metal specific jig saw or something better

[rwidman]

At some point, the cost of the special tools and blades, plus your time may equal the cost of having a shop making the parts for you.

Just another option.

[alaskanviking]

Originally Posted by rwidman

At some point, the cost of the special tools and blades, plus your time may equal the cost of having a shop making the parts for you.

Just another option.

Sometimes, it depends. i did this originally. if i needed some simple but precision work id pay a shop to do it, ie a straight hole in the steering quadrant to connect the rudder sensor. likewise if i wanted a perfectly straight tapped hole. i don't have a drill press and couldn't keep it as straight with a hand drill.

for more complicated stuff, sometimes its better to have a shop do it, or part of it, and sometimes its better to learn the skill or get the tool.

cost is a factor depending on where you are at machine work can be touching $200 an hour, more for the really good fabricators. San Diego is expensive and i did more myself there. its ~ $100 an hour here in Norfolk, i had a complicated lathe part i had to recreate and had a machine shop do that.

i would have a shop do a stern arch. however i am competent enough to measure for Bimini arches and order them. precision bends are not my thing apparently. i have seen some outrageous charges for those arches at canvas shops in San Diego, but i talked to one of the better ss fabricators, and they don't cost nearly that dear. he would charge me an arm and a leg if he had to come out to measure and install however.

sheet metal work that required bends id have a shop do. i just don't do well with bends.

if i had straight chain plates i would be perfectly comfortable cutting out bronze plate, unfortunately i have a bend, so i will have that done at a shop.

i have seen videos that teach you how to drill holes in Titanium, not extremely difficult. i wouldn't want to do titanium however but there are a lot of shops that wont touch it, so if i had titanium anything id attempt to do that myself failing to find someone that gave me the warm fuzzies that they could.

stainless requires passivication and critical polishing to prevent corrosion so i don't play with that.

things like backing plates are easy peasy and i can do all day long with a drill press and drill, although i found getting a center punch set and using a high quality auto striking punch are critical if making mounting holes.

i do have a bad habit of vying for independence, and doing it myself, especially if there is any issue getting someone to do it. i am finding i don't have enough patience to be in a que long if i can figure out a way to do it. honestly if i had my way and could fit a mini lathe/mill somewhere on the boat i would and make pocket cash by making parts for people while at anchor. but then again now i have a storage unit with a lot of tools i probably don't need. its probably a good thing i have a boat and cant fit a lot of that stuff onboard, however realistically i have most of those tools because of the boat, and would have never needed them as a land lubber, lol

i probably should just acknowledge i have a problem and just get a big shop.

where there's a will there's a way

[Cadence]

I think Ron had the right suggestion for a small job. If the jig saw was jumping you had the wrong blade. Finer blade go slow.

[hpeer]

FWIW
Steel boat owner so I do a lot with metals, but also wood and other materials.
What I carry on board

Adjustable speed jig saw
Oscillating tool
Dremel
4” grinder, adjustable speed
Drills

Lots of different saw blades, dremel cutting accessories, various grinding/cutting/sanding/polishing attachments for the grinder, hole saws for drills.

I also have hand saws and hack saws.

Holding the work is frequently the biggest challenge, especially on a boat.

I usually get it done.

Oh, and lots of medical tape and second skin.

[goboatingnow]

Remember if no blood is shed on a project it’s never going to work.

[jimbunyard]

I keep seeing recommendations for small angle grinders and abrasive wheels, but few warnings.

Those things are extremely dangerous. Especially the small, light, single speed ones when used with ultra-thin cutoff discs, which tend to bind, shatter and rip the tool out of your hands.

Don't get me wrong. I use them almost daily, and currently have four different types, all 110 powered, but for a novice, they shouldn't be recommended without stressing the caveats, 1 - clamp the work securely, 2 - hold the grinder firmly with both hands, and 3 - the smaller, lighter ones are most dangerous because their lightness makes one-handed use inviting and allows them to be literally thrown around the room when ripped from your hand by a binding blade. Ask me how I know...

A fourth recommendation for novices is to practice on something before you try it on the real thing. And safety glasses. And, for the real OCD'ers, dust masks (the disc is made from fiberglass).


Further, unless one gets specific aluminum cutting discs, they don't work very well on aluminum except when used on very thin metal.


I agree with the 'manual' hacksaw comments, for me cutting with one is strangely cathartic, though if one's in a hurry...


No-one's mentioned it so far, and perhaps it's too much for an on-board tool, but I splurged for a variable speed, 110v portable band saw about four years ago. It is extremely useful, I've used it for jobs as varied as cutting 1/2" emt to, I kid you not, cutting cast iron water cooled exhaust manifolds in two (for access to frozen bolts).

