I was talking to the guy who runs the carpenter’s shop at the local boatyard. I was doing all the talking and he was doing all the grunting. I wanted to source some copper nails, the hardware shop only sells them in packs of 1000 and at 20€ a shot they over-step the limits of a tight budget. They don’t actually but it seems a lot to spend on nails. And I certainly don't need 1000 of them.
This carpenter couldn’t have been less interested. I’ve no reason to expect him to be, but I thought you know, what with working on the interiors of plastic boats most of the time it might have been a welcome change to hear about a home boat building project.
I was wrong as his off hand grunts and body language proclaimed. But what the hell, I bored him to tears all the same.
Later I spoke to the carpenter in the village who’s ordered the marine ply, he wasn’t very interested either. Says I’ll have a problem finding copper nails round here. Then I asked him if he had a 5m length of thin wood that I could use as a batten. He gestured to a pile stacked in the corner and after a brief rummage I found an unknotted piece, I asked him how much and he said I could have it, bless his butt straps.
1 comment:
Ben -
I wouldn't bother with the copper nails. They're hard to find, and can be annoying to use, not least because they have to be drilled just so and aren't all that strong in any case. Instead, I'd use stainless steel screws on the basis that they're strong, cheap and grip like hell due to their tight threads. Your boat is unlikely to be in the water for long periods so there should not be any problem with corrosion (SS can't be used below the waterline on a yacht, for example).
Stainless steel screws are a mighty price when bought in small quantities from a chandler, but can be very much cheaper in boxes ordered over the Internet. In the UK I'd go to www.screwfix.com... Do you have an equivalent where you are?
G
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