Paul, thx much for your response--very helpful. The concern is only at the hollow sections nearer the ends, and it's a matter of wanting the strips to stay close enough to the forms that down the road, when applying fiberglass, the result is the right shape. I'm paying a lot of attention to getting the strips in precise position during the edge-gluing process, and it's getting better as I go; there was a little newbie sloppiness early on, and the skin as a whole obviously gets more stable as more strips are in place. Where the strips are naturally close to the forms (outside the hollow sections), I haven't been securing them at all except to each other; I'm using the usual white glue throughout to glue the strips together, and to the internal stems which are part of the Spring Run's design. If you're telling me, as I think you are, that a little spread from the form (say 1/8" separation or so) is sufficiently within tolerance to be no problem in the finished product, you've set my mind at ease significantly; and if we wind up needing a screw or two, so be it.

Thanks again!

Craig

: Why even bother with hotmelt glues here at all?

: Let's get back to the basics: You do not want these strips glued to your
: forms (using relatively weak and brittle hotmelt glue, or any ohter glue
: for that matter) but rather you want the strips edge glued to each other.
: Use the screw and wood scrap to hold your strip in place while the serious
: glue you put on its edge sets up, bonding it to the previously applied
: strip.

: When the glue is hard and you remove the screw the strip will try ot
: straighten, but will be constrained from doing so by being glued to the
: other strips. It will come away from the forms a bit, but not so far as to
: be a problem. When you add the next strip, you use the screw and wood
: scrap to pull the two strips into contact with the form. Previously glued
: strips will follow right into their proper places. Some of those you've
: hot glued will of course stay where you glued them, and some will pop off
: from the springiness of the added strips, but they should draw back into
: place as you clamp on each successive strip.

: In a worst case, put a screw into the offending strip, not a nail. The nail
: doesn't hold the strip in as well, and it will be more difficult to remove
: neatly. use a scrap of wood over the strip to protect it from indentation
: by the screw head. When you pull out the screw you can plug the hole so it
: is hardly noticed. Don"t go overboard with screws. One screw in a
: form at the tightest part of the bend should do the trick for a
: recalcitrant strip, and the next ones will be happily edgeglued to it, so
: those should stay in place for at least a strip or two before you may need
: to use another screw into the actual strip, instead of alongside it.

: Hope this helps

: PGJ