: Does anybody use a single 2x4 for a strongback?

: One book refers to a 'traditional strongback' that's a ladder-like
: 2x4 structure- but I've never seen that style recommended in the
: older books I own.
: Both of those 2x4 ideas don't sound very practicable to me.

: I've been building strip canoes and kayaks (from time to time)
: since David Hazen's book and the MCA 'How-to' manual, and I've
: always used a T-type beam. Two decent pieces of 2x6 or 2x8,
: reasonably dry, screwed together with deck screws make a pretty
: stable strongback for me. I've been using sawhorse brackets to
: make quick legs.
: However:
: I live in an area where the relative humidity doesn't vary much
: with the seasons, so wood doesn't tend to 'move' much.
: I generally don't take very long to get a hull stripped and
: glassed- things just don't warp and move over a period of a week
: around here.

: Definitely, box beams are stiffer and more stable structures,
: especially if you use plywood. If you anticipate a long
: (months?) building project, or if you have big humidity swings,
: or if you can't get good 2x lumber, that's the way to go, IMO.

: But, ;-) it doesn't have to be perfectly straight, no matter how
: you build it. ;-)

I had a box beam that had to be cut up to move. Then I just built one like Tom Yost's built up 2x4's bolted together (I glued them too) and topped with a 1x6, it's only screwed so can be replaced when enough glue is dribbled on it. That beam has been carried all around on my trailer (it's 16' long) or on the car top to various classes in all seasons, gotten rained and snowed on and after several years is still pretty straight and very strong, still works fine and it was fast and cheap to build.

Bill H.