Dinghy Transom Gasket

thinkxingu · 05-17-2020, 12:01 PM

Greetings!
As some of y'all might remember, a fellow forum member gifted my son an aluminum rowboat last summer. Well, we're replacing the rotten transom this next week and are wondering what to use for the gasket material that goes between the aluminum and wood to seal it tight.
Looking for inexpensive and easy!

Thanks!

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Hillcountry · 05-17-2020, 04:05 PM

Flex Seal! Flex Paste!

that TV guy seals everything with that stuff! Of course you are going to be using fasteners from aluminum to wood as well. Find screws that will not “interact” with aluminum or rust.

ishoot308 could suggest what screws to use perhaps?

thinkxingu · 05-17-2020, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillcountry

Flex Seal! Flex Paste!

that TV guy seals everything with that stuff! Of course you are going to be using fasteners from aluminum to wood as well. Find screws that will not “interact” with aluminum or rust.

ishoot308 could suggest what screws to use perhaps?

I was hoping to find something in a sheet that I could cut to fit...

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Barney Bear · 05-17-2020, 04:47 PM

Stainless steel fasteners are used when connecting different metals. 🐻

ishoot308 · 05-17-2020, 05:13 PM

I would use aluminum screws only. Stainless is an alloy of carbon steel and will eventually react with aluminum especially in a wet environment. If you really must use stainless for its strength, I would use a nylon washer under a stainless washer of the same size, preferably a fender Type washer. This will keep the dissimilar metals from touching. Drill pilot hole through the aluminum slightly over sized to avoid the stainless from touching it as well.

As far as a gasket, I would simply apply a high grade silicone sealant, bolt it together and clean up the excess.

Good luck!

Dan

thinkxingu · 05-17-2020, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ishoot308

I would use aluminum screws only. Stainless is an alloy of carbon steel and will eventually react with aluminum especially in a wet environment. If you really must use stainless for its strength, I would use a nylon washer under a stainless washer of the same size, preferably a fender Type washer. This will keep the dissimilar metals from touching. Drill pilot hole through the aluminum slightly over sized to avoid the stainless from touching it as well.

As far as a gasket, I would simply apply a high grade silicone sealant, bolt it together and clean up the excess.

Good luck!

Dan

Dan,
Do I need to do the whole back of the transom with sealant, just the screws, or a ring on the outside to seal the "inside"?

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ishoot308 · 05-17-2020, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Dan,
Do I need to do the whole back of the transom with sealant, just the screws, or a ring on the outside to seal the "inside"?

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I would put a good circle of sealant around the screw holes on all three areas, outside, inside and middle. I would also pump some sealant in screw holes just prior to installing bolts.

Dan

ishoot308 · 05-17-2020, 05:40 PM

And make sure you do not use pressure treated wood against your aluminum.

Dan

thinkxingu · 05-17-2020, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ishoot308

And make sure you do not use pressure treated wood against your aluminum.

Dan

Right—we have two pieces of oak with multiple layers of L'il-Buddy-applied exterior urethane!

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ishoot308 · 05-17-2020, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Right—we have two pieces of oak with multiple layers of L'il-Buddy-applied exterior urethane!

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Your good to go then!

thinkxingu · 05-17-2020, 06:09 PM

He got out today, but we had to throw some tape over the transom holes! Name: 20200517_130329.jpeg
Views: 2121
Size: 39.8 KB

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Garcia · 05-17-2020, 07:30 PM

That's great! So nice to see the next generation explore the beauty of the lake.

8gv · 05-17-2020, 10:46 PM

My preferred sealant is 3M 4200. It is good for above and below the waterline.

Dave R · 05-18-2020, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8gv

My preferred sealant is 3M 4200. It is good for above and below the waterline.

Mine too. I also like Loctite PL. Seems to be basically the same stuff and is often easier to find in tubes that fit in a caulking gun. They sell it at Lowes.

thinkxingu · 05-18-2020, 07:11 AM

Maybe a dumb question, but will gutter seal work? I've got a brandy new tube already...

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ishoot308 · 05-18-2020, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

Maybe a dumb question, but will gutter seal work? I've got a brandy new tube already...

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I’m sure it will...once you tighten the bolts down and squeeze everything together you're just forming a gasket around the screw holes. No big Deal...

Dan

thinkxingu · 05-18-2020, 08:46 AM

Thanks again!

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pondguy · 05-18-2020, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

He got out today, but we had to throw some tape over the transom holes!Attachment 15996

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Have you named the rowboat yet ? Is that Jetti 1 i see off to the right of the rowboat in the pic ?

thinkxingu · 05-18-2020, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pondguy

Have you named the rowboat yet ? Is that Jetti 1 i see off to the right of the rowboat in the pic ?

Jettie One stayed on the trailer yesterday—it was a chill on the beach while L'il Buddy explored kinda day.

