> . . . I would imagine those stips are very flexible and somewhat fragile. Is it unusual to break strips while planing the edges to match the previous
> strip? Also, is it difficult to hold the strip while planing?

Flexible, yes. Fragile, no. It is very unusual to actually break a strip while planing it. And if it DOES break, I guess you just pick up the pieces, smear a little glue on the break, and install it, while you marvel at how well Mother Nature made that natural scarf joint go together.

I've seen karate demonstrations where they break 3/4 inch thick wood, but unless you are going after things with that kind of intensity I think you'll be OK.

> It just seems to me that it would be hard to keep the strips steady
> through all this.

Nah. Piece of cake. If you are NOT working with full-length strips you have very manageable pieces. and if you ARE working with full-lengths strips you just prop it on edge and whittle away. A very simple working paltform can be made from a cheap 8 foot 2x4 and a few scraps of left-over 1/2 inch plywood. Cut your 1/2 inch plywood into pieces between one and 1-1/2 inches wide. They can be 6 inches to 2 feet long. Nail these along the length of your 2x4 so you have a bit more than a 1/4 inch gap between them, running up the middle. Use finishing nails and reset the heads, so no metal is exposed that might ding your plane.

You now just drop a strip in and 1/4 inch or so will be exposed above those scraps for you to work on. If you leave long gaps (3 to 4 feet) between those plywood scraps you'll have plenty of space for working on even thinner strips. When working at the ends, let your strip hang over the end of the 2x4. To keep the strip from sliding in this groove, make a few wedges from scraps of strips and tap them in gently to pinch the strip a bit.

> From experience, I know that a plane will chatter either
> when it starts to dull, or the wood grain isn't exactly straight. And if
> the stip isn't held straight, the chatter would probably be worse. When it
> chatters, the plane exerts pressure on the wood, which could break the
> stip.

The strips are stronger than that. Remember, when glued together they can support a couple of 200 pound hunters and the moose they shot, too.

> Maybe it's not that big of a deal. If so, someone please put my mind at
> ease.

Would a cold drink help? Are you buying? If so, name the date and place and we'll all be there, happy to help you ease your mind. Seriously, it is not a big deal.

Most of the time you don't need to do a darn thing. In a few cases you just set the strip in place, notice it is a bit high, and you remove a little bit of material to make it drop into place. usea pencil and make light marks where you will have to remove some wood.

Or, you can leave it with a few gaps (I am very serious here) and just go back and fill those gaps with some sawdust and glue or resin. The color is very close, the joints are as stong as the fillets on a stitch and glue boat, and the gaps are not at all objectionable when the boat is finished. Actually, gaps that are a few hairs wide serve to accent the fact that you made this from strips, and not from plywood.

Hope this helps.

Get out there and start. You'll be surprised at how easy it really is. Just don't tell others. We want this to be our secret so the neighbors will be impressed.

Paul G. Jacobson