Yo Guys

I have launched into my expedition single project. I spent most of the day making a box frame strong back out of chip board. I only need a temporary strong back but figured this could be a long build. Also after lambasting NZ Pinus radiata it was obvious that a piece of even the best 2 x 4 would never be straight and would most likely warp after a while.

So I ripped up my old s&g building table (chip board) and made a fairly heavy box frame strong back (akak nicks book). It is not too bad but flexes a bit. Not a problem, tomorrows mission is off to find some reinforcing angle steel like they use in buildings and fit those to the bottom of my beam. That should stop all the flexing and make my expedition single 'homophobic' straight.

Making the strong back rams home how big this kayak will be, but being a big fat devil, it is the design I want and need.

Being in New Zealand I am finding it hard to track down name brand elmers yellow glue. So for my strong back I got a bottle of gorrilla glue and a bottle of allipatic white PVA like glue for testing. Both reckon they are sandable, but the gorrilla glue foams up (gap filling) and is a hokey pokey colour. Any ideas or experience from anybody out there as to whether gorrilla glue is a worthy alternative to Elmers???

Must say that with Nicks book, building notes and plans and this bullitin board that this boat building project has enormous support down to the minutest detail (except gorilla glue ) and for me this project is a refreshing change from other boat building projects that I have done. You usually get vague directions and make it up as you go along. So although this is a first time strip project, I reckon I just might make it.

Any of you potential first timers out there - stop thinking about it and start doing something about it!!

Cheers Pete