Hello again,

I thought I was going to use narrow strips and pin them from the sides, with a few on top to hold the shell to the frame. (I see what you are doing....) The top fasteners would be removed. I was thinking the horizontal pins would stay in forever. I've heard that ss metal needs exposure to oxygen to maintain resistance to corrosion. Would ss pins totally embedded in the wood work ok?

I've got a lot to learn I can see. My first boat might be a foxy little shiplap rowing skiff. But a 180 hour strip kayak is in my future.

On kayaks, I've seen wooden cowlings. The part that makes up the inside edge of the main opening in the deck, that you snap your skirt onto. To my eye, subjectively, they look awkward and weak. It seems better to me to put a garden hose around the edge of the opening, and lay 4" S-glass, cut on the bias, under the hull and over the hose. With enough layers, and stiff epoxy, it would make a much stronger system, and still look elegant.

Do all you guys use vacuum in your lay-ups?

Roger

: This morning I pulled most of the staples out of my Guillemot deck.
: Throughout the stripping process, I used a Porter Cable upholstery stapler
: model US58T2 that I had bought for this project. The stapler cost about
: $89.00, and I am sure that I will find other uses for it besides the next
: boat.

: The stapler shoots a 3/8" 22 gauge staple; the length that I used is
: 5/8". To control the shot depth, I made a depth gauge out of
: 1/16" brass stock from the hardware store. The stapler worked
: perfectly, and made the stripping process that much easier. The staples
: all pulled out easily, without breaking in half.

: The photo shows the deck right after pulling the staples, with the 22 gauge
: staple on the right, and a 1/2 inch Arrow T50 staple on the left.