: Paul,

: Have you built one of those Clark foldings?
: I'd like to know which kind of fittings they picked? Since she can be built
: from plans those must be off-the-shelf fittings, available from the local
: builder's dept store.
: I guess the stringers ain't lashed to the stations. . .

: So...What's the trick ?

Well, you are right, and wrong. The stringers ain't lashed to the frames, but the fittings are not off-the-shelf items, either.

The fittings are made from flat brass sheet stock, which, as I recall is 1/16th inch thick. the construction plans include full size plans for these, you just trace the plans onto your brass sheet (or hold them on with some rubber cement) and cut the pieces with a jig saw or band saw. After cutting, the brass pieces are twisted in a few places if necessary. The plans show this clearly.

The plans are $30 US, which is about twice the price of a book, but still it may be worthwhile to you to get a copy just to see how the hardware is made. By changing the shape of the forms (and adding or changing stringers) you can modify the hull shape to create or copy different designs. Then use the same hardware, or slight variations of it, to make these boats easy to disassemble and later assemble. For example, there is elsewhere a discussion of building a Guillemot double as a s-o-f. Working with these plans you would cut out frames that reflect the crossection of the Guillemot, and then adding the floor, stringer joints, frame braces and attachment hardare from the folding boat design you could have a "folding" Guillemot double. Or at least something that was a pretty close relative of it.

I was not too sure if this boat was going to hold my weight, so I decided to not build the fittings, and just use full-length stringers for my prototype. I cut three layers of plywood for each form, giving me three identical forms to work with. If the prototype floated I was going to go back and make the fittings for two folding versions. Unfortunately I never finished the prototype. Instead I left it out in the weather, and now it has served to show me how well the materials withstand rot and mildew. (Good against rot, bad against mildew) I still have not found the exact material specified for the skin of this boat, by the way, but I've come up with a few possible replacements.

hope this helps

PGJ