"I am planning on a staple-less build and am ready to tape the edges of my forms but see that the hot glue (for wood) holds but seems like it pops off easily if I use clear packing tape or blue painters tape. My forms are melamine covered particle board. I did a test with both tapes and the plain particle board edge. When I pulled up on the cedar strip some of the wood stayed on the plain edge, but with both tapes it came off will only moderate pressure. I also tried on the melamine directly and was impressed with how well it held."

(Thor)

Use bare wood stations with hot glue. The TRICK to using hot glue is it will break cleanly without pulling wood off strips if you whack it from the side, shearing off the stations.

I used the stapless method of U plywood plates with springs clamps to hold the strips next to the stations

You need 4 hours at least for the wood glue to setup. (Took me about 80 days to strip the hull and deck using this techinque; I know its slow!)

My method of stripping with hot glue is faster than any other stapleless method. Holding strips to stations with hot glue and using beads of hot glue to "stitch" strips together between stations allows continuous stripping without waiting for glue to dry, or the need to wait to remove clamps, tape, or shock cord etc., before applying the next strip.

PLUS there are a lot of other tricks you can only do with hot glue, tricks to clamp in difficult areas, and tricks to make stripping easier.

Hot glue holds strips to the stations better than anything. I use to use staples below the waterline on my boats. No more.

For details on using hot glue see, http://www.laughingloon.com/shoptips2.html

All the best,
Rob