: Hey folks, quick question - I'm in AK, and the lumber I got locally
: is white spruce with plenty of knots in it. "We don't have
: clear lumber", the guy said. SO. Do I have to cut out and
: scarf at every knot? Or are ones on the edges more ok, are small
: ones ok, anything like that? I feel like if I cut them all out,
: losing 8-10 inches each time, I'll have about 4 feet left of 16.
: They are 1x3 at this point. Help?

: Should I just get new lumber from the big national corporation?

: This is my first kayak and wood project. Just trying to figure
: stuff out, and I've just got hand tools. Thanks!

I only worry about a knot if the wood breaks or is noticeably stiffer at the knot while I'm bending it more than it needs to go, or if the knot is loose I often just glue it, or if it interferes with fasteners - I try to plan ahead, or if finish won't cover it - shellac will prime a knot, or if it looks to ugly - I use it someplace it won't show. Knots that cover most of the width should be scarfed of course, but IMHO most small ones can be tested and tolerated, or drilled out and plugged.

A nice route to take if you are willing, or can get help from someone with a power saw, is to cut the strip into two along the length, turn one end-for-end and glue them back together again; that tends to even out the flexibilty over the length of the piece.

I don't know AK at all but if there is forest there'll lumber mills where you can buy other wood species or clear planks, but they'll probably be in larger, rough-sawn sizes. You may need a friend with a table saw and power plane. If there is any place around you that sells marine playwood they'll almost certainly sell boat-quality lumber - at a price of course.

That's all I can think of - but give the other guys a chance to comment too before you cats as they may have some better tactics. Good luck!