both marine and X grade plywoods use exterior glue, the difference in marine grade plywood and the BCX you used is there are no voids in the marine plywood laminations , there are in any other plywood.
That sucks that your back corner triangles don't unbolt and come out. Mine had 4 screws in each of the back triangles caps to keep them in or to remove them, along with the strip of metal that goes all the way across the top of transom board. On my boat I have 3 of those dog ear braces things coming up from the floor of boat to the transom board so I'm kinda glad they do come out so i can just lift up on the transom board to take it out. I've been slowly restoring a boat that I got a couple years ago. Its the first boat that I've owned so I've been having to watch different videos to see how to repair or replace stuff. I took it apart and kept the original transom board to make a new one but didn't know which material I was gonna use yet. I have a 1966 Mirrocraft 14ft vhull deep fisherman.
It's so interesting how differently many of these little boats are assembled. If you're gonna keep it forever, Coosa board would be my choice!
Would it be better to use plastic or nylon instead of wood for the transom?
I have wondered about this as well but I have no idea how well a plastic material would work.
@WayneTheBoatGuy I have used 3/8 inch thick plastic cutting boards to fix a canoe where back end was cut off. Made a template out of cardboard. Glued two boards together. Rolled edges inward where was cut off. Used marine glue on inside and outside. Sealed with flex seal. Has lasted for three years of regular use. The marine glue and prep I believe were key to making it work. As well as bracing the top to eliminate flexing as much as possible. Used a trolling motor on it for a year then made a wooden bracket out of oak to side mount it. I liked the plastic because it was rigid and more permanent fix.
Doing things yourself gives you a good sense of self worth.CHEERS from Here!!! P.S. The "Drill,Fill, and Drill metheod of drilling a bigger hole than you need then filling the hole with thickened epoxy, then drilling the right size hole for the fastener in the center of the filled first hole works well.
I like the idea of drill/fill/drill - that's a nice way to seal those wood holes even better!
@@WayneTheBoatGuy Yes! Still necessary to use caulking on the bolts to keep water out of boat.
Is coosa board UV stable? If not, it would need a coat of paint.
Good question.
When you drill holes through transom wood you can drill them larger than needed. Then fill with fiberglass resin paste. Then drill again the smaller hole size you need. Now you have a hole that is isolated from the wood.
If you fiberglass acx or bcx well it will last a very long time. There is another very easy way to replace a transom and about the price of coosa. It's a pourable epoxy of sorts, but you need a void to pour it into.
Great job!. For the cost this is the way to go. Though I personally would spend the extra money if I could swing it for the Cosa board or even the aluminum transom since those will last for the life of the boat, (after all who wants to do this again in their lifetime). For a longer lasting wood transom I would suggest that one use marine grade fiber glass resin (Bondo) to seal the boards (it does a superior job of waterproofing the wood and isn't that much harder to apply than paint). Also I wouldn't only glue the two 1/2" pieces together but use stainless screws with marine grade sealant in the holes (you can also counter sink them just below the surface and fill it in with additional sealant. I also have worries about getting those bolts you used JB Weld on back out in the future if ever you have to replace that transom again down the road (you think those original aluminum bolts were a pain!). But hopefully this will be the next owner's headache ; ) as your transom should last for many years to come.
You bring up some interesting points and options. I wonder how much harder/easier 3M 5200 would be to remove in a decade compared to the JB Weld. It might be "too" good!
@@WayneTheBoatGuy the “ 4200” is a little less tough to remove. It’s for things you want sealed , but may need to remove in the future, not so “permanent” as the 5200.
Nice Job... The truth about marine ply vs other is more about the glue. In the past, some plywood was made with water soluble glue, thus it would fall apart faster when exposed to the elements, even if treated. Nowadays, all ply is made with waterproof glue, so the only real difference is grade of wood.
This is great and practical. My 14fter former owner took out dog leg brace. Who sells those and isnt that danderous for outboard motor?
The brace helps with keeping the transom from flexing especially with a heavier outboard. I don't know who might sell a dog leg brace as many boats don't have a standard configuration.
I had a 14 ft tracker aluminum utility boat. I put a new piece of toilet partition. Solid plastic and indestructible. I laminated it fully to the inside of transom With lock tight pl 3000. Its 5 times stronger than original
Hey Wayne- What size engine did you put on your 12' boat? Thanks
Most people like a 9.9 hp but I usually am running a 2.5 hp because that's what I have right now!
