> Pete, I searched high and low for a 18' 2x4. All I could find was 16'.
> Birch plywood around here is $50 a sheet. Cheaper plywood is not worth
> bring home. So I found a 2x4, 3/16"wall structural aluminum
> extrusion. It is dead straight (by eye) and I just cut one of my tapers
> last night with a jig saw and it cuts about as easy as wood. I would
> rather wood but The aluminum cost was the same as plywood and it was
> already built and straight. I may live to regret my choice but right now I
> like it.

> Larry C.

At work we have a measuring system for autobody frame straightening that is made of aluminium. When I first thought of building a kayak I thought of using a square aluminium tube as a strong back. This tube has a groove in it that a tape measure slides into. I though about making the risers out of aluminium and having them slide into the edge grooves on the strongback. Then I though that I could make the stations out of aluminium and have a flange on them so I could do stapleless construction. Everything would be made so that it could be adjusted for alignment.

After drawing out the ideas and spending a few hours figuring out how everything would work, (and it would work very well) I went down to the building supply store bought myself two 18 foot spruce 2X6's, glued and screwed them together and started building my kayak.

But if there is ever a call for mass produced cedar strip kayaks, I will resurect the idea and give it a try. For a one time build wood is the easiest and when you are finished the kayak you can do some home renovations.

Ian