Building the stem

To complete the strongback, I still had to build and position the bow stem.

The stem - perfectly cut

The plans call for laminating two pieces of 22 mm timber to form a 44 mm thick stem. Since the stem is essentially triangular, I realized I could cut a rectangular blank from one of my boards and then bisect it diagonally to obtain two matching pieces for lamination. This required careful measuring and allowing enough margin for final trimming, but it made efficient use of material.

One rectangle = Two triangles

At the same time, I was using a borrowed circular saw to cut my stringers (more on that in the next post), so I took the opportunity to use it for the diagonal cut. I built a simple straight-edge jig to guide the saw, and the result was clean and accurate enough for lamination. After gluing the two pieces together with thickened epoxy, I ran the blank through the thickness planer. My stock was 27 mm thick, so planing it down to the specified 44 mm ensured I met the final dimension precisely.

Dividing the rectangle

Glue up

Shaping the laminated block into the finished stem required absolute precision. Two of the sides are about one meter long, and all cuts had to be clean and square on a 44 mm thick piece—no room for error. By now, however, I’ve developed a reliable method for accurate table saw cuts. I place a sacrificial MDF board on the saw and make a shallow cut along one edge. Leaving the MDF in place, that cut edge becomes an exact visual reference for the blade path. I then position the workpiece against it, secure it with weights to prevent any movement, and make the cut. The results were impeccable—straight, square, and repeatable.

The MDF cut edge marks the blade path

Installing the stem on the strongback was another challenge altogether. It sits elevated and inclined, which makes it inherently unstable until properly braced. I used a combination of vertical boards and multiple small diagonal braces to lock it in position. That section of the strongback ended up looking like a Frankenstein structure made from scraps and offcuts—but this is a temporary support system, so function matters far more than appearance.

Frankenstrongback

Because the hull is upside down, the geometry requires some mental gymnastics. The top of the stem sits 1 m above the waterline, so I used the laser level to measure 1 m downward from the reference. The lower end then needs to be positioned 3 cm toward the stern. To achieve this, I cut the necessary inclination into the vertical support board, again using my precise table saw setup.

Building and aligning the stem support was time-consuming. Even with the laser level, careful measurement and repeated verification were necessary. With all the frames already in place, shadows frequently blocked the laser line, forcing me to adjust my approach and double-check everything manually.

The stem, finally in its place

In the end, the stem was securely positioned and aligned. I’m under no illusion that adjustments won’t be needed once the stringers go on—this stage will likely involve more measuring, securing, and fine-tuning. As always, I’ll continue documenting the process and the lessons learned along the way.