: Hi,
: I'm building a Guillemot (my first kayak building project), have got the
: forms aligned and am about to start stripping the hull, without staples.
: What's a good way to hold the first strip in place?
: I was thinking of using hot melt glue or clamping it to a sacrificial deck
: sheer strip screwed in place. Any one have a better idea?
: Also, I am going to make some plywood U shaped fixtures to hold the strips in
: place while the glue dries, as shown in Kayakcraft, but I'm wondering why
: they need to be U shaped. I don't see what the bottom of the U is for.
: Couldn't the fixtures just be L shaped? That would make the much simpler
: to make.
: Thanks, Richard.

Hi Richard, I am getting ready to strip also and I too have been thinking about how to strip w/o staples. I like Paul's idea and I may try it. Here's another idea in my head but not tried. Cut plywood pieces about 3"x6" and cut a deep sharp (V) in one end, that a rope will jam in. Fasten one jam piece at each cross section on the strongback. Tie a rope to the strongback at each section, and bring it up and around your strips and back to your jam piece where you take one rap around the jam piece and then jam the rope into the (V). This should hold the rope tight. You could wrap the rope several times between one section of the glueing strip to the next to get complete support all of the way. The downside would be getting glue on the rope and the hassle of wrapping with too much rope.

John