: . . . The strongback had
: cracked causing the frame to bend to the left. Perhaps I could build a
: Venetian Gondola out of it, but I prefer to fix it. Here is what I have
: proposed...

: Since I Screwed and glued the forms to the strongback I don't want to have to
: take it all apart.

OK, let's take a look at this project at this point.

Eventually you are going to have to take apart the strongback and frames in order to get them out of the inside of your boat. Screwing the forms to the strong back was good. Gluing them to it was not good. Generally, you can unscrew things easier than you can unglue them. While you have the project in front of you, get the forms unglued.

: What I want to do is put a splint on the cracked part
: of the frame.

I assume when you say "frame" you mean the 2x4 "Strongback" with the attached forms.

: This will fix the break, but unfortunately the strongback is
: slightly warped from laying on its side and getting wet (plastic blew
: off).

: To fix this I am going to try hammering 2x4's upright into the
: ground in a straight line and using deck screws to screw the kayak frame
: to the 2x4's. This will keep it straight while I build the bottom.

This just won't work very well. A gentle tap can move a tent stake a bit. The springiness of that long 2x4 strongback is akin to a wooden archery set. The forces of nature ( moisture) that made your strongback take on the bend of an Indian's bow will also move those 2x4 stakes of yours. Maybe not a lot, but they will move some.

Lets go back to your splint idea. Why not take a 1x6 or a 2x6, and stretch a piece of string down the length of it, along the wide side. Have a couple of friends hold it taut while you mist over it with the spray from a can of spray paint. When you remove the string, the shadow left by the paint gives you a perfect straightedge. Now use your deck screws to hold this to the bottom of your warped 2x4. Start by setting the middle of your strongback on the shadowy "line" and holding it in place with a screw. then gently bend the strongback to conform to the straight line -- the very length of it provides plenty of leverage -- and use screws to secure it to the straight line mark. Besides acting as a splint, this does a good job of straightening things.

What you'll end up with will look a bit like two-thirds of an "I" beam. Tou can call it a "T" beam, or an inverted "T" beam.

You will have to cut bigger holes in some of the forms to get them over this wider arrangement, but the effort is not too much. Now put your forms back on, and just hold them in place with screws, and some shims.

Yes, unfortunately you have to realign things. However, doing the work now saves you much more time later on in the process. What would you do if your hull was warped a bit to the left, and the deck was a bit to the right?
Could you bend them to meet?

Hope this helps.

PGJ

Once
: the bottom is done I will unscrew the frame from the 2x4's and hopefully
: the strips will keep the kayak's shape after that. The warp is only
: minimal (about 3" off center over the 19' length) and would not put a
: lot of pressure on the strips. What do you folks think? This is my first
: kayak, so don't laugh if my idea is dumb. At least I asked first,
: right!!!!???