: Thanks for the comments. Yes, my idea. I think I might save a
: little on weight, but of course strength is much higher. My
: original justification was to open up the interior of the kayak,
: though it hardly matters except for the frame at the front of
: the coaming. Basically its just for the fun of experimentation
: :)

: This is the first time I've used the aluminum adhesive. The product
: is Loctite Speedbonder H8000, and its readily available from
: McMaster-Carr. According to the manufacturer its being used to
: assemble truck bodies. It certainly works, but I don't know yet
: about how long it will last. I have deck beam lashings over the
: glued joints in the frames so there is some redundancy.

The problem bonding aluminum is that it forms a protective oxide almost instantly, it's why the aluminum is sorta gray colored instead of shiny. So you're bonding to the oxide which isn't structural. For something like a kayak frame it probably doesn't matter.

Bill H.