Flat Deck Rock Garden F1 build, post 3. Pegging the deck beams and prepping the ribs. Check out post 1 for the design brief on this project.
To finish the deck I peg the deck beams vertically through the tenons and also diagonally through the deck beams and into the gunwales.
The rib material that I use for all my kayaks is Oregon White Oak. This tough rot resistant species steam bends incredibly well, but just like all wood but just like all wood the strength is variable. This particular board has a slightly wider grain than I like but it’s all I can get right now so I’m just going to have to bend it and see how I feel about it tomorrow.
Because this kayak is going to be used in rock garden conditions I’ve oversized the ribs slightly and added an extra rib at each end. I’ve also shifted a couple ribs in the cockpit to address some sciatic impingement the customer was having in the demo boat.
I like to get everything set up for steaming the day before I bend so I can start early the next morning. If you can get the keel and stringers tied on the same day as you bend the ribs, it really helps to fair the shape.
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