ACM Panels used in Jon Boat

[Brine]

Anyone have any experience with these panels? I'm in the process of modding a jon boat and don't want to use any wood. This product is roughly 1/3 the price of sheet aluminum on sale at a local supplier. The only downside I see is that it can't be welded which doesn't bother me, because I don't weld.

Anyone know why it wouldn't work well as decking in a jon boat?

[quanjig]

That is exactly the material I want to use to deck my Jon boat. I guess the biggest question is how to brace it so it doesn't sag under your  weight......... Have you a solution for that?? I would love to find someone around here that carries that stuff. How thick is the ACM? please keep me in the loop as to your mod.

Thanks.    Jon

[Brine]

Quanjig,

To your question, I don't see that there is any difference between supporting the 4mm (.157) ACM product vs .125 aluminum sheet. I assume it wont be as rigid as a 6000 T6 alloy, but my framing would be the same for either application. I plan to lay pieces of closed cell foam cut from a sheet that is the same thickness as the height of my ribs at the floor which should help with any flex some. I'm also using .125 x 1.5 aluminum angle to frame out my decks. I will PM you a link with my progress. If you google ACM products, you should find someone close to you. The particular product I am looking at is Alcubond and is on sale for $2/sq ft. The last prices I got from a supply house for aluminum sheet ranged from $5.27-$6.72/sq.ft depending on the alloy. If you happen across any useful information, I would appreciate it as well. Thanks.

[Long Mike]

What is ACM?

[Brine]

What is ACM?

Aluminum Composite Panels

[Brine]

As an update, I think the ACM will work fine. I've bought it, cut it, and put it in the floor of the boat. Next is framing out the decks.

[Wayne P.]

Good luck with it since it is not mentioned as a weight bearer or flooring material.

[Brine]

Good luck with it since it is not mentioned as a weight bearer or flooring material.

It beared my weight as a floor, so I think the luck part is over. Tile is a flooring material, but you won't find it in many boats.   

[xbacksideslider]

Good idea, I see no problem as flooring when it's placed against the hull and between the stringers. Also looks like a good product to restore flotation, say vertically, below the gunnels.

Plywood, studs, fasteners, glue, and carpet are too heavy, and destabilize a small aluminum boat that may weigh less than the materials added, especially when they are placed well above the water line.

I'm looking at .125" diamond tread plate over flotation to flatten my 14' Gregor's hull.

[Brine]

The boat using ACM turned out great. You can see the Brine Craft build on the TinBoats site.

http://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6551

[james 14]

Another inexpensive and lightweight option for framing would be aluminum studs used for screened rooms. I used PT 2x4s on my front deck before I thought of this idea and wish I would've been a little quicker. I might could've even laid them out side by side to create the full deck supported on the sides and ends by angle alum. Not sure how I would've cut out a door for my dry storage though.

On the floor in the middle I used regular 3/8" ply treated with sealer laid across the stringers with a couple PT stips laid lengthwise to fill in the gaps. I carpeted the underside of each strip to keep them from making noise when I stepped. It wasn't that heavy and its rock solid. I lost maybe 1 mph off my top speed after the floor.

[quanjig]

As many have stated before on this topic, be careful when using pt wood in aluminum boats!