Aluminium pilothouse

[Marine]

Hi I am going to build a new pilotehouse for my boat . It is like a square box 2.5 m x 2 m and 2m high It is buildt on a frame rectangular tube 100x50x4 mm. Plates are marine grade 4 mm Aluminium. Inside corners will be mig welded to 30% and outside corners tig welded all the way.
. I will tack the construction toghether before I start final welding. Can anyone advice in which order the welds shall be done so distorsion of the plates will be as small as possible. // Bo

 

[Jim Davey]

Don't TIG is my advice. 4x slower means lots more heat input and lots more distortion to control.
There is s reason MIG is the process of choice for ally boat building.
Use TIG for tube entries to fuel/water tanks and for handrails, ladders etc. avoid it for shell/structural welds.

 

[Rrunnach]

Definitely agree with Jim Davey. This is a MIG job. Get yourself a decent spool and gun, with a good length of cable. This will allow you to move around the structure, to stagger welding, thus reducing distortion.

Sounds like a great job, post pics as you progress.

Cheers

 

[Jim Davey]

I plan on doing something similar myself as soon as space allows.

 

[Rrunnach]

I helped a mate a few year back, he was converting an old trawler to leisure use. Structure added to original wheel house, basically an extension, we manu'd all of it from marine grade allow, all mig welded, it was a great job to do.

 

[HughF]

Mig, for sure... Either spool gun or Teflon lined regular gun. Spool gun personally.

 

[Jim Davey]

Push pull for me, no way I'd go back to a spoolgun after that.

 

[HughF]

Yeah, the Lincoln one looks nice, cobra gun I think...

 

[Marine]

Definitely agree with Jim Davey. This is a MIG job. Get yourself a decent spool and gun, with a good length of cable. This will allow you to move around the structure, to stagger welding, thus reducing distortion.

Sounds like a great job, post pics as you progress.

Cheers

Definitely agree with Jim Davey. This is a MIG job. Get yourself a decent spool and gun, with a good length of cable. This will allow you to move around the structure, to stagger welding, thus reducing distortion.

Sounds like a great job, post pics as you progress.

Cheers

Can some of you give me advise in w hat order i do the welding. Se my picture. Start from center or any other ?

 

[Rrunnach]

You know you have to stagger welds, as per above sketch. Have a look at this link http://weldingdesign.com/welding-qa/tips-avoiding-weld-distortion-thin-sheet-0709 lots of info, with other links to view within link.

I would also add radius gusset plates to all internal corners, which will offer good structure integrity to frame.

External welds: I would be attempting to do as much as possible in the vertical down, position. Quicker and, less heat input, as external welds will be more or less, sealing runs.

How do you intend fixing new structure to deck?

 

[Marine]

You know you have to stagger welds, as per above sketch. Have a look at this link http://weldingdesign.com/welding-qa/tips-avoiding-weld-distortion-thin-sheet-0709 lots of info, with other links to view within link.

I would also add radius gusset plates to all internal corners, which will offer good structure integrity to frame.

External welds: I would be attempting to do as much as possible in the vertical down, position. Quicker and, less heat input, as external welds will be more or less, sealing runs.

How do you intend fixing new structure to deck?

My plan is to have the Pilote house standing on rubber mounts. 6 pcs. To get noise levels down in the house

 

[Marine]

This is how far I have got

 

[Jim Davey]

Nice, did you go with MIG in the end?

 

[Rrunnach]

Wheel house really is a nice bit of fabrication and, welding. Which grade alloy did you use?

 

[backpurge]

Nice

 

[Marine]

So far I have Miged all of it. Marine grade EN 5754

 

[Jim Davey]

5183 wire?

 

[Marine]

5183 wire?

Wire 1.2 mm ALMG5

 

[thinfourth]

This is how far I have gotView attachment 82633

I see the wheels on the bottom

You do realise if you don't fit a moped engine to the back of that and drive it around

It will be a crime against silliness

 

[arthur]

Very nice!