JB Weld cracks ? no ? i love that stuff
Wayne you did an outstanding job with this video, and i've seen a dozen with mixed reviews. I don't have your carpentry skills so I plan on going the Coosa board route. I did however want to ask what specific kinds of rivets you used as well as the method of fastening them. As you know rivets are like screws, there are many kinds and sizes. Thanks again for a great job.
I plan to do a rivet video in the future - but basically try to determine the size of the rivets you're replacing and match them up. The 'size' is the size of the hole where the rivet was - check that will drill bits to find which drill bit fits perfectly in the hole. Then match up the head shape and get the right length rivets (I had to guess this one), but you want enough sticking up to flatten without having too much sticking up.
I used PT for mine. Big mistake as too heavy. Someday it is going to get plywood coated in resin
How did the weld hold up?
So far so good - but I run very light weight motors
Couple things. The latex paint will not do well in constant moisture .
Aluminum slider woks well but you have to clean the aluminum with a stainless steel brush otherwise you are embedding carbon into the surface of the aluminum. When it come to welding or brazing Aluminum cleanliness is king. The other issue with brazing aluminum is, it’s a giant heat sink so it cools very fast. The bigger the piece the harder it is to get it to temp and keep it there.
Jb weld? Good luck getting those out again.
Did you look into the liquid transom option? I've been considering going that route on my boat. The Idea of removing the entire rear deck to access and remove and install the full board seems daunting, when I can remove the board in pieces and pour the new transom in.
That wouldn't work with a small aluminum boat like this.
Simply cover both sides of transom wood with fiberglass cloth and resin and it will last a lifetime. Also. Anywhere a hole exists I would use 3M 5200 sealant. Great job by the way.
Flex seal
liquid nails aint no joke . i acualy built a shower using river slab rocks sandstone all shapes and sizes. i used finished nails to hang all the rocks up on the wall then one at a time liquid nailed them putting them back in the nails to hang and dry .when all was done i pulled all nails and the rocks wasnt going nowhere. they was stuck good and these are big heavy rocks. finished up bu mortering in between them all and till this day 20 years its like it was done yesterday. so i like useing it . if you dont plan on ever trying to take what you nailed down down . lol
Where did you purchase those rivets?
I think I found them on Amazon
Love your channel. Not sure you should be using stainless bolts with aluminum!
I was looking for aluminum hardware, but couldn't find any locally. It seems that many people use stainless with aluminum these days, as long as there's "something" in between the two metals.
I'm foing that now. The dog leg is really not in my way. It comes out alittle my problem is the handles the wood is under neath!!!! .
I've heard that there's a stainless steel that is more closely comparable with the aluminum. I believe that it is called 316L stainless? Are you familiar?
I have heard of different grades of stainless - but I haven't heard of any boat manufacturers switching to stainless steel.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy I haven't either, I've only read comments about that type of stainless being compatible with aluminum.
Thin resin to coat board and edges will prevent rot
The hardest job your small tinnie will ever do is to ride down the hi-way on its trailer with the motor attached to the transom. If at all possible, mount the motor when you get to your destination. if you do this, the transom will never crack along the top. And, the transom will bnever develoop the buckling that is the sign of work stretched sheet metal. Aluminum work hardens as it vibrates, causing micro cracks that will become visible. The wood rot issue is real, but it's a very old boat that has it - usually. Replace it with marine grade plywood. It does NOT have to mahogany marine. It can be regular fir, but paint it with three coats of thinned epoxy resin, then prime and paint with your choice of paint. It doesn't have to be marine paint at $100 a quart. House paint that is semigloss is fine, as it is outdoor rated. Coat and paint all surfaces before installing.
I would replace the plywood with Trex decking. It's an inch thick and will last forever . It comes 6 inches and is tongue and groove so it will lock into the piece next to it. It comes in various colors from a light gray to browns ect for making it blend in with camo and b=never needs painting
Aluminum needs to be quite hot to braze so MAP gas would make it easier than propane.
Great job…..but make sure you wear a life jacket. 😀
Seriously, I don’t know that I would have used plain plywood with what ever sort of paint you had laying around, and the ends should for sure have been treated with something more serious, because that’s plywood’s biggest weakness by far.
That "welding" I’m not too sure about too. I only had about 70 hours of training in stick, mig, and tig. The tig was specifically for aluminum. It’s a pain in the butt, because aluminum is such a good heat sync. The point is though is that welding isn’t just like gluing. It’s about melting two metals together. So I have no experience about brazing (except in the kitchen) but don’t think it’s anywhere near as strong as welding. So I would have put a patch of aluminum over the break. Maybe braze the break, sand it down, then put a patch. That would have maybe quadrupled the amount of material used to hold it together……or just had a pro do it. 🙂
Great video though. You had some really good little tips. You did it in a fun way and with some humility. I liked it, and you have a new sub…..subscriber that is. Not into the funny stuff. 😀
Wha5 you do is either drill out the rivets or cut the brace in half 🌗 later insert a sleeve in side the brace and bolt it back. But best is drill out the rivets. Another instead of plywood again put Malard material it's l8ke plastic chopping board.
