Being handy is important, plus cost effective. Most projects have basic parts costs, but what can really add up is the labor portion. Why spend hard-earned dollars to pay someone to do something I can do? However, my wife has called me “Tim the Tool Man” due to some of my projects going wrong. Just so you know, no one was seriously hurt, and there were no big fires.
Asking for help isn’t usually on my mind and I don’t shy away from many projects. You have read about me adding a third pontoon or changing mechanical steering to hydraulic and adding underwater lights. Got an idea, I’ll try it.
One year I bought a 1977 Jaguar XJS. I wanted a Jaguar with an aluminum V12 engine. But not long after I bought it, I had engine trouble. I dropped a valve seat due to an overheating situation on the interstate; I installed a 350 Chevy engine. I didn’t buy the high-priced conversion kit, so I made my own parts. Built the engine mounts, modified all the linkage and more. Only car I ever lost money on. But it was a Jaguar!
I laid all the laminate floors in our house. Wrote up the installations for magazines and took pictures. Although I didn’t get around to adding the finishing quarter round for a few years. My wife will tell you it was over seven years but I’m thinking it was more like three. She’s probably right. Anyway, when Ryobi came out with their ONE+ 18V 18-Gauge Cordless AirStrike Nailer, it was finished in no time. I just needed to wait for the right tools.
On a side note, I’m not selling Ryobi, but I have a lot of their ONE+ 18V tools. Saws, impact wrenches, trimmers, chainsaws and just recently a 16-inch mower (for where my Cub Cadet Tank Zero Turn won’t fit).
With cordless you can take the tools to the boat and work without a cord and fear of electricity and water. Need a battery charged? Just leave the charger in the 110 plug or converter in the car on the ramp. It is one of the best investments for working on your own boat (or plane, or car, or house… or maybe everything!)
Anyway, as I have gotten older, I have raised my standards about what I will do. If the house needs work on the roof or chimney, nope. I hire the guy. My Jeep Grand Cherokee had a bad lifter. It is out of warranty, so I actually started pricing parts but I finally gave in to my wife who said, “Take it to the guy.” Glad I did or I’d probably still be walking. Some things are just too complicated and need too much specialized equipment.
Personally, I have a lot of different tools. I like metal working, so I have a plasma cutter, wire welder, metal bender, benchtop milling machine and more. Some I really didn’t need but, well, I wanted them. And you can’t build a Minion-shaped fire pit out of a well water pressure tank if you don’t have the tools to make it, right?
If you have an interest in do-it-yourself projects, I think a pontoon is one of the best boats to start with. It’s pretty “open” to work on. There is usually room under the deck between the pontoons allowing access to cables and wiring. Pontoons typically have outboard motors that provide easy access to their components. And there are few systems that can’t be maintained by an owner with some mechanical skills and time. If you have the experience, and you have the tools, you can start with engine oil changes and maybe pontoon acid wash and polishing. From there, who knows how “handy” you can be?
