Hoo boy, as usual, what looks like a simple thing turns out to be very, very complex if you let it be. I KNOW I'm not good enough to even bother trying for the perfect angles, so no reason to even go there. I don't mind a dark even line along the outside seams and I can see how a continuous filled gap would look better than an occasional spot. I can't see wiring, unwiring, rewiring multiple times to get the perfect bevel. Not with six panels to wire and a 16 and a half foot boat. So maybe I'll just put a modest bevel on it with a sanding block and see how it goes.

Once again, thanks to you all. I'll let you know how it comes together.

Patsy

: Hi Patsy

: If you don't mind another opinion: I did the bevels on my Rob-Roy with a
: sanding block with some 60 grit paper. The angles on your multi-panel hull
: will be less than mine, so at the center of the boat you will only have to
: use about an 5 - 10* angle. As it moves forward toward where the panels
: start to curve upward, the angle will increase just a few degrees every
: foot on the bottom panels, but will flatten out as the sides tend to
: straighten up. The very front and rear, at the stems, may approach 45* on
: the end of the panels and on mine, they actually were more than 45*.

: Having said that..... this is only important if you are seriously considering
: NOT having a GAP on the outside. This may be difficult to accomplish as
: the angle will change a slight amount every inch of the way.

: If you are just trying to keep the panels from sliding around while
: stitching, then you can just take sandpaper and sand off a small bevel
: from the inside corner so that the panels will have a flat to sit together
: on. You will have the gap on the outside, and it will need filling, but..
: That will give a contrasting line at the joints which is not all that
: unpleasant a look. ??

: I wanted the perfect joints and found that you can't get the perfect angles
: unless the panels are in the finished position, to check them. Which means
: stitching it together, checking the joints and then taking it apart, or at
: least loosening the wires enough to get some sandpaper or file in the
: joint to trim to perfection. Then rejoin and check agian. You may want to
: think this out. Those perfect joints are going to be a real challenge.
: And.. anywhere you miss by a little bit, that gap will show up even more
: all by itself. ??

: And as was mentioned, I believe, you don't want to touch that outside edge at
: all or when you pull the stitches together, you will have lumps and waves
: in the lines. Something to think about! ?

: Rehd