Was looking at cutting the stem from the existing forms today, still haven't cut the stems as I have already glued the .5' and 1' forms to the end piece so cutting the bevel off will be tricky but do-able, was thinking while I was looking at the situation that the end pieces would have to be cut at the shear line and considered not only leaving in the stem for the hull but also the stem for the deck (albeit small) and possibly drilling a 1/4 inch hole in each corresponding piece to allow for a dowel that would aid in alignment when the two pieces are put together, just wondering if anyone else had tried this....later rmd (finally varnished the paddles today which is what I started out to do in the first place :)
: The bow and sterm forms are 3/4" pine. I beveled the forms almost to a
: sharp edge (~1/8" flat left on the keel area) with a plane then cut
: it off with a bandsaw. The form then was duct-taped to prevent glue from
: sticking to it, and the beveled piece was re-attached temporarily with a
: screw on each end. This was all per Jay Babina's instructions for the
: Outer Island, and it worked out well. I think the internal wood stem is
: probably lighter than a fillet of thickened epoxy, and helps keep the ends
: locked in place during the whole building process. Removal of the halves
: of the kayak from the forms should be easier than without the internal
: stem, too.

: To answer your question directly, you can cut a separate pice for the
: internal stem, or you can use the form material. I think the latter is
: easier. Making the form out of softwood like pine or cedar will keep the
: boat a bit lighter.

: Happy building!

: Dean