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Needing help from the membership. I have a 17' aluminum jon boat and would like to have railing added for safety/security. Thinking that by adding gunnel height it would make the boat safer for the old man that I am. Would like to find a welder that works with aluminum. Any suggestions? I am in the area of Bowling Green but willing to travel to get the job done right.
You can buy preformed chrome rails and mounts and mount them on your gunnel yourself. I have a stick steer boat and I have been thinking rails would be nice for my passenger to hold on to in rough water.
My boat is stick steer also. My gunnels are round, thinking having them welded on may be the only option.
That is going to cost you a mint. welding to aluminum is not the same deal as sticking to pieces of scrap steel together. You can teach a monkey to stick weld steel. Aluminum is a different cat.
If you do decide to go down the welded rail route figure out exactly what you want and where you want it attached to your boat then do the prep work yourself. All the paint removal, clean-up, etc. Surface prep is paramount in welding aluminum.
I had Yokley's machine shop (Franklin) weld two aluminum plugs in my hull a few years back. Boat had a livewell in it that drained out the bottom of the boat that I took out. I did the prep work on the hull and supplied the plugs and they did the welding. Can't recall price, less than $50 I am sure though.
Welding aluminum will be the same price as welding anything else. No big deal
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[QUOTE=buffalo13;3306670]Welding aluminum will be the same price as welding anything else. No big deal
Except the use of Argon, A little pricey. See Rickie he has a brand new Tig Welder.
Rockhitter, can you post a picture of your boat/gunnels? I have an older Basstracker Panfish and am also thinking of a handrail but didn't want it to obstruct any fishing area. Was trying to come up with a system that would telescope to get it down and out of the way. On my boat the gunnels are boxy and would be able to bolt on. Most of my passengers are, like me,older and the extra help to feel more secure would be nice.
slabseeker1, will post a picture of my boat. Just need to study up on how to post a picture.
This is in our local classifieds ...
http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/r...psckbuvgmq.png
Rickie
I would be more inclined to have a good ladder welded to the back of the boat than rails. I have both and believe me there is no way I could pull myself over the side of a boat in deep water anymore. The ladder is a real life saver.