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Mississippi River Ultra Marathons for Rett Syndrome (2001) and Rett Syndrome & Leukodystrophy (2003)
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BUILDING THE DOUBLE HELIX

Wood Stripping

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1. The first strip, made up of a black walnut and pine, was positioned at the sheer line.
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3. Glue, nails and a unique clamping system that used rubber bands cut from an old truck tire's inner tube were needed to ensure a tight fit.
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5. Stripping toward the center line from both sides, ready for a center king strip of black walnut and ash.
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7. More strips were fitted to complete the bottom of the hull
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9. A strip of ash glued in to form an outside stem, complete with clamping system.
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11. Looking along the shear line. Note how much deeper the bow section is versus the stern section.
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13. The first strips of black walnut-pine-pine-black walnut is fitted on the bow's deck.
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15. Looking back along the top of the rear deck.
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17. Stripping the forward deck
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19. View of the deck with the clamps temporally removed
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21. Side profile of the stripped bow section
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23. View of the stripped Double Helix with cockpits cut out, ready for fairing.
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25. ..... and lower hull using block planes, large home-made sanding boards and random orbital sanders
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27. Flame Cherry strips were cut and fitted to the cockpit edges
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2. Clark cut all the wood strips for the canoe out of clear grain ceder boards. Each strip was then routered with a bead on one edge, and a cove on the other. The kayak took twice as many strips in total than a single canoe. The strips were added one at a time, using a clamp/dowel/rubber band setup that Clark invented.
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4. The strips alternate sides as they cross the ends (stern shown).
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6. A center king strip of black walnut-ash-ash-black walnut was made and fitted.
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8. The overlapping strips at each end were filed away.
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10. The craft was now turned over to work on the deck.
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12. The bow, with it's sweeping upturned profile.
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14. Some of the bow's strips required a bit of coaxing to fit properly. (Note the anchor and anvil used to help bend a strip into place.)
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16. The strips on the deck were first beveled before adding a bead and cove to their edges, insuring an accurate fit.
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18. Stripping the rear deck.
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20. View of the deck, fully stripped.
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22. Paper patterns were used to trace out the cockpits.
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24. L to R Kurt Zimmermann and Nick Schade lend a hand sanding the craft's deck
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26. The wood is wetted to raise it's compressed fibers in between sanding.
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28. ..... creating gentle curves for the rims to affix to.
Construction
Marquetry
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