: . . . Has anyone ever
: tried to stain the cedar strips and then use them to create imaginative
: patterns? Interested in you feedback - pros and cons...
: Mark in Maine

Mark, the main problem with staining the strips is that when you have to sand them later to smooth and round the hull. As you fair the hull you turn a rectangular strip into one with a convex curve on the outside, taking away a bit more wood from the edge of the strip than from the center. Even if the stain soaks in deep enough, and that is not guaranteed, the strip's appearance will change after sanding.

If you stain after doing most of the sanding and fairing you'll get a better idea of what the effect will be, but remember that it will darken when the epoxy goes on, and become more amber colored with the varnish. The best answer is a lot of testing on scraps before committing to an entire boat.

hope this helps

PGJ