The shop owner I took it to, says he tried welding it and it kept kicking back on him. He says he need a special acid cleaner to clean the aluminum. Is he on the up and up or is he screwing me around, He's had the boat for 6 months now
6 months? Seriously? Too long to repair that damage. You sure, that he knows what he is doing? I think you should start looking for another person who can help you fixed that. Is your boat covered by insurance? It's very important to have boat insurance to avoid that kind of circumstances. Hustle free.
I've never had to resort to acid to clean aluminum. A carbide rotary file, wire brush, and half round file usually work great for cleaning off the oxidization. My thoughts are 1: there could be a clear anodizing coat on the aluminum. 2: HE hasn't got a clue to what he is doing...I.E using the wrong welding process or general lack of knowledge in welding aluminum. Or 3: he doesn't respect you as a customer to be honest with you. There are a small number of aluminum alloys that are impossible to weld with conventional manuel and semi-automatic welding processes. This is due to either the alloy composition and or heat treatment. It is critical, especially in repair work to identify what all of aluminum you are dealing with. There has been an article in both the last American Welding Society magazines dealing with this topic. If it were myself, I'd get the boat back, refuse to pay the guy/company, and take it to a reputable shop for their opinion.
