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Low buck projects- Let's see 'em!

858K views 2K replies 341 participants last post by  pdqaltair 
#1 ·
In this forum, we've seen big projects on small boats and small projects on big boats- let's see the cheap projects! Show us what you have done on your boat on a budget.
Here's the rules:

1) Gotta be under $100 US, or equivalent currency.

2) You must have done it yourself. Although, if you found someone to work on your boat for less than $100, feel free to post contact info.

3) bonus points will be given for elegance and ingenuity.

Here's one of mine:

I needed a cockpit table. Well, I, personally, didn't need a cockpit table, but the admiral did, and I need a warm place to sleep, so you can see how the stars aligned on this one. I sussed out commercially available, marine priced cockpit tables and promptly gagged. So, I thought to myself, "self, you could make it yourself for a lot less." One problem. Well, four actually. I have limited woodworking skills, limited woodworking tools, and limited time. oh yeah, and I am cheap.
So, I went to plan "c".

I spent some time eyeballing the cockpit in question:


Then I moseyed into action. I bought one of these for $29.99


A frenzy of measuring, remeasuring, cutting, screwing, drinking, varnishing, etc. later, and this is how it finished up:



Let's see yours.
 
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#1,277 · (Edited)
Thank you all for the compliments and encouragement!

Oh I love that saw! it's a delta contractor saw I've used unisaws which seem about the same mechanically. not as much HP

I made some ribbons just for fun :)
 
#1,280 ·
Stop it!

I mean it!

:p

It is nice that you put such a visible glitch on it for us lesser mortals to feel good about.
 
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#1,283 ·
Denise, it looks like you still using oil stones for sharpening? If so, treat yourself to a Japanese water stone.

Trust me, you won't believe how much better they are.
 
#1,284 ·
I have them all actually. 2 diamond, 1 Japan, 2 oil, and a few super fine wet that were sold to barber shops. But I always pull out the diamond hone. I have a water wheel too but an old delta not a tormex.
 
#1,287 ·
I have been thinking about getting a barber hone. I have an old antique straight razor I would like to put to use. But I think I need to send it out to get a really good clean edge to start with. Not many places I can find that will hone them any more.
 
#1,288 ·
Paul there is even diamond lapping paste available now at the high end woodworking stores and sites. Home&Lowes are clueless to fine and even better woodworking. One time I asked the "special order" guy if he could get me clear WRC (western red cedar) he said "whas dat?"
 
#1,297 · (Edited)
Well since we're off boat projects for the moment, our kids have bought their first place and have to downsize from a fair sized rental house to a condo.. as a result their furniture situation had to change. I've built them a nautical-like L shaped settee with storage under and behind seats, and then adapted their 4 legged table by cutting off the legs and building a pedestal plus a bench for the off side.

No pics of the settee yet (no cushions and not installed at this point) but here's the table mods and the bench. Fortunately (for me) they are into the 'antique/distressed' look so I didn't need to worry about furniture-fine finishing.

 
#1,305 ·
Sitting by the fire this winter, I thought I'd try my hand at coachwhipping my tiller handle similar to the cover of Don Casey's book 100 Fast and Easy Boat Improvements, which I read and reviewed on my blog.



I had to devise a way to accommodate the taper in the handle, but it turned out great and only cost me $4.29. For the back story, instructions, and tips, see How to add coachwhipping to your tiller handle on my blog.
 
#1,307 ·
Woo.. not really low buck project but it works! It's Singer industrial 241-11 It rocks! plugged it in and this old motor starts a flywheel a spinning... the treadle controls the speed, takes a bit getting the right touch to get low speed.
 
#1,308 · (Edited)
I hope I'm not the only dummy who just lived with a boom that would waggle back and
forth when you motor along, or sit at moorage (slip). I used to pull the main sheet in "real tight"
and the boom vang. I've seen little wire clips that some use to clip the boom end to the backstay
(I don't think they really work well). So I came up with this last summer while motoring to Victoria BC
(beautifull city). Cost = practicaly nothing. Result = 100% practical. :) If you don't have a doger with hand holds you can just string a line anywhere... main sheet holds it off to one side a little and the other line pulls on the boom the oposit way, resulting in a boom that has no more waggle.
 

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#1,309 ·
We often tie the boom off to one side, usually with the tail of the mainsheet, in a rolly anchorage to avoid that and the noise of that wee bit of motion..

I hope your dodger frame is skookum enough to take the loading.. I'd prefer to tie that off to a toerail or a outboard cleat...
 
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