Tom -- Dwight is right on the money. The DeWalt 318 is their lowest priced, "contractor" model jig saw. When I purchased mine in January ($100 @ Lowe's) it was the most expensive tool I had every purchased (okay, tied with my table saw, Pro-Tec, also at Lowe's for $100). I was getting ready to build my Merganser at that time, and knew I didn't want another $39.99 B&D or Sears. While I don't use it much, the heft and tightness on the blade made the price worth it. I know I'll build some more boats (strip canoe and 2 "S&G" kayaks in the planning stages), and the better jig saw is the way to go. -- Greg

: When it came time to cut out the hatches, after having gotten so far on the
: boat and not wanting to mess it up, I went jig saw hunting. I had a Black
: and Decker K-Mart special but knew it would not perform the trick Nick
: shows in his book.

: I ended up with the DeWalt model 318, variable speed with a blade stabilizer
: ($100 @ Lowes). It worked great. Simply tilted the blade down through the
: deck. I placed the cut-out pattern on the deck, taped around it with a few
: layers of 2" masking tape to reduce splintering, and then cut it out.
: You can see the outline of the pattern through the tape well enough to
: follow.

: With the exception of the fiberglass and epoxy, I found all my tools and
: materials (including cedar) at the local home building store. They did not
: have any of the specialty tools in Nick's book, Jananese Razor Saw, Spoke
: Shave etc.

: Dwight