> . . . I'm also gonna
> look into some used power tools. Seems silly to pay $100's of dollars for
> someone else to make the strips when I could buy the tools, do it myself
> and have tools around for next time at little more then the cost of the
> pre-cut strips.

Seems equally silly to store tools you have never used before and may not use again. Why not buy used tools and then sell them when you are finished with them. Get new blades for the saws. Old, dull ones can be dangerous. You'll have the use of these tools for as long as you need them for far less that the price of renting them. An example: A new saw that sells for $200 can be found for half that. When you go to sell it, it will hardly be used any more than when you got it, so it is probably still worth $100. If you can sell it for $75 then your cost to use it is a mere $25. (I'm spelling this out for the NON math majors who might be reading this, too) Your savings over buying precut parts is still substantial.

Besides, once you get addicted to this you will want to buy a new saw anyhow. After you sell the old one you can wave the cash in front of your wife and tell her how much less the new one will now cost.

> One thing that caught me by surprize was the amount of time to
> complete...sounds like this is gonna take me 'til NEXT season (glad I have
> another boat)

100 to 300 hours is about the range. The short side if you've done this before. The long side if you have some complicated woodwork and want to fit a special design. (It could be even longer if you spend all your time reading this list)

The project breaks up into segments: Laying out and cutting forms. Ripping (and beading) strips. Making the strongback. Stripping the hull. Stripping the deck. Sanding. Fiberglassing. More sanding. Making the cockpit coaming. Hatches. Varnishing. More sanding. Fitting seats and braces.

Most of these segments take about a weekend or two. 10 weekends is 160 hours of work (2 1/2 months) and a good pace. Obviously, if you use a 2x4 strongback and buy precut strips and precut forms you will save several weeks of work. It is always a matter of time versus costs.

By the time you get to putting on the first strips you are going to be (mentally) committed to the project. After the first strips go on and you see the shape of the boat develop in front of you, you are addicted. Rubbing your hands over the smooth wood as you sand it just gets the blood boiling, even on a cold winter day when you are working in a dark, drafty, cellar.

Actually, you can (and probably should) launch your boat before the varnish is put on and the seats are installed. This way you let the resin get a bath, to remove any byproducts of the polymerization that may be on the surface, and you can get a good feel for exactly where you want the seat to go. From there you can measure for placement for foot rests and thigh pads, and so on.

> More Questions (Im sure they'll keep coming):

> - Are there big advantages to building a plywood strongback over a simple
> 2X4? - Is it OK to leave the project for lengths of time...are there good
> or bad times to stop?

Stop at the end of any of those segments I mentioned above. I left a canoe over the winter, fully stripped, but not glassed, and then the next spring put on the glass (when I could finally afford it) I never considered leaving it with glass on just the outside.

The simple 2x4 is cheaper and faster to set up than a plywood box beam. If you suspect it will sag, put more feet under it to support it along its length. After you start stripping the strips take on some of the structural support and you can get rid of the extra legs. By that time you can make cradles to support the hull. On the other hand, if you have been following the adventures of Spidey, his box beam has been useful as a support while ripping the strips, and should be useful as a long, straight, flat work area for scarphing his strips into long lengths.

Hope this helps.

Paul G. Jacobson