Albatross Alpine number 2002 restoration

[happyguts]

Hate to tell you but I'm sure you'll sink with that many holes ...unless you have it on the plane all the time

[Howstar]

Looks like James bond has been shooting at it,


I think you be able to fill that in with plumbers melted lead flashing


looks good

[Tatra Man]

Hi, you would probably find that the dents will come out a lot easier if you remove the rivets that hold the overlap together. If you then pull apart the joint it will allow each side to move easier. If you lightly tighten slave bolts through the rivet holes before you start to push/pull out the dents it should keep everything somewhere close to fitting together again. A slide hammer would be a lot easier than swinging a hammer from inside. If you can fit a 3/16 or M5 stud onto the end of the slide hammer, drill though the dent with a 3/16 hole (rivet dia) and make an aluminium backing plate to fit inside the hull (5 or 6mm plate) - with a curve to fit the hull, you can bolt through the skin and the backing plate and therefor spread the action of the slide hammer. When you have removed as much of the dent as possible, countersink the outer skin and put in a rivet.
Just be careful as the dent metal is aready stretched and when you pull it out it the excess will have nowhere to go. A few rivet holes may allow you to 'shrink' some metal into. Saphire Products can supply the rivets and in larger shank diameter's if the holes open up.
If it goes wrong you could alway cut the dent out and make a repair patch, but this will not be an easier repair, but not impossible,
or its just a bucket of filler!
best of luck

Well I eventually gave up trying to re-invent the colander and, instead of separating the rivets, put a couple of slots in the starboard panel so I could get a hook inside and attack it that way. It also allowed me to get at the back of the dents on the port side. Even so, the slide hammer was taking a lot of stick and so was my right hand!! The results aren't pretty so all purists, please look away!







Next I re-sealed everything with JB Weld:-







And laid on a first rough coat of filler:-







Why am I being so honest about what a lot of people will probably consider a bodge? Two reasons:- it can only help anyone else considering de-denting the bow of an Albatross instead of ladling half a hundredweight of filler onto it by either showing it worked or showing it didn't and, if I end up parting with her, it would only be fair on a prospective buyer.

[sean-nós]

It reminds me of father ted doing a bit of panel beating But I'm sure yours will turn out fine in the end

[Tatra Man]

I'm sure yours will turn out fine in the end

Well you're the expert. . . . . . . . So I assume that statement comes with a guarantee?


Actually, I'm thinking of re-titling this thread. . . . Something along the lines of:- "A numpty's rebuild - ruining my boat so you don't have to ruin yours".

[Tatra Man]

Put a second layer of filler on. . . . . . . . .

Well it's no Henry Moore:-







. . . . . but then, it's no Father Ted either!

[Good buy]

What's the clear etch that you have used under the filler called ?

[Tatra Man]

You've caught me there, John.

When I've put filler over etch primer before, I've found it doesn't adhere very well but when I've used etch primer over a surface which is part bare metal and part fully cured filler I've had no problems. This time, The filler is keyed well into the irregularities of the metal (and the holes which are all filled with JB Weld) so I'm hoping it will stay put. This is why I wanted to remove as much denting as possible - so that there wouldn't be a huge mass of thick inflexible filler just waiting to separate at the first minor bump. With cars, I find that thin filler stays put but thick filler doesn't so I've followed the same principle here on the basis that cars take a lot more vibration than boats - well they did when I was rallying!

I also believe I read somewhere that filler over primer was bad and primer over filler was good. Anyway, the primer I'm using says it's OK over fully cured fibreglass and filler and the filler I'm using says it's OK on bare alloy.

All advice gratefully received - and if it all drops out, everyone will know not to do it the way I have! - We learn best from experience and I'm sure most have more than I do.

[Tatra Man]

Are P-brackets often made of rust?

2003:-


2002:-


Now what inspired someone to do that!!!??

[solitaire]

you see alot like that, - doesn't seem to cause a problem, and you know what they say.............. "If it ain't broke" !