[Seapig]

Thanks everyone I have learned a huge amount from reading these responses.
Alaskanviking - did you mean SWAG portable stand, I can't find a swab manufacturer.
My question was related mainly to trying to get something done while siting on the dock in the back of beyond. Fred recently revealed how poorly the mooring cleats on my boat are mounted and so I am madly working to get something in place before Grace kicks us around. Materials I am using are scavenged from the trash so my choices are limited. If I ever get this boat back home there will be some serious updating that is going to happen.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

A 4" angle grinder with a thin metal cutting disk is the way to go. Leave the jigsaw for the wood jobs.

Steel, s/s, fiberglass yes
Aluminium use very cautiously - discs can and do clog and break

[alaskanviking]

Originally Posted by Seapig

Thanks everyone I have learned a huge amount from reading these responses.
Alaskanviking - did you mean SWAG portable stand, I can't find a swab manufacturer.
My question was related mainly to trying to get something done while siting on the dock in the back of beyond. Fred recently revealed how poorly the mooring cleats on my boat are mounted and so I am madly working to get something in place before Grace kicks us around. Materials I am using are scavenged from the trash so my choices are limited. If I ever get this boat back home there will be some serious updating that is going to happen.

Typo, your correct, it's swag off-road. They have a couple cool fabricating tools but the bandsaw stand is the most useful

https://www.swagoffroad.com/SWAG-Por...ries_c_35.html

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Steel, s/s, fiberglass yes
Aluminium use very cautiously - discs can and do clog and break

Aluminium can be treated as wood. I cut most of my aluminium with a tungsten carbide tipped circular saw blade.


However, the modern 1mm fibreglass backing cutting disks DO cut aluminium extremely well and without any significant galling, or clogging, of the disk. They'll also flex way beyond what one would expect before breaking and even then the fibreglass structure tends to stop then flying apart. Their Achilles heal is very short if if allowed to "chatter" when cutting.



On the safety aspect, I do agree that one needs to be very cautious with using an angle grinder, especially since it really requires the guard to removed to be of any use when cutting small shapes.


But the rewards are there if you can develop the skills. The attached backing plates where probably half an hour's work including the holes.

[Mithril Bham]

Sometimes it is worth it to take it to a machine shop. How many tools can you store on a boat? Found good metal cutting blade for multi tool but blade costs $80 and still didn't work as well as a band saw. Right tool for the job is a good thing.

[keyway]

Speaking of angle grinder I recently used a diamond abrasive metal cutting wheel to fabricate using 1/4 steel. It worked really good

[Seapig]

Just curious how many out there have a real live, awkwardly heavy, difficult to store vice on their boat?
Where do you keep it / mount it?
What kind?


In the perfect world I would be towing around a 6000 sq ft shop with 3 phase power, compressed air and significant materials storage. Instead I have a hanging locker that had been converted to shelves which collapsed yesterday.


On a positive note, Grace appears to have decided to track significantly south and my improvised backing plates are not being tested.
stay safe
SP

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Seapig

Just curious how many out there have a real live, awkwardly heavy, difficult to store vice on their boat?
Where do you keep it / mount it?
What kind?

My boat is small and I don't have a shop on it. I often do use the bed of my truck as a shop.


A variety of clamps, though not as quick or convenient, will cover more situations and use less space and weight.


A small vise will cover 80% of the situations a large vise will.


Clamp-on vises are a thing (https://www.grainger.com/product/WIL...ble-Vise-5LK41)

In the perfect world I would be towing around a 6000 sq ft shop with 3 phase power, compressed air and significant materials storage.

I used to think like this. A year ago I sold my compressor, all my air tools, and nearly all my corded power tools. I bought good battery tools (mine are Milwaukee, there are other good choices) and that's what I use now, plus hand tools and a torch.


It's been a huge improvement. There are a few gaps that I can close by spending the $$$ when/if it matters. The occasional minor drawbacks are more than overcome by having a lighter, more portable set of tools with no cords and no hoses.


I have an inverter that uses the tool batteries, that I use to run soldering irons (Milwaukee's battery soldering iron is badly designed). I have a corded belt sander, because there is no Milwaukee belt sander. I have a scuba tank set up with a regulator and air hose and blowgun that I use for certain cleaning and disassembly tasks, and a tire inflator. My portable torch rig uses portable cylinders for oxygen and propylene. Nothing else with cords or hoses.



Sure you can use a 3-phase metal-cutting bandsaw with a 30" throat, and a big lathe and a drill press and so on and it all works great but there's a lot you can get done without it.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Seapig

Just curious how many out there have a real live, awkwardly heavy, difficult to store vice on their boat?
Where do you keep it / mount it?
What kind?


In the perfect world I would be towing around a 6000 sq ft shop with 3 phase power, compressed air and significant materials storage. Instead I have a hanging locker that had been converted to shelves which collapsed yesterday.


On a positive note, Grace appears to have decided to track significantly south and my improvised backing plates are not being tested.
stay safe
SP

On my first cruiser I had a vise on a board. The board was long enough to span the cockpit (side) locker. You pulled it out, laid it on top and clamped the ends of the board to the opening with C clamps. the problem is: Iron rusts!