Cutting the first knees

To finish up work on the knee joints, I finally went ahead and cut them from the plywood using a jigsaw. But before I even picked up the saw, I prepped the pieces by applying masking tape over the cutting lines, then re-marking the lines on top of the tape. This trick improves visibility and helps reduce splintering, which is common with jigsaw cuts due to the up-and-down motion of the blade—especially on plywood where the surface veneer can tear out easily.

Masking tape

As for the cutting itself, the jigsaw was the most practical choice given my current setup. It’s a versatile and accessible tool, great for irregular shapes or curves, and doesn’t require a dedicated workbench like a bandsaw. That said, it’s not the most precise tool—especially for long, straight cuts—and the blade can sometimes wander or flex slightly.

Ready to cut

In my case, the cuts weren’t perfect, but I planned for that by leaving a bit of extra material on each piece. I’ll come back later and sand the edges to the final shape during the frame assembly stage, when I can check everything against the actual wood structure.

Knee - imperfections will be sanded later

Now that the knees are roughed out, the next task is to get the pine strips for the outer edges of the frame. With those in hand, I’ll finally be able to start assembling Frame B, which will officially mark the beginning of the boat's physical structure.

Now I need pine!