Cutting C.L. with Bead & Cove Strips

[Brad Koeneman]

I am nearly completing the stripping process of my fifth stripper, but this is my first experience with bead & cove strips. My difficulty is in making a tight joint at the centerline as I move away from the stems. Unlike square or beveled strips, the bead and cove does not allow me to fit the strip tightly at the end so that I may scribe a line to which I can cut. I am guesstimating each strip and not satisfied with the results. I have tried stripping one side ahead of the other, cutting the centerline, then fitting the other side, as well as doing each side simultaneously, but still can't achieve the nice tight fit I could with square or beveled strips. If I had my way I would switch back to square strips having made the turn of the bilge but I have already milled all of my stock for bead & cove. 100 % clear Alaskan Yellow Cedar in 20' lengths, and enough for two canoes! I had better figure out how to do this! Anyone have any pointers for me?

 

[Woodchuck]

Brad, understand your problem... I used a Veritas Cornering Tool which has a half round cutter on each end. One is 3/8" and the other 1/4". I would cut off material on the bead side with a chisel until it would fit and align with the other side and then use the cornering tool to re-install the bead on the area I cut off. I used the cove up method when stripping. I went back about 6-8" and tapered the bead and it worked beautifully. You can see the tool in the Stripping section of my web site: http://nomad17.home.comcast.net It sure solved the problem and I would recommend it to anyone along with the microplane tool for shaping the stems and strips. IMHO

 

[Brad Koeneman]

Thanks Woodchuck. Good advice to be sure, and I did experiment with your method some last night, but I am hoping for a less labor intensive solution. I think I may have resolved to simply trim the strips somewhat close to C.L., them make two parellel cuts from stem to stem and install a straight center strip. I'm not thrilled with the idea, but I guess it will be satidfactory. Next time, I will make the transition from B&C to square strips once I reach the relatively flat bottom. ...I think.

 

[Rod Tait (Orca Boats)]

From what you are writing, am I to assume that you are possibly doing a herringbone pattern in which the ends of the strips overlap and you need to make a bead or cove on the tapered end? If you are not past this point, I would run a strip down the centerline or fill one half and then cut the centerline and then fill the other half. Bead and cove strips or not, you will have a square edge at the centerline. When you come to the last few strips, you will probably want to remove any B/C anyways as it is nearly impossible to fit them into the small gap as you closes the hull without damaging B/C.

 

[Brad Koeneman]

Thanks. I did complete this hull- my first using B & C. What I did, albeit a little late, was switch to sqaure edged strips a bit after the stems were covered and the bottom flattened out. Once I made the transition, I also switched to the "herring bone" or, "butt and pass" method of termination. Wow! SO much easier and much tighter joints. Next time I will make the switch just as soon as the stems are covered so that I don't have two different patterns exposed.
I have read many debates over which is better; B & C, beveled, or square edges. I think all three have definite advantages and disadvantages. From now on, I will always use B & C just until the stems have been fully covered, and then switch to sqaure, adding a bevel here or there if absolutely needed. I can't imagine building my next canoe any other way