Boat Building Forum

Find advice on all aspects of building your own kayak, canoe or any lightweight boats

there is a more-important issue
By:Paul G. Jacobson
Date: 12/17/2004, 5:21 pm
In Response To: Strip: bead & cove vs. rolling bevel (Randy Ricchi)

The discussions about the merits of bead and cove strips, vs. square-edged strips vs. even-beveled strips vs. rolling-bevel strips will continue for ever.

There are merits to each of these methods, and I can think of reasons to use strips of each breed in different parts of a boat.

Take the deck, for example. In hybrid (plywood hull/strip deck) designs the deck frequently has an even curve. For that area the strips would fit perfectly if they all had the exact same bevel. Some designs have a flat aft deck. For that application no bevel is needed. Lay square edged strips.

But beyond this debate lies a matter which is too often overlooked: YOur work will go faster and be more accurate if the strip thickness is IDENTICAL for every strip on the hull. The same goes for the deck.

Of course you might use a different thickness of strip for the deck than you chosse for the hull. If that is the case yo only need to worry about fairing in the one strip on each side that joins them. Make it as fat as the thickest strip and sand it down to meet the thinner ones.

If the strips are not of even thickness then you will have difficulty milling beads and coves which will match up properly when you put them on the forms. Sure, they'll look great when you examine each one, but it wo';t match perfectly with others. You will spend much time (wasted time, in my opinion) sanding and fairing to get the hull even.

If yo plan to plane or bevel the edges then it is just as important that the strips be of the same thickness. It makes fitting things much easier, and you won't open up gaps by sanding. for that matter, you won;t need to sand as much.

So If you have the time to spend, spend it on checking the thickness of your strips and getting them planed to an even thickness. Later on, if you decide you MUST have B&C strips you'll have the proper materiasl to work from.

Just my opinion.

PGJ

Messages In This Thread

Strip: bead & cove vs. rolling bevel
Randy Ricchi -- 12/17/2004, 10:11 am
Re: Strip: bead & cove vs. rolling bevel
Jim Beltz -- 12/20/2004, 10:53 am
Re: Strip: bead & cove vs. rolling bevel
mike loriz -- 12/18/2004, 8:24 pm
there is a more-important issue
Paul G. Jacobson -- 12/17/2004, 5:21 pm
Re: Strip: bead & cove vs. rolling bevel
Bill Price -- 12/17/2004, 4:52 pm
Re: Strip: bead & cove vs. rolling bevel
Holmes -- 12/17/2004, 2:24 pm
Re: Strip: bead & cove vs. rolling bevel *LINK*
gerald -- 12/17/2004, 11:48 am
Re: Strip: bead & cove vs. rolling bevel
PatrickC -- 12/17/2004, 1:52 pm