> I'm thinking about cutting my own strips and wonder if I really need to
> mill the cove and bead. It sounds like beveling the edges would be easier.
> Could one use a joiner to bevel the edge? It sure would save some money.
> Any advice would be helpful.

Get a fairly good hand plane (plenty available for under $30)

The wood bevels very quickly and easily -- about as hard to work with as it is to sharpen a pencil in a pencil sharpener.

There are many areas where beveling is not even necessary. This is not a fine cabinet, nor do you have to make all the joints watertight. When you cover the strips with glass cloth and resin, any tiny gaps will fill in perfectly. Major gaps will show up as you sand the wood, and you cna fill them with a mix of glue and sawdust (you'll have plenty from ripping those strips !) or wood dust from your sanding ( plenty of that, too!)

If you use bead and cove you still have to do some work to make some of the strips thinner at the ends, so you'll be using a plane anyhow.

Hope this helps

Paul G. Jacobson