Shop ideas/pics

Builder's Forum
21

Wharny,

A lot of great ideas!  Obviously, experience is a good teacher.

The single best investment, aside from the CLC Peeler Skiff kit itself, I made was to buy good sanders (1 orbital and 1 finish) integrated with a vacuum HEPA dust collector.  I know that one can cobble together a solution using an inexpensive shop vac, but I would suggest that if you can afford it, get the real thing.  Our shop was entirely dust free through almost the entire building and finishing process and we only needed respirators for the small amount of hand sanding near the end.

The quality of the sanders themselves also made a big difference.  Before starting construction, we asked a lot of builders at the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic, CT, what they recommended for equipment and many swore by Festool products, which definitely worked well for us.  The other major theme was clamps, clamps, and more clamps.

My building buddy and I are in our late sixties and early seventies.  Our knees and backs do not like to be abused.  We built a platform of two 3 X 6 foot folding tables topped by cheap 4 X 8 sheets of 3/4" plywood.  It made an excellent building surface and let us do much of the work standing.

Have fun,

Dick

P.S. Catboater, is right about Harbor Freight and cheap electric tools.  It's a false economy.

22

   I'll also vote for a shopvac with a real HEPA filter.  I just got one for my Skerry.  I couldn't get the right filter for my ancient vacuum, so got one of the low priced 5 gal. shop-vacs, but also bought a pricey ($30+) HEPA filter to replace the standard one.  It will only be for use with my sander and is already proving itself.  Epoxy dust goes everywhere, and there is much less of it now.

23

 

   After reading this thread I realize that for me the shop stuff that is most important:

1) Every time I see a clamp(s) on sale I buy it

2) I dont toss old pants and shirts till I use them one last time sanding or glassing

3) Thre is no such thing as enough sandpaper

4) my shop Stereo has speakers I bought in high school  - still sound great cranked (but my choice of music has changed)

5) I have not put a car in my shop (garage) in years  - especially big this winter in the NE

6) I have three places to sit, one nice little fridge and a good mask (respirator)

7) My lighting is bad and my dust collection is worse

8) Heart - overcomes - and my wife forgives me for having to leave the car outside - every time she goes paddling

Nick

24

Wow - thanks all for the amazing suggestions. I'm proud to say that I have a shop cat, a toddler to chase me around, and a CFO...but nothing else. This will at least give me a break from looking at CLC's website to start looking at either building a shop table or buying one.

It looks like I'll start saving for a great sander/vacuum/filter, as well as picking up clamps wherever I can...

This is my second time thinking, "this may be more than I can handle!" - the first being when I stopped by the CLC site and saw how big a 15 foot boat is. Yikes.

I can't wait =)

(I'm also thrilled to check out the Mystic show this summer - and thanks for the pics!)

25

Wharney,

Thanks for the thread. Like you I get intimidated but am thinking one step at a time. 

jh

26

Car Wash tools.............no matter what proceedures I use the admiral's car usually gets dusted.  Then.......well you know.    

27

   Just go for it. We all have had that "I've bitten off more than I can chew" moment - more than once. Don't succumb to paralysis by analysis. This web site has a wealth of info and CLC is very supportive of its' builders.

Remember, you're not building a piece of furniture (although you can). Many of us build to the "Ten Foot Rule". If it looks good from ten feet away, it's golden. If you use it, your boat will get scuffed but each ding is an adventure. 

Finally, your boat will look big in the garage but all boats shrink when they're put in water. Have courage, good luck, deep breath - enjoy. ( repeat )