: I think I'm confused, my understanding isn't matching up with your
: explanation :-)
: Glen G.

Lets say you had a cockpit rim that was a circle like an (O) and you cut the lip from one piece of wood. The grain would run pretty much parallel say on the sides but in the front and rear the grain would run at right angles to the lip. This stand alone (0) lip would be weak where the grain runs at right angles on the lip.

Forget what I said after thinking about it. My grain runs outward on the lip and is very strong. Bill Hamm had it right I believe, that the long pieces might be weak with the grain running length ways. Every thing changes when the (0) lip is fastened to the risers. I would draw a picture as I see it but my $600 Photo shop 7 is junk now that I switched over to Vista from Window XP.

The stand alone (0) piece of wood is very week as I described it where the grain runs at a right angle on the ends before it is connected to the riser. Once connected to the riser the strengths and weakness reverse for the use we have for the lip.

I used thickened epoxy to glue my riser and lip pieces together for extra strength. I think I have unconfused myself some.

John