I want to reinforce the bottom of my boat with a 1/4 inch sheet of HDPE. Can I weld or mold the sheet to the inside of my boat? How would I go about doing this?
Don't worry about welding or gluing in the HDPE. Mark the centerline in your boat and make a cardboard template for 1/2 of the HDPE plate that wraps up the sides of the boat and matches up with the factory holes for the kayak outfitting. Mark a centerline on your plastic plate stock, transfer the template outline and cut it out with a jig saw. Round off the edges of the plastic with a file or sandpaper so they don't abrade the hull. Then fold the plate into the boat and heat it with a heat gun to soften the plate and mold the plate to the contours of the boat. Drill the coresponding holes to match the factory holes and bolt the plate in. Your boat bottom is now reinforced.
