Lathe & Drill Press on a Boat?

[jheldatksuedu]

Originally Posted by hpeer

you are gonna need a bigger boat!

I spend a lot of time making things fit into small corners. I agree a bigger boat would make it easier, but I think everybody always could argue they need a bigger boat. The bigger boat spends less time sailing, and more time getting ready to sail. I'm spending far too much time getting ready right now, but should finally turn the corner this next year.

I also agree that a big heavy bench vise is a great item to have. I have made mine (a 60 pounder) clamp to or bolt down to a 2x8 so that I can tie it down on deck to use it. It sure makes a rotary grinder, hammer and hacksaw much more useful when you are cutting, pounding or grinding on something that isn't moving.

Basically I've made a couple steel bars with lots of holes and some long bolts to allow multiple clamping arraignments for the vise. In addition to the mill and lathe in the engine room, I have a drill press attachment for a large 1/2 inch hand drill and also a table saw conversion for an 8 inch skill saw, these come up on deck, much like the vise and often get clamped to the 2x8s. I have many dozen C-clamps and wood clamps of every size. A good sized 4kw diesel generator gets power to all these.

I'd be lost without all my tools. Then there is the electronics and radio stuff. I have too many hobbies, sailing is one of them.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by MehmetCan

O.k. I don't think anyone will object the necessity of a proper bench vice and the long list of the regular suspects of tools to have on the boat. However, what do you say about bigger tools/machines such as :

. Lathe
. CNC
. Drill press


Most of these got stronger, cheaper and smaller throughout the years, however, the main question is to feed their power needs and whether it would be possible to keep their calibrations in order in a boat?

My answer? Just as necessary as proper dedicated storage, extra tanks or watermaker.

Anyone has seen any? Any experience? Any thoughts?

CNC ridiculous. Bench drill press, collet lathe maybe not as ridiculous if you have a large boat.

[Russ]

Have Steel boat ALSO Have Welder (Stick 110 AC) and Drill press. The others are a bit much but IF you know how to use them and have space, Go For It!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lathe I can relate to but CNC for what???? Russ

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by MehmetCan

O.k. I don't think anyone will object the necessity of a proper bench vice and the long list of the regular suspects of tools to have on the boat. However, what do you say about bigger tools/machines such as :

. Lathe
. CNC
. Drill press


Most of these got stronger, cheaper and smaller throughout the years, however, the main question is to feed their power needs and whether it would be possible to keep their calibrations in order in a boat?

My answer? Just as necessary as proper dedicated storage, extra tanks or watermaker.

Anyone has seen any? Any experience? Any thoughts?

Sounds good on paper but space and power are blockers on most vessels. The low power units are only toys and lack sufficient torque to machine anything useful. We have redundancy and spares instead.

Can you imagine trying to machine something while underway. How would you contain and cleanup the swarf and coolant. More practical to get to a port and find a machinist.

A friend has a 50' Chris Craft power boat and he uses the helm cabin as a workshop. The vessel doesn't leave the dock.

I have a small TIG welder. It's not possible to run it from the boat electrics.

I'm now building a prototype 3D printer using a low power tig torch and either small mig wire or MMC powders. It's going to be 2 - 3 years before any practical units are available.

Machining is horrendously expensive here in the bay area. I use the Crucible for all my welding and stainless fab.

Once we have low cost 3D printers that can make high tolerance metal components it will make sense to fit them on a boat.

The challenges are power consumption, metal matrix composite powder fusing and price. Some form of low power tig, laser or arc fusing is needed.

Currently there are only some research machines able to fuse MMCs. I did my masters in this area 15 years ago. Even building a working prototype is probably a year or to off for me.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[roverhi]

Met a couple from Oz in Moorea who were completing the lengthiest circumnavigation we'd heard of, 10 years. He was a diesel mechanic and found work wherever they went sometimes staying for a couple of years.

Their boat was a big brother to the Tahiti Ketch around 38' with a center cockpit. The aft cabin/engine room were his workshop. Don't know what all he had for tools but one was a small milling machine and also a lathe. Don't know how much work he did out of the boat but the setup looked like he could build almost anything if the pieces would fit in his workshop.

[Compass790]

Worked/crewed on a 65ft steel schooner that was owned by a retired engineer who had a lathe & drill press on board. On that size vessel it was ok & the owners greatest joy was to modify things so it seemed to get a lot of use. Also was pressed into action to help out fellow boaties occasionally. I suspect the need for them is proportional to your desire to carry them but if your vessel is large enough I see no reason not to indulge yourself.
Regards

[Hard Rock Candy]

I have to have at least some of my tools on board to make my boat my home. I bolted a small 4 inch vise to the end of my galley counter. then I used the end of the counter for a bench. I built a wood lathe on the countertop, out of a makita drill motor and a temporary tailstock and turned some really nice Mahogany legs for a fold down table. I enjoyed my workshop aboard ship as much as the happy smiles of friends that I made stuff for. In days past a shop aboard ship was a common necessity. Mac