I'm preparing my materials gathering for my first project, and have a question about wood. It seems like the best way to save money is by buying lumber locally, rather than getting precut strips (from places like Newfound). My question is for the people who cut their own strips... do you also cut cove and beads (that's the term.. right?)? How many people out there just use the rectangular strips in their kayaks? It looks a lot easier (always a plus on the first boat) using the curved boards.

One more question... how thick do you get your wood from lumber yards? 1/4 inch? Thanks.