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Question:

Joining dissimilar metals?

I have an aluminum boat and need to bolt a stainless steel trim tab to it below the water lineI was told these metals are not compatible and must not make direct contact with each otherAny suggestions as to not allow these metals to touch? I'm thinking a rubber gasket or maybe a specialty paintWhat type metal for the 3/16 quot; machine screws would you recommend? Thanks.

Answer:

Yes if you have a cookie sheet why would you waste the aluminum foil?
Yes, just sprinkle a bit of corn meal on the pan before bakingOr, use parchment paper(this is assuming you use your sheets for baking on a regular basis- ours, used for pizza on a regular basis so it doesn't matter if it sticks a bit)
you can just put it in the oven that is what my mom does
I would put a few layers of aluminum foil togheter, like three or 4, to make it thickerKeep an eye out, the bottom mya burn quickly so the cooking time may be off a littleThe butter in the cookies should bkeep them from stickingParchment paper cannot be used alone, it has to be used with a baking sheetIf you have no baking sheet or parchment paper, the layered foil should work in a pinch.
The best way to do it is to weld on a piece of aluminum channel to the hull and bolt the trim tab to that using stainless bolts you can use nylon washers on each side and a piece of nylon tubing to isolate the bolts from the aluminumBut it may take years for you to see any corrosion if you did not isolate themIf you operate in fresh water don't worry about it at allThe biggest thing is to make sure you do not use a copper based anti fouling paint if you do paint the bottomThat will eat the boat up.

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