Thanks. I used Birch edge banding and I wouldn't do it again. Once the epoxy soaked in it shows all the joints where the lengths are connected. The epoxy didn't really absorb consistantly either. It seems like in a few places the edge banding started to go translucent, making it look dirty. On the other hand, if you can tolerate a few imperfections, it beats trying to cut it yourself. The purple heart was two long strips. One forward of the cockpit and one aft. One for the coaming recess too. I soaked the strips in water until they were soft and pliable. The deck was already presealed with epoxy. I laid brown paper over the peak and then the wet purple heart on top. I added another layer of paper to absorb water. I wrapped it very tightly in saran wrap and then laid baggies of shot on top of that. I wanted to make sure there were no air gaps. I used work lamps which put off heat. After about 6 hours, I changed out the paper. I did this until the wood wasn't wet anymore and the paper stayed dry. The temps were warm and very dry out when I did this. I don't know much about wood working, so there's probably a better way. When it was completely dry, I used a thickened epoxy to glue it down. I wrapped it all back up in saran and let the epoxy go to green, then I scraped off drips and runs. This is probably more than you wanted to know. I wish you well on your build. I hope you post pics when you're done. Don't miss the opportunity to do a little customizing. You won't regret it. Have fun.

Thanks for the compliments,
Dee Ann

: Very classy. Looks great. I am in the process of building an AT 14 myself and
: hope it comes out as nice as yours. I see that you used edge banding for
: the birch strips. Was the purple heart a lot of different small pieces of
: veneer butted up against themselves the length of the kayak?