Hi Apbronso2, 

you definitely want to get them to line up.  i find that sometimes you can't get there dryfitting with tape on the outside, sometimes you need to pull the sides together on the hull or deck by directly taping across the hull or deck to pull it into alignment with the other part.

first, for this effort, i use a fibreglass reinforced strapping tape.  the glass reinforcement is important to avoid stretch....there may be a lot of pressure that will stretch regular tape.

second, i lay the hull on the deck and then before taping the hull-to-the deck, i tape across the hull or deck to pull it into alignment.  its a bit hard to see in this picture, but if you look carefully at the cockpit area, you will see tape going across the inside (vs tape on the outside of the hull) that is pulling the the hull or deck togther (e.g., making it narrower).

once they are now in general alignment, i then do the final alignment with strapping tape on the outside.

it is also possible, as part of this process that you may need to insert a stick to push a hull or deck apart (wider)....to get it all to line up before strapping the deck to the hull.it may take a bit to muscle it all into place....but a good 3m strapping tape with glass reinforcement and some effort and you can pull it off.

once aligned, i then tack the hull deck togther with cell-o-fill-thickened epoxy....then after it is cured....remove and inside tape or sticks....then proceed with normal deck/hull joining process.

anyway, i hope this helps.....

h

Thanks! On the stitch and glue version, do the middle puzzle joints on the hull and deck line up from top to bottom?

the puzzle joints do not line up top to bottom across the hull and deck panels.

they always set it up to off-set them to not create a potential weakness by having all the seams line up.

fwiw, the same concept on a strip build....kind of like a wooden floor....you never end multiple adjacent strips at the same locations.

h

Getting a good fit between the hull and deck on that boat was a challenge for me.  It took a couple of days to get it ready to tape the inside.  Regarding the puzzle joints, they so line up on the CLC kit.  See pictures.  Great boat, especially in waves.

   Thank you!

Hey Mark! 
Glassing the foaming tomorrow and then it is sanding and varnish. Out of curiosity...are the hip braces supposed to extend from the bottom of the deck all the way to the hull? I lined them up as indicated in the instructions but there is a gap between the bottom of the braces and the hull. I thought it might be to allow some flex and movement but now I am not so sure.

Has anyone had any issues with the 3M starpping tape pulling off the fibers of the bare plywood? I see another tapoe being used above as well. The manual specifies 3M-893 tape as the one to use.   

Wayne mentioned: "...3M starpping tape pulling off the fibers of the bare plywood?"

Yes, that can happen. Same with other aggressive tapes like some clear polyester packing tapes often recommended for 'masking' areas where you want the ply to remain epoxy-free such as along fillets.

The 893-type reinforced tapes are used because of their resistance to stretching, in this instance their adhesive's toughness can be a disadvantage.

One approach I've used is to apply other 3M masking tapes to the plywood first then use the strapping tape over this. That may be what's shown in H's picture above.

You may have to use longer lengths of strapping tape than otherwise, and the masking tape need to be carefully burnished after placement to ensure even adhesion to avoid the masking tape underneath from being pulled loose.

One additional tip is to use a plastic squeegee as a support to put pressure on the tape being removed when the time comes. With one hand, slowly begin your tape removal at one end then carefully pull the removed portion back at a 180° angle over the top of tape to be removed. Place the blade into the fold where the tape's still in contact with the material underneath then use your other hand to keep the blade's edge in the fold as you pull to remove more tape. This technique helps keep fiber tear-out to a minimum.

Shrink tape is your friend. Available at any store that sells packing supplies, it has no adhesive at all.

To use it, just wrap it around the hull and deck. It stays put and holds everything together through tension without adhesion.

Here it is supporting the deck of my WD12 just before it was attached to the hull.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this is only a problem with bare plywood. A thin coat of epoxy will keep adhesive tape from pulling any fibers. Just be sure to start the wood torturing process as soon as the epoxy is no longer tacky so that it doesn't become too stiff to make all the bends if you're going to do this.

Laszlo

"Shrink tape is your friend."

AGREE!

I love the stuff!  

Haven't yet used it for building a boat but it's usefull stuff in many other ways around the house, shop, and even my vehicle. Much less hassle than adhesive tapes and as Laszlo's stated there's no adhesive to leave a residue behind or pull finishes off.