Hi Chris,

I know what you mean about sometimes wood "pickin'" you out !! I had a beautiful piece of mahogany all set for the bow, but while i was shopping for somthing else I saw THE piece of ash and changed over... had to :-) Your mention of "steam-boiling" is the first time I heard tha Idea, I'm glad it worked so well for you. Reading your post made me remember something I had forgotton when I wrote something about steam-bending in another recent thread: I used a radiator hose with a hose clamp at the kettle and connecting the plastic pipe to the hose. This kept the heat from getting to be too much for the pipe to handle and made a good connection to the kettle (not to mention it permitted a flexable set-up). I know what you mean about sometimes it can seem to a newbie (like me:-) that "in-depth" discussions of various factors and choices involved in one phase or another of the boat building process makes it seem like it is like brain surgery (actually I think it is more like rocket science:-). But I think that mis-understanding comes (in my case) from my inexperience and in trying (or wanting) to control factors "in-advance" that I find intimidating. So I read and think, but it is no substitue for doing it .... that changes everything and you can see the fact for itself, that;s why I go with experience over "smarts" anyday. Another thing I have noticed that honest and talented men see things differently and prize different ways and means of accomplishing the same end (or often a different and hopefully a better one). There is more than one way to skin a cat that's for sure ! As for steaming it seems to be like everything else, many methods will work .... if you have a workable system, are prepared (easy sometimes more difficult others) and you do the steps that the method you have chosen requires. If this is done, than many methods can yield happy results. I did not notice from my reading of this BB that many people have reported unusual trouble with steaming, or that many have achieved poor results or even found the process unduly difficult (in the actual event I mean if they were prepared. Most discussions I remember were geared to those who were "preparing" to do it), I didn't have any "trouble" with steaming. It had it's few complications to be sure, but they were dealt with, just like you were dealing with a "leaky" seal on your "boiler-steamer". Just like you found out (and just like I have often learned too) once you get going on the task and plan a good way to go, you deal with what comes and it goes fine. After looking today at the fine LIGHT skin boats pictured on this board I sure am getting tempted to try my hand at one of these one day. Already reading about 3 totally different methods .... By the way does a 'double paddle" canoe mean a 2 person ? When I glued my steam bent pieces I didn't seem to know better so I glued them right out of the steamer with tightbond II. I did not notice any problems although I was concerned about it at the time. I just thought my bends were too extreme to take the chance of gluing later + plus I admit that the whole process was already taking long enough so I glued right away and got lucky. I think it would be better to wait like you are doing. Since the strips are so slight in profile they tend to dry quite quickly in the right conditions (conditions of temp and humidity would speed or slow the best time). My guess, until some more definite advice came alone would be press a piece of toilet tissue against the strip and if it comes away dry you're good to go.

Arthur