JEM Watercraft

I know, being a pest but when I put the clear packaging tape on the frames, do I wrap around the edges or does it just go on the surfaces of the pieces? Just not sure if I cover the grains of the plys when I do this. This is my first build so I want to do things right.

What is the purpose of this tape? When I get to the point of connecting to the bottom and to the deck and sides, will the resin stick to the plastic?? How does it adhere to the sides and deck if the plastic is there?? Humor a newby!

Thanks

Hey this is my 1st JEM boat, and my 2nd plywood kayak, so I'm a new kid too!

Around the edges I think...I didn't do this, having thought about it I decided I didn't want to remove the bulkheads...oops, frames...ever. I think the idea is that you may want to move, reposition, or remove some of them...in my Freedom 13, the forwardmost and the aftmost ones are required, but the other two may be removed and replaced with 'open' framework.

Thank you for the reply!

Dickie wrote:I know, being a pest but when I put the clear packaging tape on the frames, do I wrap around the edges or does it just go on the surfaces of the pieces? Just not sure if I cover the grains of the plys when I do this. This is my first build so I want to do things right.

What is the purpose of this tape? When I get to the point of connecting to the bottom and to the deck and sides, will the resin stick to the plastic?? How does it adhere to the sides and deck if the plastic is there?? Humor a newby!

Thanks

Don't use the tape and the frames will become a permanent part of the boat when you epoxy the panels together.

Tape the ends of the frames and have the tape over a small part of each side. This will stop any epoxy from bonding them to the boat if you don't do careful work. Epoxy will not stick to the plastic but it sure will bond two pieces of wood together , if it did not do that all of us would be swimming and not paddling.

Chuck.