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Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
By:Paul Tavenier
Date: 12/8/2011, 12:52 pm
In Response To: Re: Strip: How necessary are stems? (Ian Cummins)

What has worked for me on several S&G boats is to use 1/4' diameter Lexan (polycarbonate) rod. A round rasp was used to create a channel, and then the rod is epoxied in place after scratching it up with 80 grit. Once the epoxy cures you can shape the rod and fair it in place -it works much like wood. This provides very good abrasion resistance at both ends of the boat for beaching. In fact the whole keel line could be done this way though I have not yet tried that.
Little, if any, weight is added because the rod replaces the thickened epoxy that is ordinarily used to fill the gaps here.
I reinforce the inside of the stem with a length of hardwood dowel, neatly epoxied and taped over. The "eyes" for attaching toggles are installed so they are in contact with the dowel and thus any load applied here is nicely distributed along the whole stem.
To me, the whole concept of an "end pour" is a cheesy shortcut that ads far too much weight for only a little bit of strength.
I also make the toggle mounting points/eyes out of a piece of Lexan rod. A nice side benefit of this technique is that the stem and toggle eye become a sort of "light pipe", and the effect can be striking when backlit by sunlight. I'll dig out some pics if anyone is interested.

Messages In This Thread

Strip: How necessary are stems?
Rob -- 12/8/2011, 8:17 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems? *PIC*
Don T -- 12/8/2011, 8:27 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Clayton Plunkett -- 12/8/2011, 8:42 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Ian Cummins -- 12/8/2011, 9:27 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Paul Tavenier -- 12/8/2011, 12:52 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
greg h -- 12/8/2011, 3:56 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Paul Tavenier -- 12/9/2011, 12:50 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Bill Hamm -- 12/11/2011, 2:38 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Bill Hamm -- 12/11/2011, 2:45 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Mike Savage -- 12/11/2011, 9:02 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Rob Macks/Laughing Loon CC&K -- 12/8/2011, 12:44 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Rod Tait (Orca Boats) -- 12/8/2011, 4:17 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Kurt Maurer -- 12/8/2011, 6:55 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Dwight Lynn -- 12/8/2011, 7:13 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems? *PIC*
Kurt Maurer -- 12/8/2011, 7:56 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Dwight Lynn -- 12/8/2011, 10:13 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Kurt Maurer -- 12/9/2011, 10:06 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Bill Hamm -- 12/11/2011, 2:44 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Rod Tait (Orca Boats) -- 12/8/2011, 7:44 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Allan -- 12/8/2011, 8:57 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Rob -- 12/9/2011, 8:14 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Kurt Maurer -- 12/9/2011, 10:13 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Bill Hamm -- 12/11/2011, 2:42 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Bryan Hansel -- 12/9/2011, 11:59 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Rod Tait (Orca Boats) -- 12/9/2011, 1:16 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems? *PIC*
Bryan Hansel -- 12/9/2011, 2:28 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Rod Tait (Orca Boats) -- 12/9/2011, 3:38 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Bryan Hansel -- 12/9/2011, 3:51 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
ScottBaxter -- 12/9/2011, 5:11 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Bryan Hansel -- 12/9/2011, 6:01 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
ScottBaxter -- 12/9/2011, 8:12 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems? *PIC*
Bryan Hansel -- 12/9/2011, 11:51 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems? *PIC*
Bryan Hansel -- 12/9/2011, 11:51 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems? *PIC*
Bryan Hansel -- 12/9/2011, 11:53 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Dan Caouette (CSFW) -- 12/9/2011, 1:32 pm
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
ancient kayaker -- 12/10/2011, 7:37 am
Re: Strip stems and weight
Will N 2 Go -- 12/11/2011, 11:29 am
Re: Strip stems and weight
Bill Hamm -- 12/13/2011, 4:55 am
Re: Strip stems and weight
Bill Hamm -- 12/13/2011, 5:00 am
Re: Strip: How necessary are stems?
Etienne Muller -- 12/11/2011, 5:01 am