I can get Eastern Spruce locally for strip planking. WRC is scarce here. Has any one tried to stain strips? I could use mahogany but that is heavier than spruce. Any comments would be appreciated.
You could stain the strips, but you will end up removing most or all of the stain when you fair the hull. Building a strip-built kayak requires even more sanding and some planing than a stitch and glue. You have to make several dozen or so flat surfaces into one smooth round surface. I would skip the stain unless you were to use it after fairing the hull/deck.
Stain comes with several different vehicles. You can't use stains with an oil base. They will interfere with epoxy adhesion.
Staining wood is a ticky business, especially on softwoods. It's hard to get consistant results. And, if you ever have to make a repair that requires sandind the wood, it will be difficult to touch up the stain so the repair will not show.