[[email protected]]

On Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:07:07 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

On 2008-11-16 07:02:51 -0500, "Roger Long" said:

I need to make a hatch frame that involves some complex curved rabbets and
am thinking of using Star Board so as not to wind up with more wood trim
that needs re-finishing.

How easily does Star Board work with a chisel, planes, and similar hand
tools? I've worked with some other fake woods and they are pretty ornery in
this regard.

I think SaltyDog covered the "working" aspects of it, but I wonder
about the longevity of the stuff. It's soft and I expect likely to
discolor fairly quickly if it's left in the sun, subject to the harsh
chemicals of cleaning, abuse of scrubbing....

Nope. I've used it for a number of things, including the mounting pad
for my outboard bracket, and after 5 years, that pad still llooks
exactly like the day I installed it. It's not all that soft. It's very
similar to the HDPE used for commercial kitchen cutting boards, except
it has been UV stabilized.

[Wayne.B]

On Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:10:05 -0500, wrote:

Nope. I've used it for a number of things, including the mounting pad
for my outboard bracket, and after 5 years, that pad still llooks
exactly like the day I installed it. It's not all that soft. It's very
similar to the HDPE used for commercial kitchen cutting boards, except
it has been UV stabilized.

Can you get it at Home Depot or Lowes? If not, what's a good source?

As an FYI, it is very easy to run 110 volt tools onboard using an
inexpensive inverter.

[Good Solder Schweik]

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:34:40 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:41:49 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:10:05 -0500, wrote:

Nope. I've used it for a number of things, including the mounting pad
for my outboard bracket, and after 5 years, that pad still llooks
exactly like the day I installed it. It's not all that soft. It's very
similar to the HDPE used for commercial kitchen cutting boards, except
it has been UV stabilized.

Can you get it at Home Depot or Lowes? If not, what's a good source?

As an FYI, it is very easy to run 110 volt tools onboard using an
inexpensive inverter.

What a piker! Corded power tools are a decided disadvantage on a boat.
Go climb the mast dragging an extension cord and 110 volt drill in the
rain and get back to us, Mr. Experience!


Try drilling a half inch hole in a piece of 1/4 inch stainless on the
mast head fitting with your puny little battery drill. you'll
understand why the A.C. equipment is needed.

Cheers,

Schwiek
(goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)

[Edgar]

"Good Solder Schweik" wrote in message
...
Try drilling a half inch hole in a piece of 1/4 inch stainless on the
mast head fitting with your puny little battery drill. you'll
understand why the A.C. equipment is needed.

I needed to drill a 1/4 hole in a thick stainless bracket on deck so I could
fix a shackle for the end of a jackstay.
I blunted three HSS drills without making much impression at all so went to
a really good tool shop they have here and explained the problem.
They sold me a cobalt steel drill especially intended for stainless and it
went through the stuff as if it was not there, producing long unbroken
strands of swarf that looked like springs.
It was a very expensive drill but the job was done in a few minutes and the
cost of several ordinary drills and lots of my time saved was worth it.
After the job was finished the cobalt steel drill still looked and felt so
sharp that it might have been new.

[Wayne.B]

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:17:46 +0100, "Edgar"
wrote:

I needed to drill a 1/4 hole in a thick stainless bracket on deck so I could
fix a shackle for the end of a jackstay.
I blunted three HSS drills without making much impression at all so went to
a really good tool shop they have here and explained the problem.
They sold me a cobalt steel drill especially intended for stainless and it
went through the stuff as if it was not there, producing long unbroken
strands of swarf that looked like springs.
It was a very expensive drill but the job was done in a few minutes and the
cost of several ordinary drills and lots of my time saved was worth it.
After the job was finished the cobalt steel drill still looked and felt so
sharp that it might have been new.

