It sounds like an INCREDIBLE amount of work to laminate your ribs. Steam bending is strong, quick, and easy, and if you find the right stock you won't break anything. You could probably build a steam box and bend three or four sets of ribs before you built forms and cut stock to laminate a set of ribs, and then you have to deal with the mess, time, and expense of adhesive.

You're probably just in the thinking stages, and if you've never steam-bent before it can seem difficult because it's somewhat exotic. If you go to the Fine Woodworking web site and do a search on steam bending you'll find a bunch of articles and videos that will make it seem within reach. It's a subscription site, but you can get a free two-week trial.

As for forms- it's the only place where Starr is so interested in forms, and it makes sense if you're going to build a lot of similar boats, but it takes time. You can build a boat, or forms. You can check Morris or Petersen to see how they do it without forms.

Good luck!

m