Strip built kayak??

[Leo Voisine]

I am getting myself ready to build a strip built kayak.

My first thought in making the strips is to take a flat sawn board - 3/4 thick and whatever wide I get - and cutting 1/4 thick strips from the side of the board. That will give me "quarter sawn" strips.

-IF- I start out with a quarter sawn board - then cut 1/4 thick strips from the side of the board - that will give me flat sawn strips

QUESTION -- does it matter that I use "flat sawn" or "quarter sawn" strips?

[Casey Gooding]

Shouldn't really matter. Whatever you prefer, really. I have done them both ways, and combined the two. By the time it's fiberglassed, epoxied and varnished you won't really have to worry about any wood movement.

[Chris Damm]

I believe that flat sawn strips will be more flexible and better suited to a kayak. The quarter sawn would look better if you just have it on display like some people I know.

[Leo Voisine]

I believe that flat sawn strips will be more flexible and better suited to a kayak. The quarter sawn would look better if you just have it on display like some people I know.

I am a casual user - most of the time it will be on display.

Have you done this before?
Do you know for sure that the flat strips are easier than the quarter sawn strips?

[Steve Frederick]

Since the boards you will find are probably flat-sawn, I'd go with ripping quarter-sawn strips. As was mentioned, they're also more flexible.
I've done two kayaks this way.

[Gary Kvasnicka]

I agree with Steve. I have done one and am just starting on one for my daughter, it's strips will be quartersawn.

[Mac McQuinn]

I've done a few Strip built canoes in the past and a couple years ago helped a friend who owns a boat shop build a canoe for a raffle. It was donated from a company who offers complete kits. The strips were comprised from 1/4, riff and flat sawn cedar. This worked well with a great appearance and the 1/4" thickness of the strips flexed about the same with very little difference in feel when bent over the forms. Good luck on your project!

Mac

[Leo Voisine]

Awesome - thanks to everybody.

Steve - what designs are you kayaks - they are gorgeous.

[Steve Frederick]

Awesome - thanks to everybody.

Steve - what designs are you kayaks - they are gorgeous.

One is a Guillemot, designed by Nick Schade.
The other is a Hybrid Explorer, Designed by Hans Friedel, plans through Newfound Woodworks.

[glenn witgen]

I would use the quarter sawnstripes. I have never had any prolbem with bending strips. If you use a heat gun and over bend them,when they cool they unspring some.
Flat saw wood can somtimes be a problem when sanding as the soft grain can sand away quicker. Most of the time its not a problem. I have mixed in some flat sawn stripe for a differnt look on some on the boats i have built.

[John McGillivray]

I would try to get as much grain showing as possible. It just looks nicer to me. My advice is to cut all your strips at once. If you are going to use bead and cove, then I would also do them all at the same time as well. You don't want to be changing your setup every time you need more strips. Consistency at this stage will make things go smoother down the road.

I was bending 1/4" cherry and ash around the coaming this morning and had no problems. I just put a little water on them and waited about 20 minutes and they conformed easily.

Here are a couple of pictures of the build I'm doing right now. More pictures can be seen on my blog at ... http://denmankayaks.wordpress.com/





John

[John McGillivray]

Since the boards you will find are probably flat-sawn, I'd go with ripping quarter-sawn strips. As was mentioned, they're also more flexible.
I've done two kayaks this way.

Nice work Steve! I really like the Guillemot and Nick's book has been my bible these past few months. Those inlays/overlays? turned out really well. Any more pics that you care to share?

John

[Leo Voisine]

I would try to get as much grain showing as possible. It just looks nicer to me. My advice is to cut all your strips at once. If you are going to use bead and cove, then I would also do them all at the same time as well. You don't want to be changing your setup every time you need more strips. Consistency at this stage will make things go smoother down the road.

I was bending 1/4" cherry and ash around the coaming this morning and had no problems. I just put a little water on them and waited about 20 minutes and they conformed easily.

Here are a couple of pictures of the build I'm doing right now. More pictures can be seen on my blog at ... http://denmankayaks.wordpress.com/





John

John,

Nice post - thank you,

I will be taking a real long time to go through this.

Wish I could go faster.