As the day gets closer to ordering my kit I am excited to build my first boat. I am thinking of ways to individualize it through patterns and designs. I have browsed the paints and inlays/onlays however I still wonder a bit on how people are getting those nice "strip patterns". My first guess is through masking and staining? However through my woodworking experence that never seems to come out very exact and without some bleeding. These boats in the pics seem flawless. Any help for a greenhorn builder.
Mike
The boat at the top is stained, using a pretty clever scheme: The builder "scored" the surface of the plywood with a pencil when he created the design. The indentation made by the pencil lead prevented the stain from spreading to the adjoining area. I imagine you have to press down pretty hard with the pencil to compress the wood fibers enough to prevent the stain from bleeding across the design.
More on stains here.
The boat at the bottom isn't stained at all. The deck is planked with cedar strips of various colors, fiberglassed, and finished "clear." It's all-natural.
More on strip planking here.