jdupre' said:
I was watching the episode of "How it's made" on making the Sea Wolf kayak. The builder glued the shear strips and the side joints at the same time flat on the workbench. It looked like a good idea because it would be easier to clamp a long strip like that flat rather than bending a strip around the inside of the gunwale all slippery with glue. Anyone ever try it?
Reinforcing a piece of plywood BEFORE bending it doesn't make much sense to me. Also, you now have two pieces of wood bonded. When bent, one will be an inner radius, while the other will be an outer radius. Each will try to be a different length than the other, because the outside one needs to be longer to reach around the arc when bent.
I'd say it's a bassackwards way of trying to do it. I'd rather apply glue to, say, a 2 foot long stretch in the center of the strip and clamp it into place. After that glue has set up, then move the clamps to the glued portion to prevent it from separating, and bend out each end, apply glue, and add clamps as needed.
I suppose you could also clamp it on starting from one end, and apply clamps to hold it as you go along. Then hold out one end, apply glue, and clamp it. After it has set up, remove clamps from the unglued portion, hold it out away from the boat and apply glue and reclamp.
What looks like a straight edge along a gunnel is actually a gentle arc. Any piece that has to follow that arc, will be easier to work with and install if it has been precut to follow that arc, rather than trying to bend a straight piece into an arc.
