New Tools

Hello again to all who read my little blog.

Winter is officially here again and I am layed off as of Monday the 10th of 2007. I've been in the shop this afternoon. I have spent a lot of time looking at the boat and wondering where to start. While I've been wondering, I decided to fire up the shop vac and clean out the summers debris... spider webs, spiders, moths, flies, dirt, dust and anything in general that could have accumulated in and on the boat while I've not been around.

Tools !

My wife has purchased me some new tools... actually for Christmas but,... I get them now.

She, at my request :), bought me a beautiful counter-sink set with tapered drill bits, stop collars and plug cutters made by Fuller. I have been wanting a set like this ever since I read about them on Dave's site. I can finally retire the junk that I have been using to drill my counter-sinks... at least to somewhere deep in the tool box where they won't be in my way.

Quality tools, to me, means that I can produce better results with more accuracy as well as doing my job easier. This particular set is designed to drill the holes with a taper identical to that of the screw that is going into the hole. This is very important when using hardwood. I have found this out the hard way. Last winter, without the luxury of this set of special counter-sinks, every hole that I drilled had to be drilled with two separate bits and counter-sinks to allow the silicone bronze screws to properly imbed themselves into the wood without breaking. Life is going to be so much easier now..... I love my tools. :-)

My wife is sooooo nice :)

Anyway, I did not install the cabin's beams or the batten after making them. I just left them laying on the boat all summer. As a result, the batten has lost some of it's arch. So, I have fired up the steam box and am cooking another piece mahogany right now to re-make that batten.

The beams were ok. Nice and straight like they should be.

Till next time....