Best toy for under $1000

[GoneDiving]

I've been astonished at how much the boat yard has been able to hack out of my steelie with a $1100 plasma cutter. A quick internet search brings up numerous weekend warrior options for a couple of hundred dollars.

It got me thinking, without worrying about power or storage, what are the best items/toys people have/would buy for under a boat buck?

I'm thinking maintenance related like baby lathes, 3D printers, Sailrite etc. As prices and sizes tumble many previously unobtainable items are now well within the reach of the average guy/girl and would be very handy for a long range cruiser.

 

[sbman]

A cordless die grinder is a great boat tool. I have the Milwaukee M12 version, with their extended battery. I use it for lots of things, you can get grinding stones, burr bits, polishing tools, sanding tools (roloc), sanding drums, all sorts of bits and attachments, it gets into tight spaces and can outperform a Dremel by a huge margin. It's light, compact and has a good run time with the extended battery and is perfect for tons of jobs. Really beats a drill for doing any kind of grinding, sanding or polishing. About $300 with the extended battery. I'm sure the other brands have equivalent units.

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Power-Tools/Metalworking/Grinders/2485-20

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Batteries-and-Chargers/M12-Batteries-and-Chargers/48-11-2460

 

[dannc]

...
I'm thinking maintenance related like baby lathes...

A family member bought a itty bitty lathe, at a garage sale, over 40 years ago. That thing is still in use and has come in handy to make stuff. I have not seen the lathe in years but it is only about 24-30 inches long and does not take up much space. I think it is mounted on a 2x6 or some such. It would be nice to have a boat if one had the space.

Later,
Dan

 

[janice142]

A family member bought a itty bitty lathe, at a garage sale, over 40 years ago. That thing is still in use and has come in handy to make stuff. I have not seen the lathe in years but it is only about 24-30 inches long and does not take up much space. I think it is mounted on a 2x6 or some such. It would be nice to have a boat if one had the space.

Cap'n Dan, and others too... this site has some of the coolest didn't-know-I-needed-that items I've ever seen compiled on one website. If I had that extra 3' we dream about sometimes...

https://www.micromark.com/

 

[dannc]

Cap'n Dan, and others too... this site has some of the coolest didn't-know-I-needed-that items I've ever seen compiled on one website. If I had that extra 3' we dream about sometimes...

https://www.micromark.com/

Ohhhh, that is a very dangerous website. Lots of cool stuff. How come they did not have these tools when I was a kid making models?

The website does have this, https://www.micromark.com/The-Cool-Tool-Unimat-MetalLine-6-in-1, which looks sorta similar, but smaller, than what my family member got at a garage sale. The link makes me remember, or think I remember, that the baby lathe pieces could be moved to do different operations.

Later,
Dan

 

[Simi 60]

I am seriously considering a Tig/mig welder.

Pay for itself in the first job.

 

[High Wire]

My fav is my bag of Milwaukee cordless tools. Drill, driver, saws all, right angle grinder with bits and blades for all.
Plus a garage sale fein multi-tool ($25) has its own box.

 

[janice142]

I am seriously considering a Tig/mig welder.

Pay for itself in the first job.

If you buy your own tanks be sure to get back an owner (versus rental) tank. Daddy's were swapped out many times over the years and he lost ownership along the way. Re the tig/mig he bought that too. Welding aluminum is an art. So too is steel. Our 40'er was steel.

You need one. It will fit in a relatively small locker.

 

[socalrider]

If you buy your own tanks be sure to get back an owner (versus rental) tank. Daddy's were swapped out many times over the years and he lost ownership along the way. Re the tig/mig he bought that too. Welding aluminum is an art. So too is steel. Our 40'er was steel.

You need one. It will fit in a relatively small locker.

I would buy a welder tomorrow if I could also buy the skills needed to use it properly! Probably worth acquiring both if one has a metal boat; I've had a welder out for one job only so far, so not sure I'd ever use it enough to justify the cost, let alone get good at it.

