Oh, you're saying not make plugs for the decks and hood, but have the whole hull constructed more or less, just needing to be coated with the carbon/glass? Kinda like a skeleton.
Surfriding Aluminum Hull
- Thread starter Rich_Griff
- Start date
Oh, you're saying not make plugs for the decks and hood, but have the whole hull constructed more or less, just needing to be coated with the carbon/glass? Kinda like a skeleton.
snowxr
V watch your daughters V
- Location
- Waterford, MI
Yep, I was right. Crazy talk. All crazy talk.
Who let Suzi back in?
I think river running would be fun as he double hockey sticks. Why beef up a stock hull then attach hdpe sheeting to the bottom like air boats. Plenty of 750s and old squares out there. I would not put a whole lot of money in it as it would be expendable.
- Location
- Orange County, CA
exactly
- Location
- New Jersey
someone made an all aluminum wet bike. I have no clue where the thread is though. prob pwctoday. it looked pretty awesome. Ill search around for it if you want when i get out of class
Tori down in Pismo has it.
WFO Speedracer
A lifetime ban is like a lifetime warranty !
- Location
- Alabama
Stop listening to these saltwater junkies and just build the damn thing !
And make sure to cover it in carbon, so it wont corrode! LOL!
Guaranteed to if you do that.
For the record, I'm totally against an all metal ski. However, you may have a market if you made a bolt on mold of the bottom. Line it in rubber or foam so it doesn't destroy the bottom of your stock hull and just cover the bottom portion and sides while omitting the pump tunnel. Could possibly even incorporate the ride plate if you want to get fancy. You could bolt it to the bond rails all the way around and wouldn't even have to worry about the hull leaking when you remove it. Think removable river armor... It would probably add 30-40 lbs just for something basic like that made of 0.080"-0.100" aluminum. At least then, you could add it as insurance when you're riding stupid stuff and then remove it and have a lighter hull all the other times.
- Location
- Orange County, CA
Could be a cool trailer attachment, could house the ski like a cup on the trailer rather than the ski on raids. and wouldn't take up any more room than the ski itself.
a whole industry is opening up with this topic, haha
Tanman
Jus' keep er' pinned
- Location
- Ketchikan Alaska
build one and ill test it for you 
I think it would work good. I've been around ALOT of aluminum boats here in AK and have seen them do some crazy stuff. so I think it would work well.
I think it would work good. I've been around ALOT of aluminum boats here in AK and have seen them do some crazy stuff. so I think it would work well.
- Location
- Central Texas
Take a look at the link below. They make an aluminum wakeboard boat now that is 40% lighter than a fiberglass wakeboard boat. Why wouldn't be the same for a jetski?
http://www.pavati.com/wakeboarding_boat/aluminum/
http://www.pavati.com/wakeboarding_boat/aluminum/
Zeon
WNY Crew
- Location
- Buffalo, NY/ Crystal beach, Ontario
My buddy Justin and Myself were talking about this. We ride Niagara River and Lake Erie alot. Limestone bedrock and fiberglass do not mix...Especially when the 2 collide. Id love to just hammer and dolly my damage out at the end of the day. Hell even if I had to tig a tear up at the end of the day... Its way cleaner and nicer to work with then fiberglass. I Honestly think this would be an awesome idea.
- Location
- New Zealand
Yeah I have thought about this aswell and if done well its a great idea. Stamping then heat treatment is the only practical way but the setup costs would be huge the end result would be a cheap strong hull thats easy to repair. Annodes and plastic washers etc sort corrosion. Salt water is not a problem with the correct grades.
Good luck
Good luck
GSXR RACER MIKE
20 years of stand up
- Location
- Northern Illinois
A 7' x 3' x .100" thick piece of aluminum is apx 30 lbs.
Being a Tool & Die Maker myself I certainly don't see why a form Die couldn't be built? It would be low production so you wouldn't have to make the Die out of exotic tool steels, most of it could be cheap filler blocks like Hot Roll with some tool steel where needed. I think the greatest cost would be the 3-D milling time on a CNC, if a current hull could be laser scanned to create a machinable CAD model the programming cost could be reduced. Once a Die is built it's just a matter of throwing it in a Punch or Hydraulic Press and hit it!
Being a Tool & Die Maker myself I certainly don't see why a form Die couldn't be built? It would be low production so you wouldn't have to make the Die out of exotic tool steels, most of it could be cheap filler blocks like Hot Roll with some tool steel where needed. I think the greatest cost would be the 3-D milling time on a CNC, if a current hull could be laser scanned to create a machinable CAD model the programming cost could be reduced. Once a Die is built it's just a matter of throwing it in a Punch or Hydraulic Press and hit it!
You have to keep in mind the hull is gonna be all boxy since it'd be constructed in segments that can't be as exact as fiberglass. The hull will also obviously dent as said above. Which is easier to repair as said, but will look like in no time, and pounding out dents won't ever look the same. If you also dent the hull while you're riding, the hydrodynamics of the hull will be modified. Then there is also the fact the aluminum can't flex. It'd be like riding a car with no suspension, you would feel every little wave and bump, where as fiberglass will flex a little bit and absorb some of the rough feelings of riding.
in no time, and pounding out dents won't ever look the same. If you also dent the hull while you're riding, the hydrodynamics of the hull will be modified. Then there is also the fact the aluminum can't flex. It'd be like riding a car with no suspension, you would feel every little wave and bump, where as fiberglass will flex a little bit and absorb some of the rough feelings of riding.