Hi Paul;

Good point about the glue - - Thusfar it has only been hot glue drips, which pop right off, but Titebond might be another story . . . I will probably cover the strips, as I'm very tight on space in the garage at the moment . The strips are sitting on "expendable plywood," however (not easily visible), and not directly on the floor..

Beveling strips is time consuming, but it seems to be worth the extra effort coupled with the duct tape clamping. This sucker is turning out strong, well aligned, and as a consequence, probably pretty light (Good surface to glass to on the inside with little cleanup). My most aggressive beveling tool of choice at this time is a surform-type tool about 2" long that cuts on the pull stroke. I can put a 45 degree angle on a strip with a few swipes. I did order a Record 060-1/2 plane today, that's the 12-1/2 degree adjustable throat 6" block plane. Harbor Freight has them on sale for $39, my non-adjustable-throat block plane won't cut it. I'll report as to how the new one turns out for beveling.

It's going so fast I took today off and studied my class work all afternoon and evening, but now I want back at the kayak . . . Just so you don't mistake me for a college kid, I'm 53 years old and simply decided to switch professions.

Best Regards, Spidey