: I'd have to say it's "vaguely defined" because it's not
: at all critical, and largely a matter of personal preference how
: thick you make 'em. In my fleet they might be 3/4" on some
: boats, or as thin as 1/4" on others. The boat itself tends
: to define for me how thick they shall end up being. Often they
: taper, where you have 3/4" at the tip, and 1/4" where
: it blends into the keel line.

: In all cases I rip the stem lamination strips to the maximum
: thickness I can cold bend without cracking, and this varies from
: wood to wood, and from board to board. They might be ~1/4"
: thick on a shallow sweeping curve like the Outer Island, or as
: thin as ~1/8" for something tighter, like the Merlin canoe.
: As you see in the Merlin photo below, I don't mind using a heat
: gun to help make the bend, but a steam box seems to be a little
: more than I can get off my dead butt and tackle.

: Ref: http://mysite.verizon.net/ngc704/merlin/Page%202.htm

Steam "box" doesn't have to be all that tricky. The one I'm using now is powered by a wallpaper steamer (Wagner about $35) and 3" PVC pipe strapped with hose clamps to a piece of 2x4. The PVC softens with heat so need something to keep it staight when it's steaming. I just drilled holes thru the width an installed 3/8" dowels to keep the wood off the bottom. I use threaded ends but a rag stuffed in the end willl work. Overall I think it took maybe 2 hours of part time work to build. It's fun to use, can make bends you'd never dream of trying with dry wood.

Bill H.