... will be different than anyone else. Be original, and don't think too much about it. I have yet to build a full stripper, but from all the ones I've seen, no two are alike. And if I were to suggest using your variated strips or your darkest colored strips on a certain area of your kayak, I would feel guilty for taking away from your creation. If you haven't read Nick's book, do that first. He explains how to lay your initial detail strips and how you fill in the remaining areas.

When I started to strip the deck of my Chesapeake, I had very few strips over 4 or 5 feet long (mostly recycled wood from a barn). I just started glueing and laying strips of similar wood together in a particular area. Then I cut out a curve or design in that block of strips and filled in with another wood to that line. I had absolutely no plan whatsoever. And in many cases, I didn't like that cut I made, so I changed it, sometimes more than once.

Anyway, the key to this is to use your own creativity and artistic abilities, and even if you check out a bunch of photos and find things that you like, incorporate some of that into your creation. I'm sure that no matter how you strip it, you're gonna love it, because it's YOURS.

Enjoy this part of the process, it's the best part (in my mind).
Keep us posted on your progress.
SMF

: Hi. After cutting strips, I see that I have about 6 basic colors, ranging
: from almost a pine color to a deep brown. Most of the strips are a
: consistent color throughout the length of the strip, but about 10% (purely
: a guess) have a color variation running through or across a piece of the
: strip. That is, for example, a strip may be a light red, then suddenly it
: begins to fade out to an almost white or peach color for about a 4-5 foot
: run. Or, it has a whiteish streak crossing it for a few feet. Some are a
: solid color, then become a split color where half of the width is one
: shade and the other half of the width is a different shade.

: I'd like to take advantage of that in some artistic fashion. So, before
: starting to strip, I'd like to have some sort of a plan in mind. In order
: for me to create my plan on how and where to use those particular strips,
: I'd like to ask you folks if you used similiar strips, how it turned out,
: and do you have any photos that you could share?

: My initial thought is to concentrate those strips into a single area - for a
: greater visual impact - like placing the variant strips immediately behind
: the cockpit, with the solid colored portion of each strip running down to
: the stern. Or, start at the bow with the solid colored end of those
: strips, then concentrate the wild variations towards the front of the
: cockpit. I could also place the wild variations up at the bow, then gain
: some color consistentcy as I work towards the cockpit.

: Anyway, I have difficulty picturing what the end result would look like. So,
: it would help to see some photos of this sort of thing, if any of you have
: them. Or, if no photos, but you've seen it on a boat, could you offer your
: opinion of what you thought of it.... did it look "purposeful"
: or just "messy". Was it "graceful" or
: "cluttered". Did it make an artistic impact, or was it just
: "different". All opinions are welcome!!

: Thanks a bunch!!!!

: Rick