boat worker's tool kits

[StuM]

Originally Posted by zengirl

How does underproofed differ from reg rums?

It's actually the original Bundie - re-named to distinguish it from Bundaberg Overproof rum.

Underproof Bundaberg is 37% alcohol by volume (ABV) which is about the same as Captain Morgan (most "reg rums" are in the 37-40% ABV range)

OP Bundie on the other hand is 57.7% ABV

37% ABV is 74 Proof,
57.5% ABV is 115.4 Proof

(the obsolete UK Proof was higher and OP Bundie only just makes it at 101 Proof on that scale )

[Chuck Hawley]

5/16" nut driver for hose clamps. Boat Maintenance Worker's #1 tool!

Chuck
Former BMW

[TheThunderbird]

Having some 8 different hammers/mallets, l can't comment any further :-)

but, .... No pipe tools?

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by chris95040

Thanks for this!

I was just out shopping for a new toolbox since the handle on my current, overstuffed one has been broken and replaced with a shoelace for the past few months. It suffers all the problems you describe, scratching floors as it slides around when I forgot to put it in its spot, obnoxious to set down where I want it because a handrail or something is in the way, etc.

I don't know why the idea of fabric tool bags never came to mind. Awesome.

I have a few of the Husky (Home Depot store brand) bags in various sizes and they are an amazing value. I have one for electrical tools, one for refinishing tools, etc. My main tool bag is riggers bag:



That's not my bag but is identical to mine, which is a tad longer than most that you see. The longer/bigger ones are perfect for a general tool kit as they fit big screwdrivers and longer items laying down inside.

No scratching up the boat, conform to storage spaces and, well they are just more seamanlike than tool boxes.

I also have all my fasteners, electrical connectors and pieces, small rigging hardware, etc. in labeled Plano boxes (Screws, Bolts/Nuts/Washers, Electrical, Plumbing, Rigging, etc). I found a plastic storage box that holds about 7 of them perfectly and it sits at the bottom of a locker on it's side. I can pull out the box I need without fishing around, which is a godsend.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by Chuck Hawley

5/16" nut driver for hose clamps. Boat Maintenance Worker's #1 tool!

Chuck
Former BMW

The 6-way screwdriver is a 5/16" nut driver (with the Phillips bit removed).

Originally Posted by TheThunderbird

... No pipe tools?

Only the Channellocks; the bag simply got too heavy to carry pipe wrenches too, all the time. Of course I add to the bag as necessary, depending on the job. And supplement this principal kit with others that I will photograph when possible.

[BlackHeron]

Originally Posted by Chuck Hawley

5/16" nut driver for hose clamps. Boat Maintenance Worker's #1 tool!

Chuck
Former BMW

5/16" (yellow-coded handle usually) nutdriver does many hose clamps but AWAB/ABA clamps have metric 7mm heads(orange-coded handle for that nutdriver usually.) There are also quite a few very small hose clamps that are 1/4" drive, and those nutdrivers are a red-coded handle usually.

If a boat carries no other nutdrivers at least get a 5/16" and 7mm one for hose clamps. Nut-drivers make tightening or loosening a hose clamp a breeze.

SV Barry Duckworth is currently only buying ABA hose clamps and phasing out the old slotted ones. All the clamps below the waterline are now the new ABA ones from WestMarine.

[WingRyder]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

Sorry for not pointing it out. Upper right corner of photo in the first post shows the bag I was referencing. Highly recommended.

You can get those bags at Harbor freight for almost nothing. I have several in 2 sizes. They are like $5 & 7. respectively, when on sale. I have given up on tool boxes. If there's one thing I have to many of, it's tools!

[Tafa]

A multimeter is a must (true RMS with Amp clamp if possible)

+ some other electrical tools and supplies such as;

Butane or battery powered soldering iron

Crimp connectors and a good crimper

a side cutter and a wire stripper

[BlackHeron]

A true-RMS meter is pretty much a waste for a non-professional. I don't even bother carrying one and I AM a professional. If in the very rare occasion I need one I'll tell the shop to send out a nice Fluke. 99.9999% of the situations it doesn't make a hill of beans difference in the field.

Now an amp-clamp...that's worth having. Great for doing a quick test on your shorepower cable to see if you have stray current coming into (or out of) your boat, or your neighbor's boats. I have a galvanic isolator on our boat. Wouldn't plug into shorepower for more than a few hours without one here in the US.

[WingRyder]

Originally Posted by Tafa

A multimeter is a must (true RMS with Amp clamp if possible)


Butane or battery powered soldering iron

Thanks for reminding me of that! I will put that on my list! I just found a 12v iron that plugs into a standard XT-60 connector. I have a boatload of lipo's for my drones. Butane would be nice as a backup to my Hakko as well.

[BlackHeron]

Originally Posted by WingRyder

Thanks for reminding me of that! I will put that on my list! I just found a 12v iron that plugs into a standard XT-60 connector. I have a boatload of lipo's for my drones. Butane would be nice as a backup to my Hakko as well.

Our 12v iron plugs into a standard cigar outlet. It came with the boat and the previous owner had it set up with alligator clamps to attach directly to the battery. When I rewired the boat I put in a robust electrical system with minimum #12 gauge wire everywhere. The lighter sockets are all rated for 20A and are everywhere.

Usually I use the nav desk for my soldering station unless it is a solder project somewhere on the boat I that can't be moved there. I haven't had to deal with soldering a new antenna connector at the masthead yet. A tiny butane solder torch would be the way to go for that, come to think of it.

