That's great. Thanks for the info. Sounds like you put in a lot of effort and it paid off!

: Thanks. I used Birch edge banding and I wouldn't do it again. Once the epoxy
: soaked in it shows all the joints where the lengths are connected. The
: epoxy didn't really absorb consistantly either. It seems like in a few
: places the edge banding started to go translucent, making it look dirty.
: On the other hand, if you can tolerate a few imperfections, it beats
: trying to cut it yourself. The purple heart was two long strips. One
: forward of the cockpit and one aft. One for the coaming recess too. I
: soaked the strips in water until they were soft and pliable. The deck was
: already presealed with epoxy. I laid brown paper over the peak and then
: the wet purple heart on top. I added another layer of paper to absorb
: water. I wrapped it very tightly in saran wrap and then laid baggies of
: shot on top of that. I wanted to make sure there were no air gaps. I used
: work lamps which put off heat. After about 6 hours, I changed out the
: paper. I did this until the wood wasn't wet anymore and the paper stayed
: dry. The temps were warm and very dry out when I did this. I don't know
: much about wood working, so there's probably a better way. When it was
: completely dry, I used a thickened epoxy to glue it down. I wrapped it all
: back up in saran and let the epoxy go to green, then I scraped off drips
: and runs. This is probably more than you wanted to know. I wish you
: well on your build. I hope you post pics when you're done. Don't miss the
: opportunity to do a little customizing. You won't regret it. Have fun.

: Thanks for the compliments,
: Dee Ann