stitching

[erbinsky]

why use copper wire?Why not use steel?

[lewisboats]

Tried both: copper twists easier then breaks, steel holds better but cuts the ply. I switched to 4" wire ties...simpler ALL the way around. Available from home supply places by the 100 in the electrical section. The holes are a bit bigger but fill just as easily.

Steve

[boatbuilder.org]

Electric fence wire works great (but not the aluminum type, to soft). The thinner it is, the easier it will cut through the plywood. The stuff I use is about a heavy 1/16" thick. Have probably stitched over a thousand feet of seams and have never had a problem. Go to http://www.boatbuilder.org/mudpeepstitching.htm to see how I do it.
---Joel---

[alex850]

hi joel it is alex shunnarh the knife maker. joined the forum and have been reading on the internet on which way to build. i will be ordering a book and cd soon.

alex

[lewisboats]

Ditto wire ties...much easier and you can just snip flush and leave the rest in without worry of corrosion from steel or the sharp points ready to rake you from any kind of wire.

[Kleinbeck Boats]

As far as ties go i'm going to use plastic zip ties and duct tape. the one thing i do know is nothing will destroy a good plane faster than hitting a wire while trying to round a corner.