Thread: Think you need more tools?

This guy is building a 30ft steel boat out of 5 x 10ft sheets of 1/8" steel using pretty much just a 4" grinder (guard removed of course), and a gasless MIG. That's pretty much it. His design is all in his head, his construction method is novel (the first video or two are nuts), but his ability to do so much with so few tools, and his patient approach to getting it done makes me think a little differently about how I go about fabricating things.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHi...YXqEwfQ/videos

I am not condoning the removal of guards from any grinders as they can be very unforgiving , however I am always looking for the three that I have with guards that are easily rotated to where you can grind or cut without getting a guard caught on the material.
, some different designs with input from users may be a start.

Michael

Some people will understand this and other will think I'm a _____ but they'll probably continue to not understand the important stuff until it's too late...

Quality is not always about how good something is; sometimes it's about how likely something is going to perform to expectations in less than ideal conditions. Building a boat from 3mm sheet is possible and gasless MIG can produce servicable welds. However, in this case I do wonder whether the builder has really thought this through. 3mm steel does not take much to bend/ deform - so ask yourself how likely the hull is to remain water tight if he is going along and hits a large submerged tree limb or something. Will the plate deform? Will the welded joint hold? In fine weather with calm waters - not a problem. Other times? . All structural items (including boats) are built for worst likely conditions, not the best.

It will be interesting to see what happens when he wants to register it - he may need an engineer's report or something from a marine surveyor and then the fun will start as he could discover that he has built a boat that is only good to be an artificial reef.

I have seen some really innovative things on the internet but the lack of a filter that gets rid of things that are bad practice, risky or just plain dumb does worry me. There will be people who watch those videos who will think that it is a good idea and don't realise that the downside is potentially life ending.

Michael

I am in full agreement with Michael. It really gets back to the old saying, the little bit of knowledge being a dangerous thing.

3mm sheet for a hull is not sufficient. A glancing impact on a rock or coral along the hull will act like a giant can opener.

The man has a very expensive lesson to be learnt, one way or another.

Originally Posted by Mike4

I am always looking for the three that I have with guards that are easily rotated to where you can grind or cut without getting a guard caught on the material.

Easily-adjustable guards are one of the key things I look for on a grinder. I've got a nice Metabo that has a lever that releases a pin that engages with a series of holes around the guard's collar - makes changing the position effortless. I also have a Flex grinder (easily the nicest unit I've ever had) that has a ratcheting guard that rotates in one direction.

Going one step beyond guard configuration is the trigger arrangement - these days I look for the paddle-style switches as opposed to the locking ones, provided the switch design is ergonomic and isn't tiring to keep activated on long grinding jobs - the Metabo's solution is very good. The Flex has a locking switch, which maybe has some logic behind it as it's a variable-speed unit designed for masonry work and being operated for long periods at a time, but I'd still have preferred a non-locking switch.

With regard to this fellow's boat, assuming it's watertight, I don't think it will sail particularly well, I think it will take on a lot of water as it doesn't have gunwales worth a damn, and the paper-thin hull will likely take a beating just getting to the water, let alone encountering a reef or rocks.

But that isn't my point, and I don't think that's the point of the guy making it. He's making a boat in his back yard with an absolute minimum of tools, he's doing it all by eye, he's not going for perfection at each step, but rather, getting it done and tweaking it into shape afterwards, and so far he's got a boat-like object.

Unlike some here, I don't take everything I see on the Internet as gospel, nor require it to be best-practice perfection - you can identify the negatives while still taking on some of the positives, whether in this case it's just the can-do attitude and learning to work with the tools you have.

I don't wish mis-fortune on anyone but I think his yacht will be a total disaster. I surprised PDW has not made comment here!

When I was a kid, I helped (under sufferance) my dad build a 40ft steel yacht from scratch. It was built from plans (Bruce Robberts) and anyone who has built or been part of a build of such a project would clearly see that the above attempt at a "ship" will end in tears. It's my understanding that a large part of a ships strength comes from the frames and the bulkheads (none to be seen) and not from the skin or sheet from the hull. As was mentioned above, you don't appreciate a ship sea worthiness in smooth, calm sailing days. It's when you hit large swell and high winds where a third of the ship may end up out of the water, unsuported that you appreciate how solid you build it. Not to mention the high stresses place on it from the mast, riggings and then the wind on the sails.

Not sure what the laws/regulations are nowdays let alone in other countries but home built craft only needed to be inspected if they were build under survey. Which is required if you plan to use the vessel for commercial use.

It's my understanding that to build a vessel to survey standard is big task for a private boat builder requiring many inspections throughout the build. There is no way in hell he would ever get that thing built to survey! Actually, in rough seas, I think I would trust my sea kayak before that thing.

Simon