Stem Strips Done!

Posted by Michelle Moran on Sep 29, 2004

With tutoring from Kurt (Thanks, Kurt!), I added the stem strips to the Sassafras. I used left over pieces from the rub rails to make the laminate strips. There were a few snags to overcome (steaming the African mahogany was tricky as it's very brittle and fairing the rub rails into the stem strips was interesting as well), but I just finished planing them to shape and I really like the way they turned out.

Two questions I could use some input on: (1) When I was planing the strips on the bottom of the canoe, the plane pressed into the plank and left a line at one point. It didn't cut the plywood, just indented it. Can I just fill that indent with epoxy? I'm afraid that if I sanded it out, it would leave the veneer too thin. (2) There is a slight lip between the stem strip and the stem on the top part of the canoe, which I don't want to plane out as it would leave the stem strip narrower than I want it. I'd like to put fiberglass over the stem strip, but that lip leaves too sharp of an edge. Can I just make a mini fillet next between the strip and the stem so that the fiberglass doesn't have a sharp edge to cover?

Thanks!

Michelle

Replies:

• Re: Stem Strips Done! by Robert N Pruden on Sep 30, 2004
  • Lookin' GOOD! by Kurt Maurer on Sep 30, 2004
    • Re: Lookin' GOOD! by Robert N Pruden on Oct 4, 2004