> I know about creating a template using the outer radius of the two deck
> beams, but is that the only "help" one can get? It seems a
> little intimidating trying to plane (or sand) a bevel that tapers from a
> fairly large radius near the cockpit to basically flat at the bow and
> stern using only a template and my amateur's eyes.

I used a D/A sander (leftover from my auto body days) to taper my shear clamps. I tried a plane, but that only made a mess. From my limited experience, planes work good when going parallel to the grain, but poorly when cutting across the grain of the wood. So my assumption is that planes are useless on plywood, since the plies go in different directions. And my experience seems to support this.

As for the shape, I did this in two steps. If you run your template along the shear clamp, you will find a point where it does not need to be beveled. Mark this point. If you move toward the center of the boat, you need to remove the outer edge of the shear clamp. As you move to the end of the boat, you need to remove the inner edge. (At least this is the case on the Patuxent, where the shear clamp is on an angle due to the orientation of the side panel).

Sand or plane the shear clamp until it matches your template. To get it "perfect", all you need is a pencil. After sanding to get it close, slowly run the template along the shear clamp. When you find a spot where the template does not touch the entire width of the shear clamp, mark the part that is touching with the pencil. When you are done, you will have a number of pencil marks. Each mark represents a "high spot" that needs to be removed. Repeat this procedure until the template touches the entire width of the shear clamp.

Of course, much of this is overkill. You just need to get it "close enough". The thickened epoxy used to glue the deck in place will fill minor inconsistencies in the shaping of the shear clamps. So if you repeat the procedure above 3 or 4 times, it should be sufficient.

Some additional deck attaching advice:

When you nail the deck, the thickened epoxy will "squeeze out" of the joint, and run down the side of the hull. To prevent this, turn the boat upside down while the epoxy cures. Set sawhorses under the deckbeams to avoid putting any stress on the deck at this point. Then use a squeegee to remove any excess. Also, if there are any small gaps between the deck and the outer edge of the hull, now would be a good time to fill these with thickened epoxy.

Good luck,

Ken