JEM Watercraft

So the strip-panel boats look great, and they certainly seem easy enough, and the cost would seem to be competitive with the cheapest ply one could find without worries about voids or sanding through veneer layers.

I have to wonder whether the wood has the required cross-panel strength? I had thought that part of the idea of the ply is that with cross-panel layers, you get more strength in both axes of the panel due to having fibers oriented both directions. Are these strip-panel boats going to be more susceptible to damage?

Additionally, can anybody speak with authority on stressing glue joints after panels are assembled? In traditional strip-built methodology, the glue joint isn't stressed because it is created in it's final form. However, creating the panels flat and then stitching them together will (to my mind) stress those joints. Is this a concern for having those joints pop down the road?

Thanks
jtz

my take on this is that when the boat is glassed the wood is merely the framework and ( I hope ) the now composite boat is as strong as needs be.

MM

makenmend wrote:my take on this is that when the boat is glassed the wood is merely the framework and ( I hope ) the now composite boat is as strong as needs be.

MM

My thoughts exactly. I like to think of them as a sandwich , the peanut butter is the wood and the glass is the bread. Either one is good by itself but together they are a lot better.
I have been paddling them for quite a while and never had one come apart on me and a few of them have been in situations they were not meant to be.... Like a 1/8th wood and glassed canoe on a white water river for 5 days. At the end the canoe was in good shape , I was a wreck.

Chuck.

So far I cant see any problems with this kind of build.

I have a bad habit about thinking outside the box, so let me run this by you.
!/4 ply wood just has half that much running in each direction,laminates are cross grain
and hopefully with no voids.
The strip built is soilid but not all grain running parrel,plus the glue joints are a non directional factor also at every 3/4 of an inch(the Titebond 111 when glued and allowed to dry correctly will pull wood if broken). So you realy have a composite already before you add the glass.
If you build the panels in the shape you are going to use them they are not stressed very much. One thing that is important is to let them dry longer than normal,the glue on the bottom side next to the wax paper takes longer to dry.
If I was using a plan that had major twist in the panels,tortured I would run a coat of resin on them before assembly.
A boat has to be tough to stand up to my racing and the water I paddle and so far I am really pleased. I really think the strips are more ridged than ply once glassed.
Ron

I don't have an answer yet. maybe next year I can chime in on this question.

I've wondered the same but so far, folks who have done have had good results.

3 very important things:

-Don't skimp on the wood thickness
-Use tightbond glue or better
-Don't skimp on the fiberglass thickness

jem wrote:I've wondered the same but so far, folks who have done have had good results.

3 very important things:

-Don't skimp on the wood thickness
-Use tightbond glue or better
-Don't skimp on the fiberglass thickness

Tightbond when putting the strips together , then when you have them where you want them , some ....EPOXY.... That is the better part. It does not fail you.

On my builds ... the stitch and glue ones when I say glue ...it is only epoxy. On the stripper I made it was tightbond to hold things together ....Then it was a thin bead of epoxy on the seams before getting serious and putting them together.

Chuck.

Yes. That is VERY correct and I should have spelled that out clearer!!

Thanks to all for the insights... and patience from Matt and the community. I'm getting closer to my first build with every answer you guys provide.

jtz