: and more and more and more...what???

O.K. let's go thru a few:

Time to construct:

external takes more time to make. more pces. often twice as many forms?

Cost to construct:

external costs more big time

Error potential:

external alignment is indirect, depends on no moving and to some degree on floor level characteristics. internal is direct and alignment is irrelevant to the floor or floor levels or slopes or bumps and can be irrelevant to the strongback itself.

Floor space:

external is space grabber for the whole and future building but it does give you another work bench - 14ft long x 2-3ft high(I had wide before) x 1- 1.5ft wide. Internal takes up no extra floor space and can be easily hung way over in the corner rafters for the next time.

Flexibility:

External is locked in one position in the shop - some would prob be stiff enough to move. Internal can go anywhere. Early on mine wheeled around.

Orientation:

External is locked in a horizontal level position w/ the hull upright or the deck upright. Internal is free to rotate in any position. You can work on the sides as easily as the deck or hull. Extremely handy.

Levitibility:

External loses alignment and is very unwieldy to levitate(I presume you mean to lift) or hang from the rafters. Internal is light and does not lose alignment (My kayak has been hanging from the rafters for the last 6 mos - a few webbing straps - can sweep the floor, do minor work and swing it out of the way.)

Aesthetic Concerns and Process

The ability to see the whole yak in progress allows visualization for shifts and moves in the designing bldg process not possible w/ the external. For me, I have designs or strips going thru the sheer and may or may not move the sheer to accomodate. I get to choose, the sheer is NOT set and yet will perfectly match b/c the whole thing gets blt at one location.

Form Placement:

Some externals(ladder type?) are less flexible in allowing form placement. (I forget now, but have forms at odd intervals of 3in, 5in, 6in, 12in and 14in - easy to slide on and fix)

If you only build using the approach on whatever plan you have, a discussion about relative merits is not relative. It is irrelevant. When you see strongback - you build strongback, when you see external - you build external. You will build only what you see and not what you think.

But if you have a baseline (which therefore gives you the ability to choose), there are comparisons that can be assessed and therefore choices that can be made.

-mick