You should of used wood screws to hold the wood together what time glue dried.
The difference between marine ply and cheap n ouse plywood isn't glue between plywood, its voids in the plywood. Voids give vapor and place for water and mildness to start the re rot process. Plus you can get much better wood spices than house plywood.
The Stainless Steel bolts and washers will/may slowly corrode holes in your aluminum transom by electrolysis. And, good luck removing those JB Welded bolts next time you replace that transom.
I used the JB Weld to be the barrier between the stainless and aluminum to hopefully prevent the corrosion. I know the JB Weld might be a real pain to remove someday, but also feel that it won't fail prematurely - which would cause corrosion. I wasn't able to locate any aluminum bolts to replace the ones I removed which is why I used stainless.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy I understand what you did but seems like nylon washers would work better and there are products in caulking-tubes created for the specific purpose of protecting plywood with holes that don't"weld" parts together. Doesn't matter...your work will last successfully longer than either of us.
@@choimdachoim9491 Do you think the nylon washers would be considered water-tight when tightened against the outside of the aluminum transom.?
@@richerwin6397 Nylon is used in many plumbing applications, even systems with high pressure. There may be different types of nylon but I've seen it used in faucets, shut-off valves, connectors, etc. Some nylon is flexible and some is rigid.
@@choimdachoim9491 White nylon washers commonly found in hardware stores?
works 4 me!!!!
You would be surprised at the strength of wood glue and it actually penetrates the wood better than liquid nails. A properly laminated piece of wood with wood glue gives a glue Bond stronger than the wood itself. I also would have sanded the two surfaces and laminated those pieces with titebond 3 because it's waterproof once it is dry. Then as far as longevity goes I would have coated the entire new transom board in fiberglass resin or again titebond3 aka poor man's fiberglass resin. Would have made it stronger and waterproof so that it wouldn't fail. Also would have pre-drilled all of my holes before doing the resin so that the drill holes were also protected. Even regular Bondo polyester fiberglass resin works great I've actually used it to seal plywood for a plywood aquarium before. That aquarium is still running years later. By the way there's no difference between the blue and yellow bottle anymore except a mild amount of propylene additive. MAPP gas is now just marketing. It was discontinued ages ago but they kept the name for marketing the only difference is the tip which burns better so people think that the map gas is actually burning hotter when it's actually the same thing that's in the blue bottle, just propane with propylene additive and a more efficient tip, the burn temperatures are literally only about a hundred degrees different which for metal is negligible. At least for the BernzOmatic brand. Put your map gas tip on the bluebottle I guarantee you it'll do the same. It's just to charge you a higher price for the same fuel with the very minor difference of adding propylene to propane through marketing but it is not mapp gas. So essentially all you have to do is buy one bottle of MAPP gas and from then out just by Blue bottle refills and use the same tip. BernzOmatic still sells it as I said just as a marketing thing to charge you more. But it is NOT mapp gas. MAPP GAS WAS DISCONTINUED ALL THE WAY BACK IN 2008. There's only one viable substitute on the market and it's not sold by BernzOmatic. You just got conned.
Take the floor plywood out of the enclosed trailer and put the new stuff in the keeper. Toss the bolts and use air hammer and sledge head to seat rivets EVERYWHERE. Cheap no leak fix. And the brazing rods work excellent, but you just needed to temper the surface and rod before mating the two. But a quick trip on the tig and would have been done for less than $2 in gas and wire. Tinnys come and go, but the best ones have all your old stuff band-aiding them together ;) [As I own all the stated tools because I have broken many many many things in life, your costs may very]. Hobart 770206 Brazing Rod, 1/8-Inch by 18-Inch, Quantity-7, Aluminum for 15 bucks online. Run easy and make decent beads for emergency repairs, but yes will need MAPP gas or oxy-acetylene. And I have a sister in law that could held them boards down forever if you told her they had a job and no eyesight. Stay good friend.
The only way to glue and seal the plywood tramson is to use epoxy resin.
He's way to check that boat if you're ribbons are gonna leak or anything's going to leap it's taking put your plug in Fill it up 2 or 3 answers and then you'll know
Why would you not use white oak? Its readily available and workable with most tools a handyman would own.