On-board tool collection

[Duncan]

No award for "Most extensive on-board tool collection?
No award for "Clearly in the middle of many different projects, yet still out sailing"???

hmph. Snobs.

This is a lift from another thread, but boy, did that strike a chord! Here are a few unsorted ramblings:

- I work on my boat(s) on the mooring, or underway, or in a boatyard, not in a shop.

- It strikes me as odd that very few sailboats have any kind of provision for storage/use of tools (and spares). We all know this is a major part of the game, but unless you have a 50- footer with a workshop, it seems like we are left to our own ingenuity.

- I find the most useful tool kit I have is one of those $12.99 Walmart plastic attache cases with a "150 piece tool kit" in it. Say what you will about quality tools (which they are not), but it has two sets of allen keys, about two dozen sockets, a screwdriver with about 3 dozen bits, needle-nose pliers, etc., etc. All the basics, and it's very handy to stow and to cart around. Gets a whole lot of use!

- I almost bought a $200 set of four rechargeable power tools (drill, saw, etc.), all nicely arranged in a suitcase-sized case. I sure wish I had, especially when I have to fool around with extension cords, or wonder where some tool got stowed.

[Tim]

- It strikes me as odd that very few sailboats have any kind of provision for storage/use of tools (and spares). We all know this is a major part of the game, but unless you have a 50- footer with a workshop, it seems like we are left to our own ingenuity.

Frankly, I wouldn't want someone else's idea of how to fit what they thought was desirable into a given space. Other people's organization isn't mine, and I'd likely undo anything that came that way to make my own stock of tools and gear fit more efficiently where I wanted.

But certainly even the most ham-handed boater tends to have some selection of tools on board, and this is a must in my opinion, unless one really wants to take advantage of that Sea Tow membership. To this end, any boat has lots of untapped storage potential that the builders didn't feel was worth accessing, and there's plenty of space for all the stuff that some of us feel is important on board. I carry a lot of tools, fasteners, and parts on board, most of which I never touch. But I like knowing it's all there. Honestly, I'd rather have the excess gear and tools so that I might help someone else out someday, rather than just be able to help myself.

It took me a couple seasons to optimize my onboard storage of this stuff, but it's all there, and it's all out of sight yet accessible when needed.

- I find the most useful tool kit I have is one of those $12.99 Walmart plastic attache cases with a "150 piece tool kit" in it. Say what you will about quality tools (which they are not), but it has two sets of allen keys, about two dozen sockets, a screwdriver with about 3 dozen bits, needle-nose pliers, etc., etc. All the basics, and it's very handy to stow and to cart around. Gets a whole lot of use!

Cheap tools certainly have their place, and on a boat is often one good place since you don't cry if you drop something over the side. I don't much like chasing down tools, so I have lots of cheap (and old) tool sets spread all about the various locations of my life (boat, shop, house, truck, tractor, etc...), though I have at least halfway-decent tools on the boat since the real cheapies tend to fail when you need them most.

- I almost bought a $200 set of four rechargeable power tools (drill, saw, etc.), all nicely arranged in a suitcase-sized case. I sure wish I had, especially when I have to fool around with extension cords, or wonder where some tool got stowed.

Are you saying you don't have cordless tools? You must go and buy now. This is an order. At least a drill/driver. Please provide me with your sales receipt before you login again.

Personally, I hate those blow-mold cases and always throw them away. This goes back to my finding "someone else's idea of organization" unhelpful. Those cases are a serious waste of space to me.

[Quetzalsailor]

I've been upgrading from my Chinese cheapie mechanics tools; they're occasionally good for 'not walking home' but pretty poor for fit and strength. I've got a yard sale Micronta VOM which is exceedingly useful. I have learned to buy the tool best for the 'project du jour'; over time you build up a decent collection and the limits of your abilities expand.

My latest indulgence is a 12v DeWalt drill. Bought on sale, and augmented with the boats' own bits and drivers, 12v charger. Of course, the neat premoulded plastic case would not accomodate the augmentations, so I ground and carved out all the little separators: works fine. It charges perfectly well off the boats' 12v cigarette lighter-type receptacle.

I'd like to have two of those Honda 12v gensets with the 110v inverters. (It takes two to run a heat gun.) But that's way too extravagant! Although quite quiet, they're too noisy for a peaceful mooring field.

