Scratch I am just finishing my WD12 and with that experience fresh in my mind I can tell you that there is more room for "error correcting" in these kits than what you might think. I am a long time perfectionist woodworker and was amazed at the finished results when I thought I made some really terrible mistakes in the construction of my WD 12. I made at least one post here asking the question "did I screw up my kayak" more or less. After building mine I can say that you would be fine if you did not bevel at all - the thickened epoxy covers many mistakes. I beveled mine right to the knife edge you speak of and may have went a little too far here and there, but I defy anyone to spot those spots in the finished hull. Just relax and enjoy the building experience as layed out in the book and you wlll have a very fine kayak when finished.

Thanks LA.  I think I have a pretty good bevel on mine, but the closer I try to get to a "knife edge" the more likely I am to screw it up.  So I'm going to keep it just shy of the edge.

 I appreciate the help.

I will add this to ease your mind a little.  I have built several boats and have settled on beveling just the first two layers of the ply, leaving the third layer unbeveled.  This method is easy to follow with the eye and also allows for an easier time aligning the edges when stiching.  I think it is better to under bevel then to over bevel.  On one boat that I was staining, I did not bevel the sheer panels at all.  I wanted a more open (larger) epoxy seam to round over to keep me from sanding into my stained panels.  Good luck with your build.

Thanks Dennis...I've been beveling down to about halfway throught the final ply, so it sounds like I'm good.

Somewhere in the manual or on this website I believe I read something about these projects not requiring "aerospace tolerances" (which is my background.)  I should keep that in mind, but it's easy to forget sometimes.

Engineers make good boatbuilders, NOT.  Thinking on your feet does the trick.  Not a skilled woodworker or boatbuilder, but my mistakes, many as they are, still came out fine in the end.  Epoxy is one of the most notorious love/hate relationships I've ever had.  Best   Bob H.

I used a unique wood-working tool to do all my beveling (including the start of my round-over edges on the hard chines and hull-to-deck joints).  It's a wooden-handled rod with a half-moon shaped flat, curved edge.  Inside the half-moon (about 3/8" wide) is an oval hole, as if filed with a 1/4" round file.  The end result is a sharp inside cutting surface; as you pull it along the sharp 90 degree edge of the wood it rounds it off to a small curve, and on 4mm ply it won't go all the way to the other edge.  Hence, you get a nice round profiled "bevel" with a little flat left to prevent rounding too far. It's great for taking the corners off of table legs or tops, if your talking strickly wood-working projects.

Can't remember where I got it but you can probably find it if you search Rockler's website (lots of my neat little tools came from them).  I'll try to remember to photograph it next time I'm in the garage and post a pic, if anyone's interested.

Larry

Larry;

I would be interested in seeing that tool.  I'm always on the lookout for a good tool and technique.  Pleae post a pic when you have time.

Thanks;

Dennis

Dennis,

This is very similar to what I have... mine has only one oval, a wooden handle and a steel rod running down to a fixed "half-moon" shaped cutter.  But this is it! 

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10197

Enjoy - great tool for LOTS of applications,

Larry

Here's the pics I promised: