Alignment of book matched strips: Closing the bottom

If you know a good tip or technique to help get through a construction "stumbling block", please post it here. If you have questions concerning building problems, please post them on the "Builders' Forum".
Post Reply
User avatar
HighPlainsDrifter
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 9:30 pm
Location: Brookings, SD USA

Alignment of book matched strips: Closing the bottom

Post by HighPlainsDrifter »

I have book-matched my strips for each side of the hull. One thing I strive for is to have the points on the port and starboard strips meet as one point along the center line.

I have cut my center line and those strips are fixed in place. I know what to do if my lay-up strip is slightly higher than the fixed strips (plane down the bead). But what do I do if my lay-up side is running lower than the fixed side ?
User avatar
Cruiser
Posts: 867
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 10:21 am
Location: Bowmanville, Ontario

Re: Alignment of book matched strips: Closing the bottom

Post by Cruiser »

You can just reverse what you do, just take 1'-2' scarp B&C and split off the cove. Glue that to the bottom of the strip, taper it gently to the end, sand a new bead on it.

I have used this and what I found is that it's better to not try and correct all in one go, do it over several strips and only add about 1/16" at a time, for all intents ... it is invisible.

Brian
User avatar
HighPlainsDrifter
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 9:30 pm
Location: Brookings, SD USA

Re: Alignment of book matched strips: Closing the bottom

Post by HighPlainsDrifter »

Brian
Thank you
Good practical and easy solution. Now, why did I not think of doing just that ?
Cheers
Joe
User avatar
Cruiser
Posts: 867
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 10:21 am
Location: Bowmanville, Ontario

Re: Alignment of book matched strips: Closing the bottom

Post by Cruiser »

Of course if you are building, we would love to see some pictures. For those of us between builds it helps with the wait till we can start and for the rest, it's always interesting to follow what and how other people are building.


Brian
User avatar
HighPlainsDrifter
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 9:30 pm
Location: Brookings, SD USA

Re: Alignment of book matched strips: Closing the bottom

Post by HighPlainsDrifter »

Brian
Ok, will try to get more pictures of my canoe project and maybe start a thread under non-Bear Mountain projects.
Side view of Damselfly
Side view of Damselfly
This is my 3rd and it has given me some challenges. It is a 13 foot solo called the Damselfly. The canoe was designed by Alex Comb for wood-canvas construction. Alex is a builder from Minnesota and his WEB site is called Stuart River Boatworks. I was smitten by the little canoe after seeing her and paddling her 14' sibling at a wooden boat gathering in Minnesota.

I got the plans from Alex and modified them for cedar strip construction. His plans use stations on 16" centers. Of course, that is fine for wood canvas construction because you basically build a rough canoe form from 3/4" stock that will be sheathed by wood and canvas. Stations on 16" centers are not good enough for holding 1/4" strips to fair lines between stations. This was especially true, on this canoe, around the bilge area where strips had a tendency to bow upwards.

On this canoe I set out to use up my stock of cedar (some nice dark and light planks that I had been saving for accent strips) and other building supplies. I even salvaged some 30 year old redwood from a deck that I dismantled this past summer to supplement my cedar. My strips are a combination of flat grain and edge grain (which will make sanding real interesting).

By the way, I used your suggestion on a strip that I put on today. It worked great and I will repeat that performance tomorrow. Thanks again.
User avatar
Cruiser
Posts: 867
Joined: Sat Apr 27, 2013 10:21 am
Location: Bowmanville, Ontario

Re: Alignment of book matched strips: Closing the bottom

Post by Cruiser »

Thanks for posting, that boat has very pretty lines


Brian
Post Reply