Despite the time stamp, I started my response to Jay B. before your post was visible - I guess I took my time.

You have some very attractive ideas here.

> A couple of problems here, so you'll need a couple of solutions.
>

> First is finding wood, second is using foam instead of wood for
> a stripper. Let hit the wood problems first. It would help if we knew
> something about where you live. From your e-mail address i gather
> it is in Canada, but are you east coast. west coast or central? North?
> South? Give us a vaguely general idea of your location so we can suggest
> reasonably close sources. (Don't post your home address unless you
> want to invite all of us over, and have enough to feed us.)

I live in St. Lazare, Quebec. It's about 30 miles west of Montreal.

> Consider other woods. If WESTERN cedar is not available, see
> if EASTERN cedar is. Pine or S-P-F (a term for whatever white wood
> is available, be it spruce, pine or fir) is perfectly suitable. A
> friend of mine says he has built over 20 canoes from pine and polyester
> resin over the past 20 years. I saw his first boat when he refinished
> it last year, this time using epoxy. Twenty years old and looking
> fine. It is made from 3/16 inch pine and weighs less than my canoe
> made from 1/4 inch cedar.

I have decided to go with eastern white pine. I can get it from that same guy who needs the large order. I bought some pine from him a couple of years ago for some picture frames: 5/4 x 11-1/4" x 6' absolutely clear for $10.

> White cedar used to be the wood of choice years ago. Over the
> years, many magazines have promoted using redwood strips. Mix and
> match if you like, using strips from darker varieties as accents.

First I'll start with a plain kayak, stained hopefully, if it's safe to do so (epoxy conflicts?). I'm not all that artistic, and impatient to get rolling on this one, so thinking about designs and finding contrasting wood will have to wait for the next one. My main goal is to get floating. Maybe this winter I'll start another, building in beautiful weather makes me antsy.

> Really desperate? Go to the local lumber yard and get whatever
> wood is available. Your boat will look great.

I wasn't that far from it!

> Sure it can work. They make lots of foam-cored fiberglass items,
> including surfboards. a lot of these foam sheets are styrene plastics,
> and dissolve in polyester resin, so plan on using epoxy.

I suspected such problems.

> Try sawing that foam panel into strips. You will probably get
> lots of fuzzy pieces. The way to cut it is with a hot wire cutter,
> which you can get through an arts and crafts store. Mount that cutter
> to a piece of plywood, nail on a fence to guide things, and rip away.
> You won't have any sawdust to contend with, but the fumes may be nasty.
> use a respirator.

Actually, a bandsaw works really well for cutting foam; fairly clean edges.

> Don't even think about bead and cove.

Don't even want to try. ;-)

> I have no idea how you would fair or sand such a thing, but I'm
> guessing fine sandpaper and a light touch.

VERY CAREFULLY.

> Given the materials and time I would try a variation on applying
> fiberglass to this type of construction. I think I might do a section
> and then cover it with a small patches of fiberglass cloth ( maybe
> 1 to 3 square feet) as I went. The overlap of these pieces, would
> make the first layer look like I used papier mache, but it would give
> me a tougher layer that I could sand, fill, fair and shape.

To prevent sagging between forms?

> The blue foam I could live with, but pink is not for me. If I
> went this route I would definitely get some cool pigment for my resin
> so I could hide the color and the seams.

That was another concern - PINK?! BABY BLUE?!?!

> Are you sure you are really this desperate?

> Back to wood: The lumber department of the local Home Depot store
> has 5.2 mm (nominal 1/4 inch) 4 x 8 foot Lauan panels for under $8
> each. I was looking at them with the thought of building a stitch
> and glue kayak when the though came to me that after I had scarfed
> them into 16 or 18 foot panels, I could cut some gorgeous strips from
> them. They would be smooth and nearly perfectly even in thickness
> without using a surface planer, so sanding would be a snap. I could
> cut strips as wide as I wanted: 2 inches wide, or 1/2 inch wide if
> I wanted. The deck could be 2 or 4 panels, just like a stitch and
> glue, and it would match the strip-constructed hull. Almost any other
> 1/4 inch panel with 2 good sides could work, too.

THIS I will keep in mind. Great idea!

> I think I'd build a skin on frame kayak if I couldn`t find wood
> for strips.

The forms are totally completed, just begging for a skin. I'm not about to turn my back on two weeks of work!

> Finally, if strips are the only way for you to go, remember,
> you can buy ready-to-use strips mailorder. Call Nick at work and place
> an order. (I wonder if Nick gets a commission on sales generated through
> this board. I think he should!)

Sorry Newfound, but as nice as the materials may be, I'm not made of money.

> Lots of suggestions here. Hope a few of them can help you. Best
> of luck on this. Paul Jacobson

Once again, thanks for the vast encyclopaedic input. You've convinced, reassured, and inspired me, that is worth more than you could possibly know.

Mike Spence