|
|
I did not use bead and flute edges on my strips because I didn't have a router. However, this uses the wood
more efficiently. Beveling the edges of strips with a plane was done by checking the angle of the previous strip at
each form with a small block of wood cut to a right angle. The gap remaining between the form and the block shows the
angle needed for the plane. I marked the forms with spring clips, dividing the length of the strip into regions
needing no planing, a little planing, and more laning. The strip, held in a tray on top of the forms, was quickly planed
to these extents in the indicated regions. Next it was installed dry to check the bevel, using L-shaped cardboard and
spring clips in a manner analogous to the stapleless stripping techniques. Usually, no visible cracks remain.
Minor gaps can be fixed with sandpaper or the plane while the strip is largely in place, or the strip can be removed to plane
larger regions. The straight canoe sides needed very little beveling, as did the bottom. The sharper curves needed
more planing, but you get used to estimating the angle, as long as you actually check it a lot at first.
The first few strips left a nearly level surface on top for applying glue to hold the next strip, but soon the curve
tilts the strips so that glue was applied to the free strip while it was clamped in the planing tray. This makes it
hard for me to understand why anyone would want to install bead and flute with the concavity upward to hold glue -- on most
of the strips, including all the tricky ones, the concavity will not be up. Why not install it bead up, and put the
glue in the flute of the free strip?
Our plane was the MVP for this process, as it was used to fit the ends as well. One end of each strip was beveled
to fit against the untrimmed opposite strip. A good plane that is properly adjusted makes a huge difference.
|
|
|
