: Hi Tim,

: I have often wondered about trying the same thing but have never
: gone through with it. These are some of the random thoughts I
: have had:

: 1).. The laminated section will be heavier than a solid timber
: section due to the adhesive.
: 2).. Forming the sheer with the proportionally thinner stock would
: probably cause buckling issues. It should still be possible, but
: getting the stock to hold the correct shape might be a bit like
: hearding cats.
: 3).. The way around the buckling would be to laminate the section
: while it's straight, then bend it during construction, just like
: normal. This will, however, put a shear load on the adhesive
: joint and the laminated section would probably be harder to bend
: due to the inflexability of the adhesive. In the long run the
: laminated section may actually end-up a little weaker than a
: solid section, but whether it'll be weakened to the point of
: being a concern is anyone's guess.
: 4).. Probably the strongest solution would be to assemble the
: inwale to the deck beams while the deck beams are secured to
: building forms, then working outwards, attach the spacer rib,
: then the outwale. That way there is no stress being applied to
: the adhesive by being bent when set, and having steady building
: forms will allow you to wrangle the inwales to the correct shape
: without buckling & bulges.

: Like I said, these are just a few thoughts without practical
: experience to back any of it up. If anyone has tried doing this
: I look forward to hearing what actually works/doesn't work.

: Regards,

: Phil.

I'm with Paul on this - that it will work - as I also have built a number of canoes and rowboats this way. I don't think that you will be saving a substantial amount of time or effort, when all is said and done, though.
Phil, I just can't agree, having built a large pile of boats, with any of your points! 1 - An ounce or two (or more) of glue will never be noticed, 2- there is no buckling problem, 3 - laminating something in place is actually one (very good) way to ensure not only that it keeps that shape, but that it is also stronger than a non-laminated piece, and - #4 would work, but its necessity is predicated upon the other points.
Not trying to be combative, it's just that my experience with actually doing this does not coincide with your theories. YRMV

Here's a pic of one of my canoes. As Paul says, adding a deck would be a trivial matter.
(and yes, this canoe is skinned and ready to paddle here.)

Dave Gentry