Frequently Asked Questions – Wavemaster Kits
Do I need to know how to TIG weld to build a Wavemaster kit?
No. TIG welding is not required. Wavemaster kits are engineered to be MIG-welded, which is the marine industry standard for aluminium boatbuilding, including 5083 plate in 3mm to 5mm thicknesses.
MIG is faster, more forgiving, and much more suited to long structural welds than TIG, which is typically reserved for fine fabrication, cosmetic welds, or thin aluminium under 2mm. TIG is slower, requires highly clean surfaces, and demands significantly more setup time and skill, making it impractical for most boat hulls.
All Wavemaster kits are designed for straightforward MIG welding. You can practice welds on offcuts from the kit before starting the hull, and our detailed drawings guide every step of the process.
MIG is faster, more forgiving, and much more suited to long structural welds than TIG, which is typically reserved for fine fabrication, cosmetic welds, or thin aluminium under 2mm. TIG is slower, requires highly clean surfaces, and demands significantly more setup time and skill, making it impractical for most boat hulls.
All Wavemaster kits are designed for straightforward MIG welding. You can practice welds on offcuts from the kit before starting the hull, and our detailed drawings guide every step of the process.
MIG-welded Wavemaster hull showing no distortion .
Proof that professional results are achievable with the right process and equipment.
Should I attend a boat building course before starting?
Not necessarily. While boat building courses can help with general fabrication skills, you must check that they are aligned with how modern aluminium kits are actually built. Some focus heavily on TIG welding or involve large group builds — neither of which reflects the reality of small, DIY plate boat construction.
You may spend much of the course practicing welds at a bench (which you can do at home using kit offcuts), or worse — standing around watching others work.
Wavemaster kits are designed for solo or two-person builds using MIG welding and standard fabrication tools. With detailed plans, precision cut parts, a clear weld schedule, and straightforward assembly methods, you can build confidently in your own workshop.
Instead of spending thousands on a generic course, it might be better to invest that money in a quality pulsed MIG welder, PPE, and a practical workspace. and achieve professional results with minimal overhead. If you do decide to do a course, check the ASIC business names register to ensure that they are registered or do an ABN search to check that they are operating under a registered ABN. Finally check that you will actually learn skills that are value for money and not just be someones TA for the weekend. The last thing you want is to pay for the privilege of providing free labour to a boat builder and then get sucked in to buying an over priced kit which will be the up sell on the last day.
You may spend much of the course practicing welds at a bench (which you can do at home using kit offcuts), or worse — standing around watching others work.
Wavemaster kits are designed for solo or two-person builds using MIG welding and standard fabrication tools. With detailed plans, precision cut parts, a clear weld schedule, and straightforward assembly methods, you can build confidently in your own workshop.
Instead of spending thousands on a generic course, it might be better to invest that money in a quality pulsed MIG welder, PPE, and a practical workspace. and achieve professional results with minimal overhead. If you do decide to do a course, check the ASIC business names register to ensure that they are registered or do an ABN search to check that they are operating under a registered ABN. Finally check that you will actually learn skills that are value for money and not just be someones TA for the weekend. The last thing you want is to pay for the privilege of providing free labour to a boat builder and then get sucked in to buying an over priced kit which will be the up sell on the last day.
How is welding aluminium different to welding steel?
Welding aluminium is quite different from welding steel — and the change in technique often surprises DIY builders who come from a steel fabrication background.
Aluminium dissipates heat much faster than steel, which means you need to weld “hot and fast” to achieve full penetration without excessive distortion. That’s why MIG welding aluminium requires a higher travel speed and greater heat input than most steel welders are used to.
Gas selection is also important. For aluminium, a pure argon or argon-helium shielding gas mix is required — not the standard mixes commonly used with steel.
Finally, aluminium requires much cleaner preparation: oxide layers must be removed before welding, and there’s no “forgiveness factor” like there is with mild steel. Clean metal, a dialled-in welder, and good technique will deliver excellent results — and our kits are designed to support that process every step of the way.
Aluminium dissipates heat much faster than steel, which means you need to weld “hot and fast” to achieve full penetration without excessive distortion. That’s why MIG welding aluminium requires a higher travel speed and greater heat input than most steel welders are used to.
Gas selection is also important. For aluminium, a pure argon or argon-helium shielding gas mix is required — not the standard mixes commonly used with steel.
Finally, aluminium requires much cleaner preparation: oxide layers must be removed before welding, and there’s no “forgiveness factor” like there is with mild steel. Clean metal, a dialled-in welder, and good technique will deliver excellent results — and our kits are designed to support that process every step of the way.
How are your kits different?
Many kits on the market were developed to serve the early DIY scene, with designs that relied on over welding and large fit up tolerances to compensate for inconsistent build skills and welds that were not necessarily going to be to survey standards. They were designed to be built in garages with minimal equipment, not professional workshops. Steve developed many of these kits which are still being sold by others today.
They have their place in the DIY scene, but experienced fabricators and professional boat builders can spend less hours and maximise production efficiency. Our kits are designed to be built by industry professionals in ways more aligned with commercial shipbuilding.
The result is less build hours, less heat, less distortion and a professional looking result.
What are the advantages of deep girders?
As mentioned above, many early kit boats were designed for the DIY scene and used the "pull up" method where plates are laid on the floor and pulled up into shape. That approach has advantages and works well or smaller designs, but it can limit the structural efficiency of and internal space on larger boats. Think about it. Do you think it makes sense to build an 8m boat the same way as a 4m?
Longitudinal girders, especially deep ones, are difficult to get level with the pull-up method. But as boats get longer, these girders become more useful because they:Provide superior strength and rigidity for boats that go further offshore.Reduce flexing and panel vibration for boats with more power.Support larger, more integrated fuel tanks.Result in easier plating and a more refined finish.Enable a quieter, smoother ride on the water. Make construction of large boats more efficient. Instead of fighting gravity to pull plates up with come-a-longs, the upside down build using girders as the back bone allows the plates to be laid over the frames where gravity helps push them into shape.
Wavemaster’s hulls can be designed for either upside down assembly with girders or pull up assembly without girders.
Longitudinal girders, especially deep ones, are difficult to get level with the pull-up method. But as boats get longer, these girders become more useful because they:Provide superior strength and rigidity for boats that go further offshore.Reduce flexing and panel vibration for boats with more power.Support larger, more integrated fuel tanks.Result in easier plating and a more refined finish.Enable a quieter, smoother ride on the water. Make construction of large boats more efficient. Instead of fighting gravity to pull plates up with come-a-longs, the upside down build using girders as the back bone allows the plates to be laid over the frames where gravity helps push them into shape.
Wavemaster’s hulls can be designed for either upside down assembly with girders or pull up assembly without girders.
how is your boat length defined?
In the past length was usually stated as the distance between the point where the transom meets the keel and the bow where the side plates meet. It excluded appendages, platforms and bow spits and was known as "bung to bow". However this is not how length is defined in the National Standard for the Australian Builders Plate for Recreational Boats. The standard defines Length as "a term having the same meaning as 'length of hull' in ISO 8666". AS1799.1 also refers to ISO 8666. The definition of Length in this standard is basically the overall length of the enclosed hull volume.
This means that any enclosed hull volume aft of the bung is included in the definition. The angle of the transom and the height of the decks are important since they determine the extents of the enclosed volume.
Why does it matter? The official length for the builders plate determines cut off points for flotation requirements and life jacket wearing regulations.
For this reason we use the Length as defined in ISO 8666 to describe our boat length, and for information purposes we give the overall length, which includes dive platforms, bow spits etc, but not engines, and the old style hull length.