I have a dedicated canvas boatbag for carrying back and forth the Fein, palm and 4 1/2" angle sanders. One would wish that that was only necessary for a few weeks in the spring!

[Duncan]

Are you saying you don't have cordless tools? You must go and buy now. This is an order. At least a drill/driver. Please provide me with your sales receipt before you login again.

Haha, "aye, aye, sor".
What I forgot to say is that I have hand tools that work perfectly well, and I especially like my father's old brace-and-bit. Does sound like a good excuse for a shopping expedition, though. Guilt-free, too, since I can claim that this is not indulgence, but simply 'being conscientious in following an expert recommendation' ;

...finding "someone else's idea of organization" unhelpful...

True enough. In a little twist of your meaning, though, here are two other people's ideas I have admired:

- friends have a classic interior arrangement with pilot berths outboard, and settee berths inboard. There are three pairs of drawers on each side, in the settee backs (under the pilot berths). The port side drawers have been turned into a great tool chest. It's very handy, especially since the berths can serve as (sort of) workbenches.

- I saw what seems like a neat idea in one of those "100 good projects for your boat" books, a fold-down workbench/tool chest. The front and sides hinge down to form a working surface (lined with metal), while the back forms a rack where tools and parts can be kept. This could be any dimensions/anywhere. For instance, about a foot and a half square, six inches deep, and located against the hull at the aft end of the v-berth. This way, you can stand/sit in the cutout, and have a good place to take something apart and work on it.

- re: the workbench/tool chest, with a little ingenuity, I imagine this could be made portable (maybe mount it on studs with butterfly screws?). That way, it could be used in place, or you could detach it and work in the salon or cockpit, then stow it again when you were done.

Anyway, I see I must go shopping, and acquire more tools so I can build something to hold the tools...;

[Ceasar Choppy]

- I saw what seems like a neat idea in one of those "100 good projects for your boat" books, a fold-down workbench/tool chest. The front and sides hinge down to form a working surface (lined with metal), while the back forms a rack where tools and parts can be kept. This could be any dimensions/anywhere. For instance, about a foot and a half square, six inches deep, and located against the hull at the aft end of the v-berth. This way, you can stand/sit in the cutout, and have a good place to take something apart and work on it.

Clearly this arrangement does not contemplate a wife or sailing companion of the fairer sex who wishes to use all available space for storing "cooking" stuff. A friend of mine has this on his P-39 actually. On my P-39, this area is filled with the aforementioned "cooking" junk.

Seriously though... I'm looking to get rid of the gigantic plastic box the socket set came in, but I need something to keep all the sockets organized. I can't use another canvas bag! I already have three of them and I'd rather not root around in the bag for a particular socket.

[Jason K]

Seriously though... I'm looking to get rid of the gigantic plastic box the socket set came in, but I need something to keep all the sockets organized. I can't use another canvas bag! I already have three of them and I'd rather not root around in the bag for a particular socket.

Why not just get a socket rack (those metal strips that hold the sockets) and stick those in a canvas bag?

I hate hard cases for just about everything I have to move around, from luggage to tools.

I have several of the "contractor bags," those wide mouthed canvas bags, in a variety of sizes. Some serve as full time storage and some will serve if I am bringing tools required for a specific job to the boat.

I am minimalist for on board tools. I have a pair of small and a pair of large screwdrivers, vice grips, a crescent wrench, a few wrenchs needed for semi-common issues, like bleeding the engine, a filter wrench, wire crimps, and a Gerber muilt-tool.

[Rachel]

I saw what seems like a neat idea in one of those "100 good projects for your boat" books, a fold-down workbench/tool chest. The front and sides hinge down to form a working surface (lined with metal), while the back forms a rack where tools and parts can be kept. This could be any dimensions/anywhere. For instance, about a foot and a half square, six inches deep, and located against the hull at the aft end of the v-berth. This way, you can stand/sit in the cutout, and have a good place to take something apart and work on it.

This sounds neat so I'm trying to visualize it. Do you mean that the main hinge would be on the outboard side of the berth, and that the berth seat area itself would lift up to leave the "cutout"? Or...? I'd love to see a sketch, just to get the basic idea.

