: Hi Rob

: if one was to use the wedge method like larry has used

: http://www.kayakforum.com/cgi-bin/Building/index.cgi?read=38497

: with the wedges on the cockpit side of the forms, when you turn it over,
: drive out the wedge bottoms, and loosen by mallet and/or prying against
: the backer spacer.

: But what's your process? Do you built the deck on now unsupported previously
: (staple)built hull? or do you reattach the forms to the external. or?

: -mick

I build my kayaks on an external box beam strongback that is 2" longer than the kayak at each end. This allows me to set a string line down the center of the strongback. AND I set up a second string 16" above the strongback surface with sticks screwed to the ends of the strongback. This allows me to set up my stations and align them visually between the two lines.

I level my strongback to the shop floor lengthwise and widthwise. My stations have the shape of the hull and deck. I use pine blocks 1.5 X 1.5 X 6" wide with a channel dadoed in the center of the width to allow the strongback line to pass through all the station locations unobstructed.

I spring clamp a 5" X 9" piece of 1/2" plywood to each pine block and spring clamp my stations in place, hull upside down as usual. I use bar clamps to hold the pine blocks to the strongback. This allows me to move everything around relative to the two strings setting up rocker and station spacing. As I like the set up, I'll screw it down. When ever I talk about screwing down something think sheet rock screws and a cordless screwgun.

My strongback runs out past the stems because kayak stems can be quite long and the tips need support. I add sticks and blocking to the stems on top of the same style pine blocks I use for the stations so I can bridge the strongback line.

As I start stripping my hull I leave the strings in place so I can make certain the stems are not pulled out of alignment as can happen.The extra couple inches past each stem allow me to apply strips and leave the upper string in place.

With the set up of the external strongback as discribed above, my hull bottom is at about mid chest high. This puts the hull closer to my old weak eyes and lets me sight the sheer strip while seated in my chair drinking a cup of coffee. I find this an important proceedure to make sure that, that all important sheer strip is where I want it.

Back to your question on what's my process to set up for stapless hot glue stripping. I use hot glue on my deck and hull sides to the waterline then use staple on the bottom.

I want the hot glue to stick very well to the stations so I either put one coat of shellac on the station edge or nothing at all. Below the waterline I use masking tape on the station edges. On my stems I'll use some duct tape to make removal easy. So the hot glue on the hull side and the excess glue from stripping on the hull bottom holds my stations in place. Once the hull is glassed it is taken off the strongback. Puff! the strongback is gone. The stations are very well in place and I strip my deck.

By the way, I tried stripping using duct tape with staples on my hull bottom once, but I did not like the way the hull did not stick to the stations AT ALL. The hull bottom was loose as I sanded with my ROS and the hull bounced off the station like a car tire going uphill on potholed dirt road. I was afraid the sander was making a dip at each side of the station. Plus there was nothing keeping the hull in shape. If its not stuck to the stations before one side is glassed how do you know the hull has maintained the correct shape? So I don't use duct tape on stations edges.Perhaps this is more obvious using the 3/16" strips I use verses the 1/4" most builders use.

I don't want to join my deck to the hull before I can remove the stations so I leave an 1/8" gap between my hull sheer strip and the deck sheer strip. After the deck is stripped and glassed I'll use a putty knife inserted between the deck and station edge to brake the hot glue enough to allow me to insert the biggest screw driver I have between the deck and hull. I put the screw driver on the stem side of the station. I hold onto the handle of the screw driver with one hand and rap the shaft very hard, just below the handle with a dead blow mallet with the other hand and knock out the station toward the center of the hull.

All the best,
Rob