ALUMINUM n chem. a silver white metallic element, light in weight, ductile, malleable and not readily corroded or tarnished.

There are a multitude of little fixit, modify it, fabricate it or otherwise improve it jobs on a boat that call for metal. Not plastic,but metal. The first metal that comes to mind is stainless steel- tough, won't rust (not immediately, anyway) but hard to work. I have found that in most cases ALUMINUM answers the call. It is available in almost any configuration you can imagine: sheets, from very thin up through 1/2 " and more; round tubing; square tubing, angles; "I" beams; grating; flat & round and 1/2 round, bar stock, etc. etc.

The real beauty of the metal is that you don't use a torch to cut it. Use your everyday wood working saws: jig, band, chop, radial table and the like. Any burs left on the edges, pull out your trusty old wood rasp. Need holes drilled, have at it even with dull bits. I have found that the vast majority of the projects on which I have used aluminum do not require welding. On some that I have welded I could have avoided it if I really had to. The following is a list of all the "projects" on CC Rider on which I have utilized aluminum.

1. Mount for Danforth Anchor on bow (w)

2. Mount on forward cabin for sunshade (w)

3. Extension of laydown mountfor radio antenna

4. Lower stiffener for canvas privacy curtain on bridge

5. "L" bracket for bridge canvas privacy curtains

6. Radar mount (w)

7. Hinge for folding the mast (w)

8. Latch for folding mast (w)

9. Guide bars for folding the mast

10. "L" brackets for dinghy chocks on bridge

11. Replacement mount for remote depth sounder on bridge

12. Repair strap for cracked Lexan venturi windshield

13. Mount for anemometer pole

14. Aluminum tent poles for aft awning

15. Lock for lazarette hatch cover

16. Hidden hinges for lazarette hatch cover

17. Backing plates for "Weaver Davits" on swim platform

18. Backing plates for swim platformladder

19. Backing plates for pad eye for lifting RIB

20. "L" bracket to mount propane gas regulator

21. Mount for gen set automatic shutdown solenoid and temp. gauge

22. "L" brackets for seats in engine room

23. Belt guard on main engine (w)

24. Battery box hold down straps

25. Muffler excluder device (w)

26. Hold down bracket for refrigerator

27. Panel Mount for electrical switches (12 volt)

28. Guard for electrical switches

29. Horizontal slide for salon table (w)

30. Fiddle for stove

31. Mount for pump and float switch in gray water tank

32. Heavy duty boat hook pole

33. Gang plank hardware (w)

34. "L" brackets for work bench in engine room

35. Replacement fixed window (w)

36. Deck fill wrench - made it a "T" handle

37. Gate valve handle repair

38. O/B motor mount

39. Crutch for gen pole when it is folded (w)

40. Bracket mount for air horn valve

The ones on which I welded are denoted with a (w). Take cognizance that of the 40 projects only 9 (23%) consists of pieces that involved welding- note I said involved, not necessarily required. Many of the projects I list have been completed with scraps but I do keep some new metal on hand such as flat bar stock 3/16" thick x 1/2" wide.

Projects that would be real production numbers for us amateurs, not to mention beyond the ability of a do-it-yourselfer in steel are a "piece of cake" in aluminum. For starters most home shops don't have a cutting torch or a drill press as both are mandatory in steel fabrication. An aside, if you don't have a drill press, get one! A Sears table top unit has performed yeoman service for me for more that 20 years. Until you use one you can not appreciate just how easy and clean it is to bore a hole in anything, wood, steel aluminum, plastic whatever. I digress!!!

Back to the projects. I have provided photos of a number of them as representative of the versatility of the medium- as an artist would say! In some of the projects the method I used was dictated by the material that I had on hand. Thus there will be, to the astute reader, several ways to the desired end. For instance, the mount for the radar dome. I had planned on using two 14 long pieces of 3" channel. Lagscrew each piece of channel to the radar platform on the mast and then bolt the radar to that.

Note no welding required, however, I succumed to persuasion of a friend and we welded up the mount. Actually he welded it for me as my welding closely resembles gorilla snot and this project is where it where it can be seen. The belt guard for my Perkins 6.354 could have easily been fabricated without welding,just bolt the various pieces. This is actually my favorite project because I love the decal. I don't have a photo of one of the best projects No. 31, the mount for the sump pump and its float switch that is in my gray water tank. This is a piece of aluminum, actually part of an old "No Parking" sign from my office. I bolted the pump and its' float switch to it, with extra long electrical leads, this is sitting in the tank. When it requires service, reach in and remove the whole thing. No fuss, no muss. It need not be attached to the bottom of the tank as the discharge hose tends to keep it in place.

Go forth and fabricate.