There are four gunwales, two on the outside of each side and two on the inside. Each gunwale is shipped as two eight foot lengths and a two foot length. The long strips have a scarf joint cut in one end and the short piece has scarf joints cut in both ends.
The gunwales will be quite visible in the final product so I want the joints to be as nice as possible. I carefully selected the pieces to make the best match and then to keep everything in perfect alignment I created a jig on the table using scraps of 1 X 2 and some lattice strips. I screwed the eight pieces of 1 X 2 to the table at the points where the scarf joints will be. I then mixed a batch of epoxy and brushed some on each surface to be glued to seal the pores. Then I thickened the epoxy with some wood flour and applied it to all the joints. Then each joint is carefully assembled, clamped and screwed down to the table and allowed to cure over night. (Don't forget to cover the table with wax paper where the epoxy will be applied!!) |
While the gunwales were curing I clamped a stop in the miter saw and cut all of the gunwale spacer blocks. Nancy and I carried Taiga outside for a light sanding. Now she is ready for the saturation coat of epoxy.