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Chris - I am currently building a solo canoe (Mac McCarthy's Wee Lassie II) from Honduras mahogany. I cut my own 3/16" strips, then used 1/4" diameter bead and cove bits to cut the edges. I had a lot of tear out with the router, requiring numerous scarf joints to make up 14' strips. The wood is slightly brittle, harder than cedar, has wild grain that resists planing during fairing, and is outstandingly beautiful. Weight is not my concern, but I went with 3/16" anyway just to be reasonable about it. Since there is 25% less wood in the 3/16" thickness, be super careful to get consistent thickness in your strips. Thickness planing is highly recommended. Also, be very critical in cutting the bead and cove edges. These MUST be dead center, or your final thickness winds up quite thin after fairing. Good luck!
This is an archived message from The Kayak Building Bulletin Board.