: Hi Steve

: My advice is: Don't skimp on either project. Stay away from any of the
: particle board products. The edges will chip away with staples, they are
: succeptible to any and all moisture and will swell up and fall apart, and
: they are heavy. The flake board is lighter, but is also apt to warp with
: moisture and I wouldn't use anything thinner than 5/8" and would
: recommend 3/4" for strength.

: For the beam, I would only use 3/4" D.F plywood, with at least one
: decent side to do your marking on. It is very strong and will stay
: straight when put together in your beam. If the sheets are a bit warped
: lay them on the lawn or other cool, damp surface for a 20 - 30 minutes and
: they will pretty much flatten out. If you get some warping in the pieces
: of your beam, screw/nail them together so that the bends are in opposite
: directions. I built my workbench out of warped plywood using this method
: and it's perfectly square and flat. Particle board/MDF can't hold it's own
: weight up for a beam. It will sag and break if not supported in several
: places

: The forms and strongback are two of the most important parts of your boat
: constuction. If they are straigt and strong, so goes the boat building. If
: they sag and warp, so goes the ......... well, you know. There have been
: many folks post on here in the past with problems of warping and sagging
: and most of it came from the forms or beam they built.

: Do yourself a favor and start off strong.....

: You will be thankfull in the end. CDX fir plywood isn't usually that much
: more expensive and certainly worth paying for to get the good straight
: pieces you want to build your boat on.

: I would also recommend building the box/beam as Nick shows in his book. If
: you just glue/screw/nail them all side to side, most of your strength will
: be in one direction and you can still get some bend in the other. The
: box/beam is very strong and will resist warping the most.

: Hope that helps!

: Rehd

Thanks for the info on the Plywood. My concern with the plywood for stattions is the possible void that I will encounter. Also the cuts on the plywood are likely to be ragged. The MDF I looked at is 1/2" and although it is heavier than Hell, looks like it will resist warping and is solid thru. Regarding the staples, how does MDF hold staples. I am going to try to go stapleless, but may have to revert.