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Eleven · 01-04-2010, 09:22

My personal favourite is a palm plane, a small plane that fits the palm and allows careful trimming and smoothing of ply or timber to fit gaps and spaces.
A standard hand saw and it's big brother the bow saw will allow trimming of most any wooden bits and bobs to fit the task in hand.
With a shoulder brace and a hand drill there's not many jobs that can't be done eventually.
New mast, cut a tree down. Screw in some coach bolts and you'll be able to hoist some sort of sail.
The real problem is convincing the admiral that coach bolts are essential. And jars of miscellaneous screws, bolts, nuts washers, some lengths of studding and pots of resin, varnish, paint and rolls of tape in various colours and so it goes on. Best to load these before she starts to load her essentials on board. She may move them, you may never ever find them again, but you'll have something somewhere that'll get you out of trouble.

Bash · 01-04-2010, 09:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minggat

I have not owned either Channel Locks or adjustables for many years now.

my mechanic showed me a neat trick with a huge pair of channel locks that made it so easy to tighten an alternator belt I went right to the hardware store and bought myself a new toy.

I carry five adjustable wrenches aboard. Two for dropping overboard, the other three to change the propane tanks. If you don't go through at least two adjustables per year, you're just not BBQing enough.

**s/v Jedi** · 01-04-2010, 09:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by daddle

So, know it all tool guys, what is it for??

I worked in my family's hardware store but never saw something like it. My first guess would be that it is part of a self made gun!
2nd guess is obviously something that came with gear used aboard.

cheers,
Nick.

**David M** · 01-04-2010, 09:49

I concur with Chief...to add to what he said, I only buy US or Japanese made tools. I can't tell you how many tools from Taiwan that I have busted or are not quite right. Quality tools are really worth the extra money.

Whats in your tool box evolves over the years. It's really hard to build a good one from scratch. Start with the basics and let time and things that break determine what you really need.

Adjustable wrenches are fine for nuts that are not on very tight. Anything real tight and you either want a six sided socket or a box wrench. I dislike adjustables and use them only when I have no other choice.

Tip: be sure to buy both a metric and standard adjustable wrench. Just ask the guy at the counter if you cant find any.

**Tellie** · 01-04-2010, 10:00

Can't have enough good quality tools it seems. I've always been partial to Klien tools.
They make the ultimate tool that will make all other tool problems go away.....at least for a while.

**Tellie** · 01-04-2010, 10:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by daddle

Seriously, your toolkit isn't complete without this tool...

Okay, actually I have no idea what it is for, but it came with the boat, looks important, looks like it's for pulling on something....it's one piece of solid aluminum, no moving parts.....

So, know it all tool guys, what is it for??

A butane lighter case

Pau Hana Daz · 01-04-2010, 10:10

Thanks all for the input and advice.

Just to clarify - I'm not trying to figure out what to buy, rather I'm trying to figure out what to keep, and while I'd love to keep everything, space and weight are issues on a small cat.

**Dockhead** · 01-04-2010, 10:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWJensen

Thanks all for the input and advice.

Just to clarify - I'm not trying to figure out what to buy, rather I'm trying to figure out what to keep, and while I'd love to keep everything, space and weight are issues on a small cat.

Whatever you don't take, you will immediately need. Sod's Law.

I would save weight on just about anything besides tools, unless you're not going far from home.

**Pete7** · 01-04-2010, 10:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I worked in my family's hardware store but never saw something like it. My first guess would be that it is part of a self made gun!
2nd guess is obviously something that came with gear used aboard. cheers, Nick.

I think Tellie has it pretty much nailed, recon its a home made bottle opener.

Pete

**Tellie** · 01-04-2010, 10:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by DWJensen

Thanks all for the input and advice.

Just to clarify - I'm not trying to figure out what to buy, rather I'm trying to figure out what to keep, and while I'd love to keep everything, space and weight are issues on a small cat.

Too subjective DW. I wouldn't leave my DeWalt 18V drill and flex lights behind. But then others would think that silly. Like you, I've got more tools than I could carry on my boat. What I did do is go through my engines manual and made a small spread sheet of all the sizes of sockets and wrench's that would be required to do all but a major re-build. Most everything is six point so twelve points seems pointless. The list got much smaller than carrying at least one of everything I thought I might need. I do like the 10 in 1 Klien screw drivers, they seem to do 95% of all driving tasks aboard. Plus, removing the bits it makes a great clamp nut driver. A few flare nut wrench's to fit the few fuel line issues is a good idea. One cute tool I did buy that has worked well for me is a "Clamp Tite" I try to sparingly cover all the bases. To worry a bit less I squirreled away $500 in cash on the boat just for that inevitable tool I won't have on board that I can buy, have shipped, or rent.

Minggat · 01-04-2010, 13:45

Product of the day: 87 01 180

KNIPEX Cobra®, Fast adjustment directly on the workpiece: fast and comfortable handling. Fine adjustment: ensures optimum adjustment to differently sized workpieces and user-friendly handle position. Secure catching of the hinge bolt: no unintentional shifting. Box-joint design: high stability because of double guide. Self-locking on pipes and nuts: no slipping on the workpiece and low handforce required. ...

This looks like them. Hope the "cut and paste" worked.

Dockhead,

We're good. thanx. In both your scenarios, I would go to bat with my Knipex. I never go up the mast without them.

Efrain,

I believe these are what I'm refering to. Go for the button adjust one. Just nicer. The text here says it beautifully. "Self-locking on pipes and nuts.... low hand force required". Once they get a bite, well, try imagineing the way you DON"T need to squeeze 2 handles together on a pipe wrench. But where a pipe wrench basically makes contact at 2 points, these make contact at 4 becaue of the way they are designed to grab a hex head. Where Channel Locks give you 6 (I think) slots to adjust to, I think I counted 22 on my Visegrip version of these things.

Jedi,

Try these things on a nut that has been rounded. You'll be sold.

White Feather,

Again, we're good. However, I still maintain that life is better for me since I left adjustables behind.

I have 3 cars. 2 are vintage sports cars. One of those is an MG Midget which I have repowered with a Datsun engine and trans. If living my life with one of those in it and no adjustables to fall back on is any sort of testimony to the tool, I will take the stand.

My boat is Perkins powered. Also repowered, and other major mechanical experiences. All without an adjustable.

If Visegrip sees this thing as something they'd go to the effort to duplicate, then....

RE: cheap tools. Agreed. Some cheap tools are lifesavers. I do NOT consider myself a purist. (See mention above regarding modified MG). My tools are a lifetimes accumulation of what works for me. I had to go thru the sorting thing and choose what to take and what to leave behind (My cars are in So Cal, My boat is in Mexico and I'm in Asia). Even here where I am at the moment, I had to pack for a long term assignment (2 years) and choose which tools to bring to keep life flowing. I picked my minimal little VOM, my $3 multi point screwdriver and... my Visegrip version of the pliers. Knipex is on the boat, rusting to it's little hearts content.