Kayak - Picture journal: Building a strip kayak

Cutting the forms

	All the paper forms, fitted to half a plate of 12 mm MDF. This was the most economic solution found. Maybe it'll be necessary to have more care as MDF isn't mechanically very strong.

With a jigsaw, and a blade for tight curves, cutting the forms is a breeze. It's not too easy to be precise at the first run, so these cuts are only an appoximation.

	The forms for bow and stern. Forms 1, 2, 17 and 18 will have to be cut in half, and 12 mm of the center removed, before glueing them on both sides of the stern and bow forms.

With a plane and some manual work - MDF is very easy to work with - a pile of cutting grows fast...

	... and do be careful. It's easy to remove too much of the material! On the picture, too much of the left side was removed. I'll have to make a new bow form.

To avoid the same problem, I made a small tool: with the computer I designed a measuring device, printed it on auto-adhesive paper, and glued it on a piece of scrap plexiglass. The rectangular cutout fits snugly on the 12 mm MDF.

	The form for the stern, almost ready. I didn't remove wood completely till the markings, as those were designed for 1/2 in. thick stock.

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