You can drill SS with ordinary bits but you need a *lot* of pressure
to keep it from work hardening, easy in a drill press, not so much up
the mast on a rainy day with a battery drill motor. :-)

[[email protected]]

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:29:47 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:17:46 +0100, "Edgar"
wrote:

I needed to drill a 1/4 hole in a thick stainless bracket on deck so I could
fix a shackle for the end of a jackstay.
I blunted three HSS drills without making much impression at all so went to
a really good tool shop they have here and explained the problem.
They sold me a cobalt steel drill especially intended for stainless and it
went through the stuff as if it was not there, producing long unbroken
strands of swarf that looked like springs.
It was a very expensive drill but the job was done in a few minutes and the
cost of several ordinary drills and lots of my time saved was worth it.
After the job was finished the cobalt steel drill still looked and felt so
sharp that it might have been new.

You can drill SS with ordinary bits but you need a *lot* of pressure
to keep it from work hardening, easy in a drill press, not so much up
the mast on a rainy day with a battery drill motor. :-)

Poor Wayne sure seems to have a lot of trouble with doing simple
things.

[Jere Lull]

On 2008-11-17 19:29:47 -0500, Wayne.B said:

You can drill SS with ordinary bits but you need a *lot* of pressure
to keep it from work hardening, easy in a drill press, not so much up
the mast on a rainy day with a battery drill motor. :-)

Been there, found that cobalt was considerably easier, finished the
part of our job that it could do as easily as drilling hardwood
(couldn't find 25/64ths in cobalt, so used a 3/8 cobalt to do the heavy
lifting and destroyed a few "soft" 25/64" HSS bits to finish up.)

Good bits are well worth the expense.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

[Good Solder Schweik]

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:17:46 +0100, "Edgar"
wrote:


"Good Solder Schweik" wrote in message
.. .
Try drilling a half inch hole in a piece of 1/4 inch stainless on the
mast head fitting with your puny little battery drill. you'll
understand why the A.C. equipment is needed.

I needed to drill a 1/4 hole in a thick stainless bracket on deck so I could
fix a shackle for the end of a jackstay.
I blunted three HSS drills without making much impression at all so went to
a really good tool shop they have here and explained the problem.
They sold me a cobalt steel drill especially intended for stainless and it
went through the stuff as if it was not there, producing long unbroken
strands of swarf that looked like springs.
It was a very expensive drill but the job was done in a few minutes and the
cost of several ordinary drills and lots of my time saved was worth it.
After the job was finished the cobalt steel drill still looked and felt so
sharp that it might have been new.

You can drill stainless with normal High Speed Steel drills. The
secret is that stainless work hardens easily so you must run the drill
at low RPM with high feed pressure.

Try it in a spare moment. Use a sharp, say 1/4", HSS drill bit. Ram it
into the work with about all the strength you have and just jog the
trigger, if a hand drill, or use the lowest sped if a drill press.
With a little practice you will be able to drill stainless as (well,
almost as) easily as mild steel.

for the nay sayers that inhabit this site: I've been machining
stainless for more then forty years and speak from experience -- not
from the pages of a magazine.
Cheers,

Schwiek
(goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)

[[email protected]]

On Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:55:01 +0700, Good Solder Schweik
wrote:

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:17:46 +0100, "Edgar"
wrote:


"Good Solder Schweik" wrote in message
. ..
Try drilling a half inch hole in a piece of 1/4 inch stainless on the
mast head fitting with your puny little battery drill. you'll
understand why the A.C. equipment is needed.

I needed to drill a 1/4 hole in a thick stainless bracket on deck so I could
fix a shackle for the end of a jackstay.
I blunted three HSS drills without making much impression at all so went to
a really good tool shop they have here and explained the problem.
They sold me a cobalt steel drill especially intended for stainless and it
went through the stuff as if it was not there, producing long unbroken
strands of swarf that looked like springs.
It was a very expensive drill but the job was done in a few minutes and the
cost of several ordinary drills and lots of my time saved was worth it.
After the job was finished the cobalt steel drill still looked and felt so
sharp that it might have been new.

You can drill stainless with normal High Speed Steel drills. The
secret is that stainless work hardens easily so you must run the drill
at low RPM with high feed pressure.


You mean low speed, high torque, as supplied by my battery powered
drill? Amazing!

[Wayne.B]

On Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:34:40 -0500, wrote:

Go climb the mast dragging an extension cord and 110 volt drill in the
rain and get back to us, Mr. Experience!

Experienced enough not to climb a mast in the rain.