Building with cove down

[Lyle]

Has anyone built a canoe with the cove down?
lyle

[Patricks Dad]

Lots of people build cove down. Different strokes for different folks. I'm a cove up guy myself.

[Jim Dodd]

Lots of people build cove down. Different strokes for different folks. I'm a cove up guy myself.

X2 on Cove up.

I'm still wondering what advantage cove down has ?

[Patricks Dad]

The only argument I can think of for cove down is that it's easier to put pressure on the strip to keep them tight to the prior strip as the glue dries. I use strapping tape over the strip to put pressure on the joint. With Cove up, you have to do something to keep the edge of the cove from getting damaged. I use a short piece of 1/4" dowel in the cove to protect it.

Personally I think the benefits of cove up (e.g., easy of glue application in the cove on the strip already in place) out weigh this concern. But there are plenty of people who go the other way.

[Jim Dodd]

Thinking outside the box ! This is a simple trick, zip tying a small piece of 1/4" plastic tubing.

[ID Canoeblder]

I've only built bead up (cove down) Two canoes and one kayak. I build staple less, using fishing line to hold the strips together, and I'm frankly too lazy and probably too disorganized to cut, store and use a bunch of short 1/4" dowels when fastening strips. Rebel without a cause, I guess. My first strip on each side gets only a bead. Seems to work for me, YMMV.

[Cruiser]

Cove up and stapleless here as well, maybe lazier, fishing line is just way too much work and fiddling for me.


Brian