Bobs Special

[Boat Boy]

To use staples or not, what's the scoop.

[Glen Smith]

Staples have one advantage: speedier construction. However you can achieve tighter joints by using staple-less techniques, jigs, etc....

Staples also leave little holes that will always show up as darker spots on the wood no matter what you do to camouflage them but from a few feet away you won't notice them.

John Michne explains the difference on his excellent website: http://www.michneboat.com/ click on "Builder's Corner" then click on "Of Strips and Stripping".

[Guest]

I used a stapleless method on my Bob's last winter. That's a pretty easy hull to strip, but there were a few places I added a brad or staple or two where the hull was trying to lift off the forms.... But for the most part, It was easy to do and gave me a lot of control. Other than speed, I don't really see any advantage to using staples.

[Erik, Belgium]

Even those few staples weren't necessary. Some use hot glue between the strips and the stations in order to keep difficult areas fitted against the stations.
Even without hot glue, and only clamps, you will be able to glue the strips aginst the stations.

[Boat boy]

:D Thanks for all the input, seeing as how this is my first canoe I'll use the staples..