Useful tools

These are the two most useful items in my tool kit - what are yours?

I bought a Skewdriver through a TV advert 10 years ago and use it just about every day. Boats seem to have endless fasteners and hose-clamps with limited access; this tool reaches most of them. I have a set of small hex-shank twist drills, so it can double as a light-duty angle drill too.

The Dremel MultiMax oscillating saw is a jem. It makes clean plunge-cuts without touching the surrounding woodwork and produces very little dust. I have "surgically" removed and replaced louver frames with it and cut access pannels where the cut piece became a door (no starter holes required). This thing will cut wood and fiberglass anywhere your hand can reach, but slowly - patience is a must.

I also have the Dremel and love it, $100 at Lowes/Home Depot. The next is the Leatherman tool always on my belt. Seems like everytime you finally wiggle into a tight spot to find whatever, you need a knife/pliers/screwdriver/hole punch etc. The Leatherman covers this for quick jobs.

That Dremel is a copy of the Fein Multimaster, which is one of my most appreciated tools when it comes time for teak work. My cordless drill is one of the most used tools on the boat. Racheting box/open end wrenches are loved, as is the IR laser thermometer. My razor cutter also is very useful, as mentioned in another thread on hose cutting. Oh yea, my strap wrench for removing oil filters.

Gulf Comanche wrote:

I also have the Dremel and love it, $100 at Lowes/Home Depot. The next is the Leatherman tool always on my belt. Seems like everytime you finally wiggle into a tight spot to find whatever, you need a knife/pliers/screwdriver/hole punch etc. The Leatherman covers this for quick jobs.

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MichaelYou had me at Leatherman. It has saved me more times than I could count. The first time I found myself wedged between the inverter and the alternator and realized I'd forgotten a screwdriver, I decided it had officially paid for itself. I lost my "Wave" to airline baggage handlers, and didn't even have to think about shelling out another eighty bucks to replace it.*

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As I look back on all my boating over the years, this is probably the #1 go to tool that consistently has been used. It seems every single project requires it. It's facilitated many projects and without it there is no telling how big of a tool box I'd have to carry around.



The 2nd most used tool after #1 above:




Seriously- chordless drill is about irreplaceable. The Multi-max is handy too in certain situations.

"... chordless drill ..."

Does that mean it makes terrible noises?

RickB wrote:

"... chordless drill ..."

Does that mean it makes terrible noises?

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Only in E Flat.*

You guys are nuts (at least the last few). * I'll add to the insanity.

I'd have to say the most useful tool, which my husband and*I both posses, is*a winning personality*which allows us to make lots of friends on our dock.* they then let*us borrow their tools when we don't have what we need!* For instance, this past weekend we were replacing our VHF when some of said friends stopped by to say hi.* Seeing what we were working on, one of them brought over his fully stocked "electrical" box and boy did that make life easier.* The next day when my hole in the flybridge (for the RAM cable) was not quite big enough, we raided our next door neighbor's boat and found a sandpaper thing that we used with our c(h)ordless drill to make the hole just enough bigger for the plug to go through (we have a thing like that with our drimel, but the drimel was at home). The neighbor is one of several people who have given us carte blanche to come over and*borrow anything, anytime.* For the record, people are just as welcome to borrow from us and we are always happy to help other people with their projects!

A*cool thing is as we borrow things we are able to find what works well and what we really need to have aboard so we can enhance our tool box.*


-- Edited by Pineapple Girl on Monday 10th of January 2011 05:18:08 PM

-- Edited by Pineapple Girl on Monday 10th of January 2011 06:14:23 PM

RickB wrote:

"... chordless drill ..."

Does that mean it makes terrible noises?

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Rick,not normally as it usually works with the harmony saw I also own.






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-- Edited by Woodsong on Monday 10th of January 2011 05:58:25 PM

If it is chordless it is homophonic. If you add a chorded drill we will have polyphony. Want a cracker?

Rob
37' Sedan

An inspection mirror on a telescoping wand, and a good, small, flashlight.
A "4 in 1" screwdriver with two phillips and 2 flat bits.
Steve W.

Woodsong wrote:


RickB wrote:

"... chordless drill ..."

Does that mean it makes terrible noises?

Click to expand...

Rick,not normally as it usually works with the harmony saw I also own.






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-- Edited by Woodsong on Monday 10th of January 2011 05:58:25 PM
Woody,

That's because Ava Maria is written*in C.* E Flat is where the noise begins.

*

About 15 yrs ago I bought a caliper. Plastic and only $10. I thought I'd hardly ever use it.*The needle makes one revolution per inch. I have two more now and I've found it to be so useful I rarely enter a mechanical store without one. If I use a magnifying glass (always in my tool box) I can measure w great accuracy. I keep one in the car.

Telescoping magnet for when the drivers fall out of the cordless drill into the bilge.

Leatherman Wave. Always on my belt, has a lot of tools that are useful for all sorts of things. Often saves a trip to the toolbox.

nomadwilly wrote:The needle makes one revolution per inch. I have two more now and I've found it to be so useful I rarely enter a mechanical store without one. If I use a magnifying glass (always in my tool box) I can measure w great accuracy. I keep one in the car.

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Try keeping one in the bathroom (the caliper...not the magnifying glass) On the
other hand (no pun intended) I guess a magnifying glass works for some people.

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For much of boating a Visa card is the best tool.

I also have the Dremel multi-tool, and a Dremel rotary tool, mostly for using a cutoff wheel.* Seems there is always a need for one or the other.**

As for the Leatherman -- never could see why they cost upwards of $50 when so many knock-offs are available for $10-15. I can never keep track of the things, so I think I have three aboard now, and since I have lost 2 over the side in the past 5 years, keeping the unit cost down has its advantages.

Another gadget that makes wiring projects a lot easier is a self adjusting wire stripper.

http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-Tools-Ultimate-Self-Adjusting-Stripper/dp/B000IYTCG6/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1294933652&sr=1-4

Makes stripping a one-handed job, helpful in tight quarters.

"Telescoping magnet for when the drivers fall out of the cordless drill into the bilge."

And one of those flexible mechanical "fingers" because I always manage to drop non magnetic items.

ARoss wrote:
Another gadget that makes wiring projects a lot easier is a self adjusting wire stripper.

http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-Tools-Ultimate-Self-Adjusting-Stripper/dp/B000IYTCG6/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1294933652&sr=1-4

Makes stripping a one-handed job, helpful in tight quarters.

Click to expand...

We just got one of these Sunday after borrowing a friend's*for our VHF project.* HUGE difference, so worth it.* less than $20!

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