Whats the most effecient error free stapleless method?

[BradRob]

There seems to be a lot of methods in which one can build without staples.
Fishing line and dowels or screws
Rubberbands and dowels or screws
Spring clamps to each mold station by cleats or routed track in mold
C jig clamped to each mold with wedges
Straps and bungees
And more
Which method has less issues with error ( strips being forced away from mold for one), allows more than one strip to be applied at once and is more user freindly. This will probalbly get varied opinions, but im hoping to find the frustrations and strengths of each method.
Brad

[jturk]

Speaking from virtually no experience, (I am 2/3 thru stripping my first canoe), I looked at multiple stapelless methods and decided to follow the directions in Canoecraft. The fun part was buying all of the C-clamps from the Menards stores in 2 counties. The wooden clamps work very well. I have only placed one strip per side at a time, so I have not used many wedges.

[BradRob]

Ted moores way with the c clamps jigs and wedges is the way i have been leaning towards in my next builds. Instead of c clamping the c jigs to the molds i thought of just screwing them on instead. I have 3 builds lined up to do this winter. 2 kayaks and one 12 foot canoe. All will be stapleless. All the lines have been laid out on plywood. All the strips have been ripped, scarfed and planed and 2 strong backs built.I will probably incorporate several of the stapleless methods into these builds., I am glad to see that Ted Moores method is effective. I am anxious to find out about the ease or difficulty of the 3 strips at a time idea though.

[David James]

I've been using Ted Moore's method on my Rob Roy. I find it helps to glue some 100 griit sandpaper to the part of the jig that contacts the station mould. Keeps it from slipping under the c clamp... (Drywall screws with just the points coming through also work well)
I also use two strings with dowels (I strip "cove up") between every station and the next.
No gaps yet, as far as I know. I'm gluing redwood strips, .200" thick.

Dave

[Denis]

If you aren't concerned with holes in your forms from screws below is a picture of how I have clamped my deck strips. I've built 3 decks this way. Used scraps of strips taped underneath with packing tape so they don't stick. I do one side and then the other and it is usually set up enough to continue alternating for several strips. In places of a tight bend I would leave them on untill the glue dries.

[waterlover]

I am using a kit with bungie cords, straps and plastic levers which works like a charm. I'm not sure how any other system could be any better...throw in a bit of hockey sock tape for difficult bends and you'll have no problems. A cylindrical plastic dowling (pulled tight with bungie cord & the same size as the bead/cove joint) holds the strips tight to each other and the straps wrap around the forms and hold the strips tight against the forms...works like a charm...purists might not like the fact that it is a kit, but it is brilliant and very user-friendly.

[Denis]

I have seen the kit and agree it is pretty slick

I am assuming it is the same one as this one

http://www.bearmountainboats.com/online ... cts_id=196

Denis

[Juneaudave]

I've only used the wooden clamp and wedges method as described in Canoecraft I found that method works well for me as you are in total control and can adjust and fiddle around to get the strips to fit tightly. It's not the fastest...but I never seen building to be a race anyway...Dave

[Ben]

I am using the Canoecraft clamping method as well, but I find that I need some extra help in some areas. Packaging tape can give you some extra oomph, and building a movable frame around the bow and stern really helps as you work up past the bilge. I don't consider this method "efficient" but it gives good results.

[vann evans]

I used the "L" shaped clamping blocks by clamping them across the strips and tight to the stations. But, I did it a little differently. When I cut the stations from 3/4" plywood, there was a perfect profile of the station left in the scrap. I cut the scrap profile about 1" wide and attached it to the station, about 1/2"-3/4" from the edge. this gave me a clamping ledge on the edge of the station. by using 1 clamp and the "L" block, I could secure the strip with both horizontal and vertical pressure.I also used a smaller clamp with 2 blocks(1 on each side of the strips) to keep the strips in alignment between stations.

If I can figure out how to attach a picture, I will try to show the station with the clamping ledge.
Vann Evans

[vann evans]

http://picasaweb.google.com/cboaternc/F ... StripCanoe#
this is the image I wanted to show regarding the clamping ledge attached to the station.http://picasaweb.google.com/cboaternc/F ... tripCanoe#

[Patricks Dad]

I used the "L" shaped pieces of plywood clamped to the station molds to both hold the strips against the mold and to the previous strip. Between stations, we used a 8" piece of strapping tape to hold the strips together. Ended up with a 6" diameter ball of strapping tape by the end of the 2nd canoe.

But this is all the easy part. The real interesting things happen when the strips need to twist a couple different directions at the bildge. There are a whole host of approaches to that which can be devised. They range from pre-twisting with heat to twisting with a clamp as a lever, to wacky structures outside of the craft (including the ceiling) to provide a place to push or pull from... Most of the really good ones are invented on the fly (with one hand) while the glue is setting!

[mbolton]

When I stripped my English 20, I started out stapling short pieces (2"-4") of cutoff strips to hold each strip down (with 5/8" brads for the stapler) and duct tape. I had them bead up, so pressed the short piece cove down tightly against the new strip and used duct taped in between station molds when needed to hold the strips together tightly. I was thinking of doing something along the lines of some of these other methods as I progressed, but it was going so easily I just kept that going until the end. :smile
I did have to use some extra stuff in a few places in the really recurved end sections...sometimes the l-shaped blocks, a piece of wood in the same plane as the station mold, screwed into the mold and pressing down against the strip, duct tape pulling down hard and taped around strongback etc. to get the right angle of pull. I used Redwood throughout...don't know if that made it easier or not? But I was surprised how easily it went.
Mike

[mbolton]

Oops, I meant I had them cove up and pressed the bead down into the cove of each new strip :embarassed

[Adamv]

I built stapleless as per Canoecraft (C-clamps and L-shaped jigs). That, combined with lots of fibre-packing tape, bungee cords, and ratchet straps, worked very well.

I built cove up, and used little dowels in the cove to protect them from damage from the jigs.

I was very happy with the method, and will be using it again.

Cheers,
Adam