Darel, are you keeping a build log anywhere? Starting a Firestar very soon myself.

: Hi all,

: After 3 months of work I'm finally laying my first strips on a Fire
: Star.

: I quite literally found it impossible to find full-length lumber.
: Local, internet, you name it. There was one possibility that
: would have doubled the cost of the project.

: So, I decided to scarf boards together as suggested in Rob's plans.
: Built the jig, and also built a clamp jig to hold them square
: and tight while drying. Did a couple boards at an 8:1 scarf.
: Glued them up with TB III and let them dry for a week.

: As soon as I picked them up they broke at the joints. All of them.
: The one that didn't break, when I ran it through the table sw
: each individual strip broke as it came off.

: After much searching, I figured butt joints would have to do. To my
: (admittedly faulted) logic, the end result is the same product.

: Sidebar: when I design and build things there are always
: compromises. As a matter of habit I generally try to turn my
: compromises into "design elements".

: One idea I had for a design element would involve lining up all of
: my butt joints in a line from shear down about 4". My
: (admittedly faulted) logic tells me this is not a good idea for
: structural reasons. A little voice also tells me that most of my
: strength comes from glass.

: Question #1: Will lining up these butt joints create a weak
: "seam" in the finished kayak? Like, will it break in
: half when I pick it up? Strap it to a car?

: I laid my sheer line to see what it looked like. I like it. What I
: did was cut several 2" pieces of strip and (permanently)
: glued them to the back of the butt joint. I can either sand
: these off or leave them in place and glass over them. Question
: #2: Thoughts? Leave in place? Sand off? Will they actually do
: anything to reinforce the joint? I rounded off the corners so
: they look like little pills and I think I could live with them
: in the finished boat if they do actually do anything.

: Like I said the line of butt joints will be from the sheer line
: about 4" down. There will be hardwood pinstripes running
: between the butt-jointed strips. No more than 3 butt joints will
: be lined up without a hardwood pinstripe between them. Does this
: help any?

: Anyone have any thoughts? Bill, I know you have no issues with butt
: joints. Rob, it's your kayak and I know you DO have a problem
: with butt joints. Anyone feel like chiming in? I don't want to
: do anything that will compromise the integirty of my kayak.

: Thank you,
: Darel