Guy,

its a little hard from your description to tell what exactly your question is....and how much you are trying to do.  a couple ideas from a fellow strip builder....

1) keep a digital camera/phone camera close by and snap a couple pictures of what it is you are trying to sort out and post with your question.  i did this a lot with my first build and it really improved people's ability to help.

2) its not unusual to have a strip or two that you want to undo.  a good heat gun is an important part of the arsenal....heat the wood glue...it will soften and you can usually pull it apart...may need a knife to help as well....when its soft easy to get a box-cutter type blade in there to finish it off....but i ended up 'unglueing' and regluing strips more than a couple times after i 'finished' and realized something was not where i wanted it.

3) more complex 'fixes' can be done......but a bit difficult to explain without seeing what we are trying to do.

all the best

howard

   Sorry, camera impaired.

Strips don't follow station 15 as well as they should, and station 16, designed is a sharp V, while my hull is a U.  

If I'd stopped at the first strip. . .

How do  I take it apart?  My steam iron will open the strip to strip joint, but not the strip to stem.  I'd like to "redo" last two feet from chine to keel.  

well, if your steam iron opened up the strip-to-strip....then you are well on your way.  i would hit the area with the steam iron at the strip to stem and just keep at it....you might be able to work a box knife blade into the heated glue coming in from the stem towards the bow....and help it along....or flip it over so the hull is facing down (e.g., the boat is right-side up) and carefully take a thin saw blade and cut along/parrallel to the back of the strips where they connect to the internal stem to release them.   

 hspira,

Thank you.  Disassembly begun.  I realize now I needed reassurance as much as advice.  The first cut was the most difficult.

  I started to write something a few days ago and had computer problems. 

When I built my Petral, I redid the rear strips three times. I had a lot of problems. There are some very tight bends, and I ended up fitting some small strips.

The good news is, I really don't think anyone will notice when you're done. They will see the finished boat and never notice the things you worry about so much when you're building.

The entire process is one of problem solving. A friend of mine who is a retired project manager who built components for rockets...a guy who actually is rocket scientist...said the problem with building things is you don't know how to do it until you're finished.  

careybob...and guy

like your comments.  i did not build a petrel....but its close cousin...the night heron.

lots of redo's for me, as well, around the ends when doing the hull.  and also some real challenging experiences on the deck construction in the transition from the fore-deck to the rear-deck adjacent to the cockpit.

fwiw....i learned just as much about 'fixing', 'redoing', changing' or 'repairing' during my build as i learned about the build itself.

one very interesting thing about the technique and the learning experience is how flexible, mistake-fixable and maleable strip building is....without any compromize in the construction of the ultimate final result.

even had the joy, after everything was 'perfect', of dropping a high-speed ROS sander on the deck and gouging three strips  (took a day off and a couple drinks). after emotionally recovering, i carefully excised the damaged sections of the strips, replaced them...good as new.  picture of the finished boat (probably 5 % redo in the building phase) for inspiration.  it all works out

.