: If building strictly from plans, besides the abovementioned tools and full
: size plans
: 1. What book on stitch and glue kayak building will you
: strongly recommend for a beginner? Maybe any videos?

The New Kayak Shop: More Elegant Wooden Kayaks Anyone Can Build by Chris Kulczycki. His original "The Kayak Shop" is also very good. Both of these books include plans (actually tables of offsets) for building very decent kayaks. Amazon.com sell The New Kayak Shop for $16.

: 2. What kind of wood (plywood, mahogany, etc.) and what thickness?

Depends on the kayak you choose to build. Marine grade plywood is the nicest, but most expensive. You can get by with 1/4th inch thick Luan with many boat designs. Depends on the design.

: 3. What kind and brand of epoxy and fiberglass?

Depends on the temperatures you will be working in. With winter coming, you may be interested in a fast cure epoxy. They will have a more reasonable curing time in a cool workspace. Raka has the cheapest epoxy, and it is good stuff. Another thing to consider is blush free epoxy. The fast cure epoxy you may end up using in the winter will likely blush. You will need to wash the blush off.

: 4. Besides full size plans for a kayak like the Shearwater Merganser 16 or
: CLC's Mill Creek 15, what other kayaks will you recommend as a first time
: S&G project?

How do you plan to use the kayak? What size and weight will the paddler be? How experienced is the paddler? These questions are more important than ease of construction and will determine what people will recommend.

: 5. Anything else you guys will recommend?

Keep doing a lot of research on different boats. Paddle some if you can. Then make a descision.
Good Luck.
-Dan

: Thanks a lot for your help.

: Javier
: Woodbridge, VA