As for the name: it came with one that had a history, Harambee, so that will stay. We do sometimes refer to it as Boatie Three, though!

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JEEPONLY · 05-18-2020, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkxingu

He got out today, but we had to throw some tape over the transom holes!Attachment 15996

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Years and years later it's a bit hard to remember the feelings of a moment like this. However, the memory of the experience doesn't ever really fade.

Good for him/Good for you!

thinkxingu · 05-21-2020, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JEEPONLY

Years and years later it's a bit hard to remember the feelings of a moment like this. However, the memory of the experience doesn't ever really fade.

Good for him/Good for you!

Pictures, lots of pictures.

What I find most hard is trying to remember how this would've felt as a kid. For example, my wife texted me a pic of him anchored just outside the swim area with a laughing emoji—we expected him to head much further out—but for a 9-year-old, that's gotta feel like being in the middle of the lake!

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JEEPONLY · 05-21-2020, 02:28 PM

I'm one of those who learned about boating by "rowing" a wooden, 8-foot boat while it was tied to a dock (three feet of water).

Oddly, I still remember it as being great fun!

05-17-2020, 12:01 PM	#1
thinkxingu Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 6,438 Thanks: 1,182 Thanked 2,140 Times in 1,327 Posts	Dinghy Transom Gasket Greetings! As some of y'all might remember, a fellow forum member gifted my son an aluminum rowboat last summer. Well, we're replacing the rotten transom this next week and are wondering what to use for the gasket material that goes between the aluminum and wood to seal it tight. Looking for inexpensive and easy! Thanks! Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

05-17-2020, 04:47 PM	#4
Barney Bear Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 962 Thanks: 498 Thanked 274 Times in 175 Posts	Stainless Steel Stainless steel fasteners are used when connecting different metals. 🐻

05-17-2020, 05:13 PM	#5
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 6,373 Thanks: 2,423 Thanked 5,353 Times in 2,096 Posts	I would use aluminum screws only. Stainless is an alloy of carbon steel and will eventually react with aluminum especially in a wet environment. If you really must use stainless for its strength, I would use a nylon washer under a stainless washer of the same size, preferably a fender Type washer. This will keep the dissimilar metals from touching. Drill pilot hole through the aluminum slightly over sized to avoid the stainless from touching it as well. As far as a gasket, I would simply apply a high grade silicone sealant, bolt it together and clean up the excess. Good luck! Dan __________________ It's Always Sunny On Welch Island!!

05-17-2020, 05:40 PM	#8
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 6,373 Thanks: 2,423 Thanked 5,353 Times in 2,096 Posts	And make sure you do not use pressure treated wood against your aluminum. Dan __________________ It's Always Sunny On Welch Island!!

05-17-2020, 06:09 PM	#11
thinkxingu Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 6,438 Thanks: 1,182 Thanked 2,140 Times in 1,327 Posts	He got out today, but we had to throw some tape over the transom holes! Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

05-17-2020, 04:05 PM	#2
Hillcountry Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: In the hills Posts: 2,420 Thanks: 1,677 Thanked 786 Times in 466 Posts	Flex Seal! Flex Paste! that TV guy seals everything with that stuff! Of course you are going to be using fasteners from aluminum to wood as well. Find screws that will not “interact” with aluminum or rust. ishoot308 could suggest what screws to use perhaps?

The Following User Says Thank You to ishoot308 For This Useful Post:
thinkxingu (05-17-2020)

05-17-2020, 07:30 PM	#12
Garcia Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 646 Thanks: 141 Thanked 291 Times in 178 Posts	That's great! So nice to see the next generation explore the beauty of the lake.

The Following User Says Thank You to Garcia For This Useful Post:
thinkxingu (05-17-2020)

05-17-2020, 10:46 PM	#13
8gv Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 2,132 Thanks: 64 Thanked 756 Times in 489 Posts	My preferred sealant is 3M 4200. It is good for above and below the waterline.

The Following User Says Thank You to 8gv For This Useful Post:
ApS (05-18-2020)

05-18-2020, 07:11 AM	#15
thinkxingu Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 6,438 Thanks: 1,182 Thanked 2,140 Times in 1,327 Posts	Maybe a dumb question, but will gutter seal work? I've got a brandy new tube already... Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

The Following User Says Thank You to ishoot308 For This Useful Post:
thinkxingu (05-18-2020)

05-18-2020, 08:46 AM	#17
thinkxingu Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 6,438 Thanks: 1,182 Thanked 2,140 Times in 1,327 Posts	Thanks again! Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

The Following User Says Thank You to JEEPONLY For This Useful Post:
thinkxingu (05-21-2020)

05-21-2020, 02:28 PM	#22
JEEPONLY Deceased Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 701 Thanks: 360 Thanked 179 Times in 141 Posts	I'm one of those who learned about boating by "rowing" a wooden, 8-foot boat while it was tied to a dock (three feet of water). Oddly, I still remember it as being great fun!