under skinning

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capttoon
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2015 2:14 am

under skinning

#1 Post by capttoon » Tue Nov 10, 2015 7:23 pm

Hello again,what do ya'll use for under skinning and where do you get it from. I'm new to this.

Lt. Dan
Posts: 68
Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2014 5:47 am

Re: under skinning

#2 Post by Lt. Dan » Wed Nov 11, 2015 8:16 am

Aluminum is the most common although some have used plastic. It is attached with screws or rivets. Find a local metal supplier for .063 thick sheets of aluminum. Don't try to get it from a hardware or home improvement store.
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BobG
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Location: Gilpin County, CO

Re: under skinning

#3 Post by BobG » Wed Nov 11, 2015 9:24 am

I used aluminum flashing material and rivets.

It was relatively cheap.

And it performed OK for a few seasons.

1. The aluminum "oilcans". It deforms under the constant battering of the water. Not terrible, but not ideal.
2. The rivets can tear out, and the aluminum can tear. Mine did, and I ended up with aluminum hanging down into the water.

I'm currently considering a few options:

1. Metal roofing panels. This stuff is relatively inexpensive, and definitely stronger than Aluminum Flashing.
2. 1/16 (0.062 or 0.063) aluminum - because I have a tritoon, the gaps between my toons is less than 24", so I can run 24" X 48" pieces, and overlap them from back to front.

Oh, and I'm thinking self-tapping metal screws are going to be a better solution than rivets.
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RcgTexas
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Re: under skinning

#4 Post by RcgTexas » Wed Nov 11, 2015 10:59 am

IMHO if you are going to do it right use 1/16- 1/8 thick salt water grade aluminum and rivets of the size that will hold it securely. Some have used self tapping screws, and they might work but if they screw in they can unscrew.
Those aluminum sheets can be cut with a skill saw and a carbide toothed blade( with a lot of racket of course)

Mild steel panels coated or not are inferior to use in a marine environment. Unless you like repeating the process often. IMHO
1995 beachcomber conversion to tritoon with Honda 135 ,

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capttoon
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2015 2:14 am

Re: under skinning

#5 Post by capttoon » Wed Nov 11, 2015 11:48 am

Thanks guys that is what I was looking for.Have a great day

crookedlaker
Posts: 184
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Location: angola IN

Re: under skinning

#6 Post by crookedlaker » Thu Nov 12, 2015 6:02 am

I used .050 aluminum sheets from "metal supermarket" this is a chain of stores selling raw metal stock
I also used 1.5" x 1.5" x 1/8" angle at the edges (this is how Harris does it at the factory)
overlap the sheets starting at the back of the boat
I used #10 x 3/4 stainless steel hex head self tapping screws I used screws in case i ever needed to remove it
installed them with a cordless impact
I used almost 2 boxes of 100 each
I have a 20' boat and i under-skinned about 16'
I used a couple of 2 x 4 boards cut to fit between the tubes at the top of the radius near the mounting brackets, this allowed me to slide the aluminum sheets on top of the boards. this held the aluminum up only about 1" below the bottom of the cross-members. just had to push it up slightly and screw into place. note it is much easier if boat is not on a trailer. beg borrow or steal a center lift trailer to set your boat on blocks for better access.
after one season much better ride, quieter, and checked them when i stored the
boat and nothing was loose
total cost was about $310.00 and about 6-8 hours

mike
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TDJ2591
Posts: 358
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 4:33 pm
Location: Smith Lake, AL

Re: under skinning

#7 Post by TDJ2591 » Wed Nov 18, 2015 5:02 pm

capttoon wrote:Hello again,what do ya'll use for under skinning and where do you get it from. I'm new to this.
Search for "underskinning" on this forum and "pontoon underskinning" on Google. You'll find lots of info and opinions. My installation is documented on this forum.

I used .063" 5052 aluminum panels and 3/16" large head structural rivets as recommended by other posters on this forum. The 4'x10' aluminum panels were purchased from a local metals dealer. I ordered the rivets on-line and bought a pneumatic rivet gun from Harbor Freight for $35. It's so easy to strip the soft aluminum threads with self-tapping screws, so I opted for rivets. Where I needed removable panels, I drilled and tapped for #10x24 SS screws and added SS bonded neopreme washers beneath each screw. I noticed that the manufacturer used similar screws and not self-tapping roofing type screws, so I did the same.

Having a second pair of hands makes the job much easier and quicker. It was easier to do the work while on the trailer as I had plenty of room to move around and work under the boat. You can make T or I braces from 2x4's to hold the panels in place while you attach them. I tried bending the panels with a 10' sheet metal brake but couldn't do it.

Good luck. It's not a difficult job.
[color=#4000FF]2005 Crest Caribbean 25'
2006 Honda 135hp 4 stroke[/color]

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