should opticians use power tools?

[Dave Nelson]

If you go to "Svenson's free boat plans" you can pick from dozens and dozens of free boat plans. They are all reprints of old popular mechanics plans. I chose the "polliwog" model, and stretched it to 12 feet. It is a little honey of a boat, I built it in my garage last winter, and fished with it this last summer.(until my brother bought a 21 foot aluminum jet boat) It took a heck of a lot of time, more money than I thought, and was a really fun project. Since these are "classic" styles, you can doll them up with mahogany trim, chrome, ect. Anyone else built a boat? anyone interested in building one? At the very least you can check out the site and dream of that gleaming mahogany classic. I may try to post a pic of the "LRB." (little red boat)

[optigrrl]

What a beautiful dream. I used to sail when I was younger - never thought of owning a boat myself because I have scraped barnicles off of the bottom of one in dry dock. Lots of maintenance...

I think I am in love with the idea of boating but having someone else manage the boat.


PS - I love power tools.

[Cindy K]

.. when I read the title I thought you were starting a thread about power tool mishaps (like the one involving a table saw and a finger)!!!

[Jacqui]

.. when I read the title I thought you were starting a thread about power tool mishaps (like the one involving a table saw and a finger)!!!

I did too, and was getting ready to make several "interesting" comments.

[Cindy K]

Why don't we ask Dave about the table saw and the finger:bbg:

[Dave Nelson]

Ok there was an indirect reference to a table saw mishap while I was building the boat, but such mishaps shouln't detract from the dream many people have of actually building and using a boat, even if its only 12 feet long. For the record, I still have all my fingers, which is more than I can say for my family doctor, who is minus 2 fingers from a table saw accident. (so maybe MDs shouldn't be using power tools.) The accident involved a few stitches though. Check out the boat plans site, cause we can all dream of building and operating that gleaming mahogany classic. (even if its with a few fingers missing. )

[DocInChina]

Several months ago I went to the fishing docks and watched a family making a new fishing boat. This was not a popular mechanics boat either. This was a classic Chinese fishing boat that you would see in old movies. It was enjoyable to watch and really see how people manufactured things they needed themselves prior to the industial revolution.

Doc

[PAkev]

Two years ago we visited the Antique boat museum in Clayton, New York (1000 Islands) and saw some wooden beauties. I've never owned a wooden boat but there seems to be a special appreciation of having wood between you and the water.

I know Mystic Seaport also offers boat building courses which last approx. one week long and you leave with a boat.

Until I retire and have the time to maintain a wooden boat, I'll have to stick my plastic boat "Polar Eyes"
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/049968.jpg

[Cindy K]

Until I retire and have the time to maintain a wooden boat, I'll have to stick my plastic boat "Polar Eyes"
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/049968.jpg

Now THAT'S a fishin boat!

So, what's your usual 'victim of choice'?

[Bill West]

been that way ever since I sold my 36 foot Gibson Houseboat and 2 jet skis and ski boat. DON'T EVER SELL YOUR BOAT.

[chip anderson]

The two sadest phrases that can be written of men:

I sold my boat...
I sold my motorcycle....

[Cindy K]

The two sadest phrases that can be written of men:

I sold my boat...
I sold my motorcycle....

And the two saddest phrases that can be written of women:

"Honey, I'm buildin' a boat...'
"Honey, I'm buyin' a motorcycle..."

[Pete Hanlin]

Um, where are the pics, Dave??? I've thought off and on about building a boat over the years (I had a coworker whose husband built an open cockpit airplane- even went for a flight in it, what a rush).

[shawn.zachry]

OH YEAH MORE POWER!!!! Harr harr harr grunt.

[Dave Nelson]

Here are the boat pics Pete, along with a few other projects I have managed to cobble together. (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.) Yes Its me in the boat picture, blissfully unaware of the danger I was in riding in a homemade boat...

(Scanned and uploaded to post by Cindy K- he's a fabulous optician and pretty handy with the power tools but when it comes to the computer...)

[Jacqui]

(Scanned and uploaded to post by Cindy K- he's a fabulous optician and pretty handy with the power tools but when it comes to the computer...)

Typical male

[harry a saake]

I remember as a kid walking to school, we would pass by this old brick building, where the was a guy building a boat, as i remember kind of a large boat and i think it took him about 2 years. When he was finished all the neighborhood kids stopped in and looked at it in amazement, that one guy could do all this, until one of the brighter kids popped up and asked him how he was going to get it out of the building. he then realized he had never thought of that, and one day we saw him knock down the wall on one side. he got it out, never saw it after that.