Handy boat building tools.

Anything for an easier life.

Everybody has their favourite tools for various reasons and like most blokes, more is better.
For a one off build a lot of the Chinese electrical imports are proving to be durable enough to see out one boat. Some hardware stores will replace burnt out units near unconditionally. Budget is always a constraining factor, but a few things are near essential.


Apart from basic wood working hand tools, these are a few that will make life a lot easeier. I took a chance on a range of 18volt Li-ion powered tools from Ryobi called One Plus. Not being tradesman tools I was a little sceptical about their endurance. They have had a fair workout so far and are hanging in there. I initially purchased the drill as a kit with 2 batteries and a charger then other items as my faith in the range grew. Where possible using battery powered tools saves a massive amount of hassle by escaping the tangle of leads and time changing plugs.

-Reversing battery drill/screw driver.

 












-A basic essential, I use and reuse hundreds of chipboard screws to hold things together while fitting and gluing. I even used the hammer drill function with a 12mm bit to drill holes to bolt the building jig to the floor. It accomplished this surprisingly well although I wouldn't push my luck too far doing that sort of work. The drill warmed up very fast.

Battery circular saw.

 












-This one I was sceptical about but have had to change my mind. Think of it as being in the same league as a jig saw but faster and straighter. Certainly not for heavy timber or the likes but great for thin work like cutting ply sheeting. Not dragging a lead out of the way all the time is great. This saw has a laser indicator to guide your cut, another thing I scoffed at but have come to use all the time. If you have used circular saws a lot there is one thing you may not notice until you actually go to use this one. The blade is on the wrong side. That took a bit of use until it felt natural in the hand.


Multitool.

 











-This device really took a while to even buy. I have seen them advertised late at night with a dozen free steak knives thrown in. Seeing and believing are two different things. I thought if they were half as good as claimed they would be magic. I watched a lot of youtube clips by private people giving them a good wrap and for $80.00 decided to take a chance. I have seen some no name 240 volt units for less. Certainly these do not fall into the category of essential but they are great for working in tight corners where previously only a wood chisel or a lot of hand sanding would do the job. The two blades with saw teeth are great for removing those epoxy dags that rip your finger tips open. Minimal dust compared to sanding as well.
 
Bandsaw.

 


















As I was ripping my own stringers and solid timber I decided I would do it with a 175mm circular saw I already had in my possession. This being a one off project I thought I could endure this slow process. Not so, this was noisy, slow, dusty, inaccurate and wasting timber. After a while I gave it away in disgust, what was I thinking. 
     From days gone by I had a neglected old bandsaw sitting around in the weather and I decided to resurrect it. Certainly not in everyones tool kit, I know. A strip down of the moving parts, a new blade, new electrical components for safety and a new outlook on ripping stringers. Hundreds of lineal metres of ripping reduced from days to hours, literally.