: If you are building a stipper and not using bead and cove, do you have to
: plane both strips that join each other or just the bottom edge of the
: strip that goes on next?

You can do it either way, or both ways, but it is usually easier to plane the strip that is not installed. Once a strip is mounted it is a bit more difficult to plane right up next to the forms. Chip shows how he does that with a rabbet plane, which is one solution.

: Also would the bevel being planed be at the same
: angle for the full length of the strip or would it change with the curves
: of the boat?

Depending on where the strip was installed, and how long the strip was, you could heave either case.

Depending on the directions of the designer, and personal preferene, the first strips you mount on your forms will probably be at one of three locations:
1) the waterline, 2) the sheer line, or 3) along the keel. A 4th possible starting point would be the centerline on the deck, but I've never seen anyone start there. None of these strips NEED to have any planing doen to them.

It is likely that the next row of strips you install, which will reside alongside these first strips, will not need to be planed either. There are two reasons for this which I can think of: (others may think of more) One is that the first strips usually go on areas which are relatively "flat". The second is that even if the strip requires some curvature or twist the amount of deflection is not very great, and you can ompensate for it later by planing the third strip a bit.

That bring up another point. You may be able to get away with planing every other strip. This cuts your planing time in half.

If you were building a cylinder, you could plane an even angle along the length of ALL your strips. For this you would count the number of strips you need to go around the circumference, double that number to get the number of edges in all the joints (each strips would have two edges) and divide that number into 360 degrees to get the exact angle to precut on the edges of your strips. If you didn't want to plane them all by hand, you could cut the edges to that angle with a table saw. With all the edges pre-angled your cylinder would go together perfectly.

Unfortunately a kayak or a canoe is not a perfect cylinder, While the center of the boat may be rounded like a barrel, the front and back are not, so the angle of the bevel will change a bit along the length of a strip.

For appearance you can cut a bevel a bit too steep and then it is easy to math the strips on the outside of the boat, but there will be the appearance of a loose fit on the inside. Usually this is in an area of the kayak which is closed up, and the resin fills that little valley between the strips whn you glass. Over sanding the outside in this area may cause a gap to open slightly. but that is not a given.

If you DO get a gap here it will appear as a slightly darker line between the strips. It will not be noticeable. And of course you can fill that gap from the inside, or the outside, with a mix of sawdust, white baking flour and resin. The white flour lightens the color, otherwise the sawdust looks a bit darker than the wood strip.

: I hope you understand what I am trying to say... thanks for
: any reply.

: One more question, is it worth cove and bead with all the set up time

I don't think so.

: or would it be about the same as making a rolling bevel jig and plane each
: strip?

Timewise, for the new builder it s a wash. I don't think the time spent on set up for bead and cove is worthwhile for a builder who is only going to make one or two boats a year. Overall you'll spend as much time building the boat with either way. Any time you save by stripping with bead and cove strips will be taken away by the time involved in shopping for the bits, and aligning the milling operation.

On the other hand, if you are building several boats a year it would make sense to rip and mill LOTS of strips at one time. Or, set up a dedicated router table with the bead and cove bits already aligned. That calls for shop space and a commitment to buying tools for just that one purpose.

Cost wise: If you already have a router and a router table then you'll just pay about $40 for the bits. I haven't seen many other uses for such bits, so I'd say they are fairly dedicated to just this one project. You might get most of your money back by selling them to another boatbuilder. Then again, for that same $40 you could buy a very nice plane -- and that tool could be used for MANY other projects over a lifetime or two. Of course if you don't have a router and a router table, or a shaper, then the added cost of those tools significantly increases the initial cost of the boat, although they too can be used for other projects later.

The only jig you might want would be something simple to hold the strip on edge. There is a photo already posted showing one made from a 2x8. You could just as easily use a 2x4 with a slot or groove running down it. I'd like the slot to be a bit wider than a strip (maybe 5/16ths for a 1/4 inch strip) so I could tighten the strip in place with a few small wedges (easily whittled from scraps of strips.) Others seem to like cutting the slot very close to the thickness of the strip and relying on friction to keep it from sliding. Both ways work.

Here's a plan: Shoot for cutting a nice, tight-fitting groove, about 1/4 to 3/8ths deep, and if you mess up and make it too wide, don't waste another 2x4, just cut a few wedges.

hope this helps

PGJ