I'll add to the discussion that there were several nice "tool drawers" on the cruising boat, but they were converted to other uses after we got tired of always having to jump back down below to grab this or that tool. Instead we went with plastic tool boxes - one that had a mixture/sampling of all the stuff we used most often, and then a couple of others that were more "specialty" types, such as rigging, riveting, etc. I used the flat, "fisherman" type plastic cases for bosun's supplies. It was nice to just be able to grab a tool box and take it to wherever the work was being done (but of course now I don't have the space for so many boxes, so I'll have to come up with some other arrangement, probably).

Duncan, I'll agree that I got a lot of use out of a non-electric drill. We didn't have a bit-and-brace aboard, but actually just a light-duty plastic "Fiskars" hand drill. It worked for 90% of the uses we had and kept us from having to unearth the power drill very often.

Rachel

[Duncan]

Do you mean that the main hinge would be on the outboard side of the berth, and that the berth seat area itself would lift up to leave the "cutout"?

If you picture a shallow cabinet against the inside of hull at the aft end of the v-berth area. The front of the cabinet hinges down to form the working surface.
(By "cutout", I meant the usual space just as you come into the vberth area, the spot where there is often a removable "vberth insert" cushion).

I'd love to see a sketch, just to get the basic idea.

You can, if you've bought anything from Amazon - the book is Optimize Your Cruising Sailboat : 101 Ways to Make Your Sailboat Better by John Roberts. You can "Search Inside" the book if you've bought anything from them - I haven't, so I can't. I lent my copy to a buddy, so I'll try to remember to scan the sketch when I get the book back.

[MikeD]

Hey, that's a neat feature!

Here you go. I retained the "copyright" in the cropped image, I hope no one minds. It is a good idea and a good selling point for the book. :)

[MQMurphy]

Duncan, I'll agree that I got a lot of use out of a non-electric drill. We didn't have a bit-and-brace aboard, but actually just a light-duty plastic "Fiskars" hand drill. It worked for 90% of the uses we had and kept us from having to unearth the power drill very often.

Rachel

I agree - those are great little drills. I've had two of them - worked well enough that they must've "walked away".
My local Ace hardware store sells them - now that you've reminded me I think I'll pick up one for the boat.

[Ceasar Choppy]

Why not just get a socket rack (those metal strips that hold the sockets) and stick those in a canvas bag?

I hate hard cases for just about everything I have to move around, from luggage to tools.

Agreed... although I'd like to find a plastic holder instead of the metal strips. Those things rust faster than any tools I own!

[Duncan]

Here you go. I retained the "copyright" in the cropped image, I hope no one minds. It is a good idea and a good selling point for the book. :)

Hey, Mike, thanks very much - a picture's worth a thousand words! (And without getting into a sidetrack on intellectual property, I think this is "fair use" of the material, as I understand it).

I'd certainly recommend John Roberts book. Nothing earth-shaking, but I think he does a good job of explaining some practical, interesting and worthwhile projects.

[Rachel]

Thanks from me too, for the illustration. Now I get it, and it does look interesting -- although I'd have to be sure not to put a zillion heavy tool items there (or put one on stbd too, and sink evenly... ;)

So they have the Fiskar's drill at Ace? Sweet - I've been wanting another one too, and hadn't managed to find one (with a modicum of looking).

R.

[catamount]

Why not just get a socket rack (those metal strips that hold the sockets) and stick those in a canvas bag?

Agreed... although I'd like to find a plastic holder instead of the metal strips. Those things rust faster than any tools I own!

I got some adjustable plastic socket racks from Sears, and like them a lot:

(IMAGE)

You can add on additional studs as needed to accommodate the number of sockets in your set. I suppose you could also mix and match 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 drive sizes on one rack, too, if you wanted... You can buy extra studs separately. The racks come in two colors (black and grey), so I use one for standard sockets and the other for metric.

[Ceasar Choppy]

Just when I thought Sears had nothing for me... Thanks catamount.

[Shoalcove]

I'm not sure that I would ever give up my cordless drill. Or my multimeter.
I carry most of my tools in the wide mouthed contractors bags. The sides are soft and I can stuff lots in them. My shelves are full of spare parts and "goodies".
I think that my fixation on tools and parts is a result of my ongoing refit; I work until schools out then "splash" regardless as long as the water stays out! This results in seasons where the cabin top is pocked with epoxy fairing or the toerails are only half stripped. Sometimes next years project requires attention now! Hence the tools. This way I get to enjoy the fruits of my labours and the boat is not just a money eating lawn ornament. Or so I tell myself...
Best regards, David