Sion,
I can't give you a tutorial like the previous poster but I can say that there isn't much choice. Canoe bit sets for 1/4" stock are all 1/8th" radius. There are other router bits that have a 1/4" radius but that may be too flat a curve to give the desired effect.
The B&C locks adjacent strips together so that none are too high or too low. What you're after is a continuous plane of strips that can be smoothed without too much planing/scraping/sanding. Since this is the major back-labor component in preparing the hull it's well worth the trouble in my opinion.
There is a definite learning curve to milling strips so make a bunch of test strips before you get down to construction.
Charlie

: I'm strip building an expedition single and I have very little practical
: experience with wood working tools. So far, I've built the stands and the
: box beam and I'm working on cutting out the forms. Looking ahead to the
: next steps, I've priced out some Cedar for the strips. I intend to do the
: milling of 10' 2x4s or 2x6s to save money. While reading a couple of
: different resources, (Nick Schade, The Strip Built Sea Kayak, Canoe Craft
: by Ted Moores and the Internet), I notice that the cove and bead
: dimensions are given to match the wood diameter - 1/4". I also
: noticed that the cove edges are often called thin and fragile. Also, I
: wondered about the ability to precisely mill 1/4" coves in strips
: which will be dimensionally variable due to my inexpert handling and
: cutting. I wondered if the cove could be made larger, say 5/16" or
: 3/8" which might have the following advantages: 1) The cove edges
: will be shorter and thicker and therefore stronger
: 2) The larger radius might allow a bit more latitude for dimensional
: variability in the strip thickness when cutting the cove.
: 3) The larger bead and cove may not fit together as tightly as a 1/4"
: joint, but the joint may still fit tighter than a lap joint.

: Can anyone save me time by telling me why the 1/4" cove was selected,
: and whether a larger cove and bead is an option?

: Thanks
: Sion