 

[Simi 60]

. Welding aluminum is an art. So too is steel. Our 40'er was steel.

You need one. It will fit in a relatively small locker.

You need a hefty MIG or TIG and power source to do Ally successfully
S/S is done with small over the shoulder sized kit.

I did my apprenticeship building Aluminium superyachts and my welding was Det Norske Veritas and QLD Machinery approved.
Spent a lot of time doing stainless as well and went on to get gas purged and pressure vessel accreditation.
Been a long time but it's like riding a bike, give me half an hour playing with some scrap and I'll be good to go again.

Just one exhaust pipe in the ER would have a small Tig pay for itself at the rates charged here.

 

[GoneDiving]

You need a hefty MIG or TIG and power source to do Ally successfully
S/S is done with small over the shoulder sized kit.

I did my apprenticeship building Aluminium superyachts and my welding was Det Norske Veritas and QLD Machinery approved.
Spent a lot of time doing stainless as well and went on to get gas purged and pressure vessel accreditation.
Been a long time but it's like riding a bike, give me half an hour playing with some scrap and I'll be good to go again.

Just one exhaust pipe in the ER would have a small Tig pay for itself at the rates charged here.

Not directed at you but there is a huge difference between a skilled welder and what is required for general jobs or repairs. I'm happy to run a bead for a bracket or to join A to B on a workbench. However, there is no way I would tackle overhead, out of position or structurally critical jobs.

Having said that, the more odd jobs under one's belt the more ambitious you can become. It also allows me to do the grunt work before more skilled hands arrive.

 

[Seevee]

I am seriously considering a Tig/mig welder.

Pay for itself in the first job.

Have I got a deal for you..... Friend has one that's never been used. Owner passed away. If I could find someone to share it with, I'd pay half and let them keep it, but allow me to use it a few times a year.


Would work great with you, but the shipping would kill us. Wish you were closer.....

 

[Seevee]

There's never too many tools, except I've got some that I really should get rid of, use perhaps less than once a year. However, not replaceable, and that one time is probably worth keeping them.


A few nice metal band saws.
Wood band saw

Machine Lathe (sold my big one and now have a small one)
Nail driver (uses bullets to drive nails thru concrete)
Lots of paint spray equipment
Shaper
Keeping my table saw and all of my hand tools. (still, too many)



Now, most of this does not fit on the boat, so I need to do the heavy boat stuff when docked at the home port. And, yes, lots to do.

 

[RonR]

I would buy a used Consew Commercial walking foot machine. And then with the $$ you make off of sewing up stuff you can buy a nice used Everlast AC/DC tig machine.. so I hear.

I must admit I am more proficient with the sewing than tig.

 

[Max Simmons]

A cordless die grinder is a great boat tool. I have the Milwaukee M12 version, with their extended battery. I use it for lots of things, you can get grinding stones, burr bits, polishing tools, sanding tools (roloc), sanding drums, all sorts of bits and attachments, it gets into tight spaces and can outperform a Dremel by a huge margin. It's light, compact and has a good run time with the extended battery and is perfect for tons of jobs. Really beats a drill for doing any kind of grinding, sanding or polishing. About $300 with the extended battery. I'm sure the other brands have equivalent units.

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Power-Tools/Metalworking/Grinders/2485-20

https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Batteries-and-Chargers/M12-Batteries-and-Chargers/48-11-2460

Have you used this on Fiberglass? I'm planning on re-coring a few soft spots and that looks like it may work for beveling back the existing deck in tight space.

 

[sbman]

Have you used this on Fiberglass? I'm planning on re-coring a few soft spots and that looks like it may work for beveling back the existing deck in tight space.

Certainly, it works great on fiberglass. I have a 2" quick change sanding disc set from harbor freight that I use on it. It's a knock off of the 'roloc' system and you can use 3M 2" discs on the HF arbor that comes in the kit. The kit is about $10. I have used it to grind out small blisters to prepare for repairing. Home improvement stores have copies of the Roloc as well, anything with a 1/4" shaft can be driven by the grinder.