: So, if anyone listening has experience with this, please let me know. I'd be
: interested in knowing how the wood is ripped into such narrow strips (I
: estimate 1/8"), how the strips are glued up and clamped in place -
: and also how much extra effort it took to make it work.

: EdP

The pinstripes on my kayak were made with 1/2" white pine strips laid between two rows of 3/4" western red cedar strips. Remember, 1/2" is the width of the whole strip, but the bead will rest in the cove of the next strip, so you will end up with something just over 1/4" pinstripe. I think 3/8" to be exact. Gluing up was done with a cheater strip. I glued the strips one at a time and nailed another strip in next to them to hold it together. Yep, that took a lot longer, but it ends up staple-less and kept the strips from having any gaps. Any method of gluing strips will work.

The main thing is you have to plan your stripes. You must start at the middle of the deck so that when you finish it will meet correctly down the middle. Let any odd strips end up on the edges. They will fall right around the cockpit recess, and therefore will not be noticable. I ran one pinstripe around the edge first, then started stripping down the middle. You will have to file the ends of the strips to fit into the bead or cove on the edge strips, but this is way easier than it looks. You will be able to do it by eye after a few strips. I don't think I wasted more than two strips on the deck, and a lot of it was mitered by eye.

I found that stripping the deck lengthwise was very easy to do, so actually the pinstripe is not a hard design to do, you just have to alternate strips for the color variance and size of the stripe. The main thing, as I said earlier, is to plan it well and start in the center and work down to the sides. You will end up with a small strip to fit on the sides. If for whatever reason your strips don't come out the same on both sides nobody will ever notice, as opposed to if you meet in the middle of the deck and have one odd strip right up top.

Below is a pic, which I apologize has been posted a few times before, but it's the best one I have of the pinstriped deck.

Best of luck,

Malcolm