Eric,

I am a first time kayak builder, and I am following Nick's book (The Strip-Built Sea Kayak). On page 69: "My brother actually makes the beveled section out of a separate piece of wood, then he cuts the form out along the back edge of the bevel line and tapes or tack-glues the beveled piece to the form instead of beveling the form. This lets him glue strips directly to the beveled section, which he leaves in the boat to create an interior stem piece". Perhaps, there is some miss-communication here because I believe I did what Nick described in his book and showed on the video that you referenced? If not, then I may be in big trouble with my build project?

Thanks.

Greg

: I hope I am clear here. If I am not, please let me know...

: Nick told me that you DO NOT CUT the end form to make room for the
: internal stem. The internal stem is attached directly to the
: outside of the end form shape as it is in the plans. He told me
: to cut the point off of my form #1.

: If I had cut the center out of form #1 to make room for the width
: of the end form, there would not have been a point on form #1.
: Since I notched down from the deck side of form #1 (cut a notch
: 1/2 way from the deck side) and notched the end form from the
: hull side (cut a notch 1/2 way from the hull side), form #1 slid
: over the end form like it was a saddle. That preserved the point
: on the form. Nick did not anticipate doing that. He felt that
: the person would cut the width of the end form entirely out of
: the center of form #1 which would have removed the point of form
: #1.

: I showed him the pictures in this set of posts and he said that my
: first photo showing the stem attached to the outside of the form
: is correct. The photos showing the area removed was NOT correct.

: Does everyone agree with this? I have a photo of everything I am
: doing, but would you believe I did not take a photo of the
: notches I cut for the end forms and first forms on either end
: before I assembled them?

: By the way, Nick planed the internal stemm to a triangle point (he
: shows that in one of his videos). Apparently (this is my
: conclusion) the cut width of the internal stem makes it so the
: triangular cross section ends up being the perfect angle for the
: strip as it comes into the bow.