Eric,
Welcome aboard. Sounds like your in for some fun of building your own toys! and your starting in the right place. The simple answer is read all you can. In addition to Nick's books there are many others. Check the authors Dyson and Ted Moore. Also look in the Kayak builders BBS archives. Tons of good stuff back there. Go to Rendevous next fall and check out the technical sessions. There is one on the west coast and one on the East coast. Plenty of folks ready to show you how here. This board is a great place to ask questions, share frustrations and successes. Post lots of pictures. We all want to see your king of kings.

First suggestion. Follow your designer's plans for the strong back. Joe Greenley's boats and designs are fabulous and part of that is his methods. There is a reason Joe's creations are hanging on the wall as art in some pretty pricey places. Yes, A specific design can be altered to fit a builders own building particular building process likes and dislikes. Still designers design with a specific process in mind. And for the first time builder, its a whole lot easier to stay with one process then it is to warp off into many different directions. I say all that as one who warps of on his own how-to often. Part of the putter mentality I guess.

As for strong backs: Rememember the strongback is the foundation. If you get it right everything else will follow it rightous. If the strong back is off by a bit everything else will follow that too.

Eric, There are 3 basic kinds of strong backs. Internal, external halfhulls and and ladder backs. I posted a set of pictures at the end of this message that may be helpful while thinking strong back. Each has its own strengths and weakneses.

The nice thing about the internal strong back is you only have to build one strong back. Rahter then one for the deck and one for the hull. They are lighter and easier to move around so you can take them out in the yard on a nice day. However they tend to be the touchiest as they are only supported by what ever you have to support them THey are supported usually on 2 sawhorses. And as such they tend to get floppy on hte ends. If in the course of boat building you find yourself building internal frame strong backs my suggestion is spring for an aluminium extruded square beam. They are small and light and don't get affected by humidity don't hog or twist like wood will. Folks have used 2X4s, laminated or squared box beams. You name it. A fraction of us have had trouble with changes in humidity effecting the wood and changing the shape of the strong back. Personel opinion internal strong backsare best built around metal. But that is jsut my opnion. Lots of folks have succeed by less costly heavy methods. I am known for a tendancy to over build. I started out hating internal strong backs. But now I like them. Its like anything else you have to master them in the details. Once you get them working they work every time.

External strong backs come in flavors. Ladder backs and box beam I beam or other external strong backs, provide contnuous support below the form and thus are less likely to sag or hog or twist. Externals are straight level solid platforms on which the forms for the boat are raised above. The advantage is they are bomb proof strong. Disadvantage they are heavy and not easily moved around, and there is a risk that if you build the hull and deck strong backs slightly differently you won't catch the difference and have a harder time mating the deck to the hull. (There are as always in boat building work arounds) For kayaks you have to build 2 of them one for the deck and one for the hull. Most of us build on one then tear down and build the form shape for the other. I like above the form strong backs because they are solid. Make a great work space, put the work at eye level.

Eric, the simple truth is neither way produces a better strong back or a boat. Both methods creat a great boat. The only deciding difference especially for a first time boat builder is the attention to the detail of the boat builder. I recommend that you schedule 2 weeks just for strong back building no matter what method you choose. Take your time making the strong back center line. I like the string and spray paint method. Then start adding the forms. After you have them up and you think you have them right. Stop and walk away...

Come back when you are fresh with a bar stool and a string and 5 packs of oreo cookies. Start taping string along the stupid lines on the forms. (The lines that help orient the forms water line top bottom sides etc) Does everything seem fair? If not Adjust the form. Eat a few orio cookies and walk away come back and have a friend evaluate the boat all stringed out. Builders see what we think we built. An external set of eyes will see the mistakes.

Keep going around the strong back for 2 weeks eating cookies walking away looking again, looking for every little detail and keep adjusting those forms until everything is perfect. Keep looking, keep having others check your work too.

On your next boat you'll probobly be able to drop this process to 3 days, but on a first boat I recommend 2 weeks. After your cookine eating has cuased you to gain 10 pounds and your 14 days are up...and everything strings out perfect.
Your ready to move on. After you have put 2 weeks of eye ball time on it. You'll be ready to strip in the boat of your dreams.

Godd luck enjoy the process. Trust Joe Greenley's design directions. They have produced many fabulous boats

Enjoy the process!
!RUSS

http://216.136.200.194/auction/Feb/2002245419438487104734.jpg

: I just order the plans for the Redfish King. I am looking forward to getting
: started on my first kayak. i have read Nick's book already and have a firm
: graspe on what is ahead (as far as I know, you have to love ignorance).
: What i need to know is theer any other book that is a MUST READ! on teh
: external strong back, or just on building in general? Thanks