I have completed the forms and the strong back. The forms were cut as described before. I have marked on the forms the center line as well as the waterline and the sheer line. I cut the forms with 1/2 inch plywood and the bow and stern pieces were done with a higher grade pine board so the edges could be shaped to accept the cedar strips angling in to the bow and stern.
For the strong back, I followed a suggestion from the author of the book in using a 16' 2x4 on two specially designed saw horses. The forms will be threaded on the strong back which allows easier access and less concern about fitting them on a more traditional ladder structure.
Since 2x4's are not always perfectly straight, I went through the stack at Home Depot to find the straightest one available. I checked the straightness of the board with a square and levels. The board still had some lateral bend which would make the keel line curve (port side). To fix this, I snapped a chalkline for a centerline on the top of the board. I will match my forms center line to this line on the board which I put permanently on the board with a straight edge and a sharpee following along the chalk line.
I dry fit everything together to see how it worked.The next step is to fix the forms on the board with cleats.
