: Hay Scott I agree unmovable is the goal. Could be if they had Gorilla glue
: 100 years ago the lashing might have been second choice.
: Clayton

Gorilla glue is over-hyped. In tests by Fine Woodworking it developed no strength in anything less than an absolutely perfectly-fitting joint. The foam may fill the joint, but it's only cosmetic. If there's foam there's no strength.

Glue is good for cabinets and tables because the moisture content changes seasonally and gradually. Even so, table tops are never glued to the skirt or even fastened with fixed fasteners because the wood of the skirt and the wood of the top are oriented with the grain at 90* to each other and when they expand and contract with moisture changes they move in opposite directions. If the top were fixed, it would cause problems with warping and cracking, and most tables have a finish that slows moisture transfer, and kayak frames don't. Wood may only move 2-3%, but that's enough. They used to put wood wedges in cracks in stone when it was being quarried it because when it swelled with moisture it would expand and drive the stone apart. So if you glued a kayak frame that is subjected to extreme wet-dry cycles the deck beams and rib/gunwale joints in a traditional frame will all be at 90*, setting you up for the same problem. It's just not a good idea.

Lashing is tedious, but not terribly difficult. If you've never used artificial sinew before, you'll be surprised. It's a great material and really nice to work with. It's also nothing like string, because knots don't slip at all. The wax keeps them in place. And keep in mind that the tension of the skin will keep everything in place unless you have a severe catastrophic failure that would do something like break a gunwale.

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