prefab stripper panels?

Advice
#1

i wonder how practical it would be to prefabricate strip built flat panels to build my next 4 panel hull. i could assemble flat panels on a plastic covered table, 'glass them and then use the panels like regular plywood. what think ye?

#2

Hard to bend
I think they would be hard to bend if you glassed them flat.

#3

could be done but…
like was said, tough to bend.



Plus you’ll be putting the fiberglass in a pre-stressed condition when assembling. Will weaken the fiberglass. Will it weaken it enough to ever matter? Depends on the hull on the paddler.



Also, you have to glass the seams to hold the boat together. So you’d be adding additional glass to the hull. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But something to be aware of.

#4

Can be done

– Last Updated: May-30-08 6:44 PM EST –

I've done it before. You won't have to glass the whole panel before assembling the boat, just the ends where they twist. You might want to do a couple of short test panels to figure out the lightest weight glass you can use to prevent the ends of the panels from cracking when you assemble the boat. I think I used 6 oz. because that is all I had on hand, but if I were to do it again I'd try 4 oz. or 2 oz. Also, if I remember right, you might only have to glass the ends of the bottom panels. Those are the only ones with any kind of serious twist to them, aren't they???

Here's a photo of the boat I did with the prefab panels:

http://tinyurl.com/6kan8y
http://tinyurl.com/6ou26x

#5

nice!
thats a pretty boat. what kind of wood did you use? how thick are the panels?

#6

1/4" cedar
I used cedar. I cut the strips a little on the thick side, then after I glued the panels up, I ran them through a planer to take them down to approximately 1/4" thick.