: 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!

Hi Hank, First, welcome to the Guillemot kayak forum you chose an excellent place to ask questions and talk kayaks,you will find a lot of help here, and remember there are no dumb questions
second: you must assess how you want to build your kayak.If you choose to mill your own strips then a table saw should be considered, what table saw? The best you can afford then a little more or If the table saw is out of the question then perhaps a kit would be in order,the strips come pre milled
Third: there must be some hardwood company near you or maybe a company that mills windows and doors that would sell something that looked decent to you.Keep an eye on this forum for more info and good luck with your build Nick R.