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Hitting the deck

Posted on August 7, 2023October 6, 2023 by David
Looking at the stern forward. Since this was my first build, I used the suggested staple technique to hold the plank in place. This allowed me to do multiple courses in one evening.

Another change in stapling I would use is to make sure the staples are lined up. Many times, the staple would be slightly angled. This had the effect of making the staple line look a little wider. It’s a small detail but it’s all part of learning.

If I had it do over again, I’d still use the staples to hold the planks while glue dries but I would look for thinner staples. I used the standard-type Arrow staple which were flat but had an angled point. I don’t know the exact thickness of the 7/8″ staple but if I could find a thinner, it probably would leave a little smaller hole.

Now to be honest, hardly anyone notices the staple holes. I’ll mention it to someone looking at the boat and they’re often surprised.

Editing Note- When I started building the Night Heron in 2014, I had no idea that I would do a blog about the experience. These posts are recalling the build from memory with a few photos.

See the crooked staples?
Again looking forward from the stern with the cockpit coaming removed.

A keen eye would now pick up that the coaming that I was so careful to get positioned is gone. I had used 4dd finish nails to tack the coaming in place which made the coaming easy to remove with the well marked holes remaining. This allowed me to run the center section all the way to the bow. That way everything lined up including the courses of planks.

Notice the small triangular “whiskey” piece where the walnut strip detail meets the two red cedar sheer strips.

Essentially, when I did the design for the deck a started with three sheer strips along the hull then two strips along the top of the deck. This framed my design, which was a straight-ahead look and I started planking from the top down.

Another look I was going for and kind of worked was the yellow and red cedar lines. Both colors line up and are separated by the walnut detail-as if the magically changed after being interrupted by the walnut. An over-explained reason for just keeping it aesthetically pleasing.

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