[WingRyder]

Originally Posted by BlackHeron

Our 12v iron plugs into a standard cigar outlet. It came with the boat and the previous owner had it set up with alligator clamps to attach directly to the battery. When I rewired the boat I put in a robust electrical system with minimum #12 gauge wire everywhere. The lighter sockets are all rated for 20A and are everywhere.

Usually I use the nav desk for my soldering station unless it is a solder project somewhere on the boat I that can't be moved there. I haven't had to deal with soldering a new antenna connector at the masthead yet. A tiny butane solder torch would be the way to go for that, come to think of it.

The upgraded 12v wiring is an excellent idea. I would like to build a workstation, ... somewhere in my boat (when I get one.), for working on drones and various other projects. I have a Nice Hakko soldering station, but it is strictly for workbench use, on shore power, not at all portable.

I have a full array of adapters for charging drone batteries, and LOTS of 2s-4s lipos. I have a standard 12v adapter and many others, that I could use to run a 12v soldering iron from boat batteries, if needed. I can see where it would be handy to have a battery operated soldering gun, and for reasons you mentioned, a butane solder torch as well. Two is one, and one is none, in survival school. So, I think it would be prudent to have both, ... considering they take up very little space.

New soldering equipment is now on my list, as well as some battery operated power tools... all of mine are currently 110v plug ins (never had much use for battery powered tools), but I need to change that! There goes another $1G!

[BlackHeron]

We've got a bunch of 120v power tools on our boat. No battery tools at all. I've got a big 3000w continuous rated inverter and never mess with battery tools. The inverter is almost always turned off but when it is in use I can transfer over all the receptacles on the boat to inverter power when shore power is not available. The inverter has its own battery disconnect switch so I can flip it off 100% dead when it is not needed so it can't draw any parasitical power from the house bank.

I have a love-hate relationship with battery tools. In the construction trades we use them almost exclusively because they are convenient but you are always a slave to keeping them charged and ready. The newer and more expensive ones are better about keeping a charge between uses, but I always remember the batteries being dead whenever I want to use the drill or whatever battery tool I needed, and have to mess around charging them first every time I need to do even the smallest drilling chore. More of a PITA than uncoiling a power cord most of the time for me.

We have a short 8-foot extension cord and another 15-footer on the boat. With a receptacle in every cabin, and in the lazarette, I can reach anywhere on the cabins with the 8-footer and almost everywhere on deck even with the 15-foot. On a rare occasion I need to hook them both together. We also carry another 50' cord for when we are on the hard and a long way from power to help extend the 50' shorepower 30A cord if needed in a boatyard. Theoretically I could bring a power tool all the way up the mast with that.

So we do have battery-tools, they are just using the house bank as their battery in a round-about way. That never goes flat. I could use my 1/2" power drill non-stop for many days before that battery died Battery tools are also very expensive and easily damaged when dropped. 120v tools are much more robust, and way cheaper. On a boat everything gets corroded by salt. Battery tools usually are much more likely to get messed-up from that than tough 120v commercial-grade power tools.

That's my $.02 on battery tools.

[WingRyder]

Originally Posted by BlackHeron

We've got a bunch of 120v power tools on our boat. No battery tools at all. I've got a big 3000w continuous rated inverter and never mess with battery tools. The inverter is almost always turned off but when it is in use I can transfer over all the receptacles on the boat to inverter power when shore power is not available. The inverter has its own battery disconnect switch so I can flip it off 100% dead when it is not needed so it can't draw any parasitical power from the house bank.

I have a love-hate relationship with battery tools. In the construction trades we use them almost exclusively because they are convenient but you are always a slave to keeping them charged and ready. The newer and more expensive ones are better about keeping a charge between uses, but I always remember the batteries being dead whenever I want to use the drill or whatever battery tool I needed, and have to mess around charging them first every time I need to do even the smallest drilling chore. More of a PITA than uncoiling a power cord most of the time for me.

We have a short 8-foot extension cord and another 15-footer on the boat. With a receptacle in every cabin, and in the lazarette, I can reach anywhere on the cabins with the 8-footer and almost everywhere on deck even with the 15-foot. On a rare occasion I need to hook them both together. We also carry another 50' cord for when we are on the hard and a long way from power to help extend the 50' shorepower 30A cord if needed in a boatyard. Theoretically I could bring a power tool all the way up the mast with that.

So we do have battery-tools, they are just using the house bank as their battery in a round-about way. That never goes flat. I could use my 1/2" power drill non-stop for many days before that battery died Battery tools are also very expensive and easily damaged when dropped. 120v tools are much more robust, and way cheaper. On a boat everything gets corroded by salt. Battery tools usually are much more likely to get messed-up from that than tough 120v commercial-grade power tools.

That's my $.02 on battery tools.

I agree with you about power tools. I just thought it may be useful to have a cordless drill and perhaps a jigsaw or 4" circ saw when anchored... but you are absolutely right! For commercial use, where you can afford the $70-$120 spare batteries, they may be useful. But honestly, I'm with you. I have used corded tools all my life and only occasionally have I thought it may be handy to have a cordless. But the expense of them has kept me from exploring that option. I have bought a few harbor freight 18v cordless drills, but have never used one as a drill. I use the motor and gearboxes for robotics projects An HF drill is cheaper than an 18v motor on Amazon! Thanks also for the tip on corrosion. I have found that expensive tools are THAT much better built than cheaper ones anyway.

[Terra Nova]

I make virtually no use of cordless tools on the boats.