Twisting Strips To Stem

[Benjicohn]

I'm working on my first strip planked project, an ADK guideboat. My question is this:

The strips seem to have to twist quite a bit coming off the last frame to lay nice and flat against the inner stem "rabbet" (its a two part stem). The stem is narrow and I'm unconvinced that a screw or nail will be enough to hold them flat against the stem while gluing. I guess I could clamp them, but one clamp per strip would be alot of clamps.

Does anyone have any suggestions? The strips are 3/4" by 1/4" thick, with bead and cove edges, not bevel.

Thanks for your help,
-ben

[StevenBauer]

No strip builders hanging around today, huh? Wouldn't some little spring clamps work for this. If you can't spring (haha!) for a few of them for a coupla bucks each you can make your own from some pvc pipe. You can vary the strength of the clamp by how wide you cut the piece. This guy shows it pretty well: www.hanalima.com/tooltips_pvcclamp.shtml (http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/vbulletin/upload/www.hanalima.com/tooltips_pvcclamp.shtml)

Steven

[Nathan R]

Ben- You might try making up a little clothespin like device out of a small piece of plywood with a 1/4" slot into which you can sandwich 3 or 4 adjoining planks so that you don't have to screw everyone. I assume you're gluing the strips together.
Nathan R

[stephen e morris]

use 5min. epoxy to bond it to the stem,using a spring clamp to hold it in position.If there is too much tension in the strip,use dry heat(carefully)to cook a bend in the strip.WB magazine had an article on bending with dry heat a few years ago.That is also how violin makers bend the wood for instruments.Get a heat gun and practice.it is fun.

[JimConlin]

There will only be a few planks that are difficult. For them, if staples won't hold, the trusty 2" spring clamp is the answer. They're very useful. Buy about 50. You'll need 'em for the rails. I prefer the Jorgensens. The Besseys lose their tips.

[GROOVY]

Have you ever seen the Homier Tool Sales in your local paper? They have about two a year around here,, anyway I got the 10 piece set of spring clamps for 2.99, 4 4" 4 6" + 2 9".
Cheap and handy.
their web: http://www.homier.com
maybe LazyJack and mrleft8 are around they are guide boat masters!

[Pierre Siquet]

in my inexperimented opinion, I would use one clamp to be sure it fits well, then only drill and fix a brass screw, then release the clamp, checking it does not "reopen". If you start by screwing, it might just not end at the right place.

[Benjicohn]

Thanks for the advice everyone. The spring clamps seem like the answers. I sort of feel silly not thinking of that myself. Sometimes I guess you just need some perspective. Thanks again.

-Ben