Malahini veneer

[obd]

Since beginning my build, I have been pondering options for attaching my veneer. I would love to minimize staples and I have no experience or equipment to vacuum bag. I will be using 1/8 inch sapele for the sides. If I veneer the sides before I attach the bottom plywood planking, I can use home-made sandwich clamps( a board on the outside of the hull, and one on the inside attached with long bolts above the chine and below the sheer, the boat still being upside down) to comprehensively clamp the strake. The angle of the clamping boards can adjusted to accommodate the curves in the hull. I am confident I can get solid clamping. My question is, will I get into any trouble waiting to attach the bottom plywood until after the sides have been veneered? I don't see any obvious issues but don't want to screw things up! Thanks
Bob

[DrBryanJ]

Bob: I think that would be fine except you will see the edge of the plywood. I guess that will be covered with bottom paint though. I wonder why you want to minimize staples? If you are concerned about seeing the holes left, I used sapele and stapled it. Now that it is sanded and epoxied I have a hard time seeing the holes and I know where they are. I think you would need many more clamps than you think. There are areas as you come around the bow that just don't want to lay down easily and will have to be stapled.

zoomed in with the camera from 3 inches away you can see them, but from 2 feet they are gone.

[billy c]

Bob
I was going to post last night, but thought better of it as the curves of the Malahini are different than the Belle. Bryan is right about the amount of fasteners needed to pull the veneer down at the bow and any concave to convex surface to eliminate voids. The holes do not hurt the overall appearance, in fact it shows process and that it is real wood not Pergo.
If you find you want to go with the no staples, when building guitars, i used a GO Bar deck. This uses flexible rods that can be placed between the surface to be clamped and a solid surface. You could set this up between your boat and a wall or plywood panel and get pressure anywhere.
Billy