I have an older aluminum boat with a few leaking rivets. I've tried to rebuck them and they still leak. I have the equipment to weld aluminum, would it hurt anything to weld around the rivets?

drill the rivets and weld the holes

I've repaired several aluminum boats over the years. Welded repairs have a tendency to tear or crack eventually.

the short answer is yes. i would think you would be better off to drill out the rivets, and then weld a patch over it.

or re-rivet

i did and it worked on all but one hole that was 'wallered out' so i dabbed on some jb weld

i think not.....the aluminum needs to be clean, and i dont know of any way to clean under the rivet. patch over maybe.....i would re rivet.....

Need to drill out and re-rivet or install larger rivet if necessary. Weldin the hole closed stops a leak but does nuthin for keepin the hull strength integrity by connecting hull with cross bracing inside the hull.

The thing with riveted boats is that they are all going to leak eventually. Is this leak enough of one to cause issues or does it just let a little water in and annoy you because it does? I wouldn't worry about anything more than re-riveting an annoying rivet, to much chance of causing real damage welding it if the weld fails. With the rivet you retain all your hull strength as the above poster mentioned. Wit a weld, especially on the bottom of your hull you are creating a weak spot where it could crack.

Has anyone tried Peel'N Seal to fix leaks? It is a roofing/flashing material that is thick aluminum tape-like material with a super sticky and long lasting adhesive backing. It has the usual paper on top of the adhesive. Anyway, I thought of it because I have used it for years to patch and seal rain gutters, flashing leaks, roof vents, etc. It lasts for years- never saw it fail even in the worst conditions. It comes in rolls, with widths up to 3 ft, I recall. It would not be ideal where "looks" are important, but should be good for hidden areas or where looks are not a concern.

I just replace the transom in my 14 foot aluminum jon boat and I had to cut the kicker brace rivets that run from the transom to the floor. I was originally going to replace the rivets with stainless steel round head 1/4" x 20 bolts but since I am about to strap a Copperhead MFG. Mud Motor on the back of it. I have decided to have the brace welded to the floor and the holes welded up because of the stress that this hull is going to be exposed to. It sounds like I might be better off with the stainless hardware..........

i own a fab shop. i tig welded some rivets on a small flat bottom i got from a junk yard. some of them i had to weld 4 times. the alloy of the hull material is so different from the rivet material it doesnt weld very well at all. it would leave a fine crack through the middle of the weld each time. another major issue is the paint/dirt under the rivets. as soon as the arc melts the head of the rivet all the trash beneath ruins the weld you were attempting to make. mine ended up sealing itself with some fine mud on the first trip but i would not recommend welding rivets on a boat above or below the water level.

I agree with new rivets. I bought mine from grainger still need to put them in. the waterproofing tape has worked on leaking rivets for 2 years now. With lakes getting soo low and we just got back from vacation, I now have a round to it. All excuses are gone.

Re-buck the rivets .