cherub toolbox...........yes it sounds gay

[john_hamilton]

...but ill have to deal with it.

as most people seem to have cheruby toolboxes, i have decided i need to start buildin one up.
wht do i need???

plus: which types of carbon are most appropriate

cheers
john

[ross_burkin]

I wouln't go out with a bunch of notes and buy some tools, buy them as you need them.

Some basics:
Epoxy, filler and colliodal sillica are essential,
Drill,
Dremmel,
Gloves,
Mixing sticks (free from any coffee outlet),
Extension lead,
Nail varnish remover (epoxy removal),
Sand paper
Mixing pots,
Brown parcel tape,
Mini paint rollers

Carbon...hmmm....I just have some scraps left over from a couple of projects. I've got a load of glass tape (heavy basic weave stuff), couple of scraps of uni and plain weave carbon but I havn't had to buy any yet. 

[phil_kirk]

Electrical tape
Plastic spreaders (made from ice cream cartons) or brushes
Peal ply
Spanners/plyers
screw drivers
hack saw
Araldite (for those very quick repairs)

release wax (usefull for making new items less for repairs)

My thoughts on sand paper are the coarse green stuff works faster and lasts longer.  I now buy the rolls of 60 gritt when doing a large projects.

Spare rope ( to replace broken or worn bits on boat) and to lash things together as a temporary fix). 

[ross_burkin]

You'll accumulate most things without even trying to get a nice tool kit.

[Phil Alderson]

Scales for measuring epoxy,
poly bags
solvent for cleaning
make up some carbon or glass plate to use as backing pieces
dust mask
gloves

Have a box for tools and a box for sticky stuff, the sticky box needs a lid so when you pack it in your car you do not get everything else filthy.

7mm and 8mm ring spanners, will do most of the nuts on the boat 4mm, 10mm, 13mm should do the rest.
A set of spanners is a good idea up to 13mm and a even cheap set will be more useful than an expensive shifter spanner. Halfords professional are excellent and not too expensive.
Mole grips
Quick clamps and G clamps
steel rule
tape measure
Box with small compartments to put bolts, screws, shackles in.
Chisel
hammer
Wheel brace that fits trailer
Stanley Knife and spare blades
small block of wood or plastic for cutting ropes on
Lighter for melting ends
Fid for splicing

[john_hamilton]

where can i get a new fid, coz my old one is somewhere inside my lasers hull

[Will_Lee]

Fids are incredibly expensive. I think a few mins shaking your laser around would be well spent!

You can ebay them for less than chandlery prices.

[daniel_kemble]

fids at sailboats are reasonable at sailboats.co.uk heres the link http://www.sailboats.co.uk/search.aspx?keyword=splicing+fid&page=1. You can two sizes for just over a tenner which is cheaper than  a lot of places

[john_hamilton]

well iv shook my laser about now so now have one medium sized fid.. yey

[phil_kirk]

for 4mm dynema and above you can use a drinking straw. For 2mm-3mm I have used a thin knitting needle and selotaped the line to pull the end through.

[JimC]

When I wanted an extra small fod for a Canoe jib halyard I bought some brass tube from a model shop and made one. If you don't bother with the little hook thing it only takes about 5 minutes - two saw cuts, a blast with the angle grinder and file off all the sharp edges.

[Ben Howett]

A bit of seizing wire and some tape will do the job in place of a propper set of fids, Dont waste your money unless your going to be using them a lot. (Im doing at least a handfull of splices a week at the moment and still prefer to use the wire for some jobs despite having a desk full of every size and shape fid you could imagine)

[daryl_wilkinson]

Just what I was going to say. Bend in half a bit of wire and twist it up. Makes a perfectly good splicing needle. Heres one I was doing earlier...

[phil_kirk]

for carbon supplies I would keep it to a bit of UNI and some weave. Usually left over from another project.

You will not need a lot for a repair that can be done overnight and is generally going to be a temporary job. Although this depends on your access to warmth to get a good cure the size of defect and the criticality to getting on the water the next day.

Mast and foil breakages have been repaired overnight  but would possibly need a vacum pump and a nice warm workshop/club house to make a sound repair. You also want and will get a lot of moral support from other cherubers unless you are content with your own skills.