Hi again Steve,

I had some bubbles come (from nowhere:-) only when I put the 2nd football layer on the hull. I am going to use a heat gun (a little bit) on the deck when I do the glass there, good thing you were paying attention and made the save ! I know what you mean about getting the deck fair. Maybe it was both easier and harder having 19 forms as I did. Rob has designed a complex deck with more curves than I had imagined (at first, cause as a complete newbie I have taken much of this project definetly one step at a time) This part (same thing for me with the hull fairing) took a lot of "head scratchin'" time: first to try to visualize the correct design line intended and then to adjust the forms accordingly and then finally to make all the lines completely "fair" I was tempted to get frustrated because I could see that "easy" deck (compared to the hull) just sitting there and I wanted to get to strippin' ! I made a "triple" strip up (composed of just laying 3 regular strips one on top of the other and blue taping them together) and I used this strip to help show the curve and fair more clearly, this helped me "see" much better ! I added tape to "build up" as needed and sanded "down" where appropriate for a long time. As I added each strip and before I added the next I "sighted" the surface and adjusted (up) as required. Someone I think it was GR, had long ago mentioned that he often "floated" his strips on the forms and I have taken advantage of this thought if I have ever had to on any particular little part of the deck (on the hull it was only on some of the "1/2" forms). I sure hope you don't sand down the deck back to the wood (don't be so hard on yourself:-) That;s one thing I really like about this BB I get to know tha trials and tribulations that others find themselves confronted with and I realize it is the nature of the enterprise ! The advise Ross and Rob gave you sure makes sense to me. It may take a little more time, but with it you have a way to make your hull as "fair" as you want to, no harm done. By the way on glue, I tried the "gorilla glue" at first but for this application I found it unacceptable for me. It expands as it sets (just what I want some glue that by it's nature tends to make my glue joints WIDER !). But that was at least controlable, what really put me off the stuff was looking at it through a really good microscope, it is just a mass of air bubbles ! I can't speak for any one else and I don't claim to be any sort of adheasive expert (maybe this glue is great), but I just didn't want a relativly soft air filled adheasive holding the strips together. I couldn't find anything better so I have used epoxy to glue the strips. I understand why people shy away from this becuase it does mean extra effort and time, but as I set up for it, there is really not much to it. It is slow especially when going stapleless I admit. I like the benifits: the joints are tight and no color (despite the added wood flour) is ever seen, only "clear". The epoxy is a great adheasive and we all know how hard it is. And the compostie structure is now strengthened (I think) by having all these "bands" of epoxy running the length of the boat all around and the are now "internal bands" of epoxy even which serve to "tie" the outer layers of expoxy into one whole unit better than any other glue, even if only slightly and only mechanically instead of chemically. I am sure it is all more than is needed and is probably not as good as I think, but for me the other glue choices just didn't compete. Besides I have the added benifit of having the stuff right here :-) I am starting on the tail deck today, while the main strips dry. Your deck pattern looks so good, thanks for the inspiration to look more for my own version:-)

Arthur