> Now that I'm stitching the hull of the Coho for my stepfather's daughter
> (for those of you who remember the discussion from last month-- the
> acetone wash & scraping did remove the epoxy resin he'd put on the
> panels, and the butt joints came out fine)..... my thoughts are turning to
> my 'next project' -- a woodstrip canoe. I'm well supplied with books --
> I've got Nick's book on kayak construction, plus both Canoecraft and
> Kayakcraft by Ted Moores, and Building a Strip Canoe by Gil Gilpatrick.

> I'm wondering about the merits of strongback designs: Gilpatrick shows a
> strongback that is shaped like a ladder (built of 2x6 lumber sides with
> 2x4 "rungs") laid across sawhorses. The other books describe a
> box beam construction from plywood, and you build legs to support it.

> Your thoughts/experiences about which is better? Other designs? Drawbacks?
> Things to look out for? I'm not looking to build the "ultimate
> strongback" (i.e. I'm not looking for one that will become living
> room furniture or convert into a dining table!)-- ease of construction (I
> did NOT take shop in high school), versatility (if I build more boats, I
> only want to build one stongback), and functionality are the key.

> Thanks --

> Julie

Well, Julie, I can see that after posting my message that it is not clear. Because of the difference in lettering between my typing and the boards posting. By I beam, I meant the usual capital I with cross pieces,and on the posts with the stand, I meant with plywood pieces crossed at the bottom like a capital T and screwed to the post as legs. Hope that helps !!

Rehd