New paddle
- Thread starter Scoffham
- Start date
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Come along to the amazing Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August), a festival of bushcrafting and camping in a beautiful woodland PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
You should PM Firecrest, she is after blank paddles for her pyrography, maybe you two could work together or help each other out with skills and supplies!
That's a fine looking paddle though, have fun on the water!
That's a fine looking paddle though, have fun on the water!
cheers for your kind comments. I think firecrests recent wolf paddle looks incredible, would love to be able to produce works of art such as that.
This paddle is made with an ash shaft and cedar blade, makes for a light, but strong deep water paddle.
thanks again
S
This paddle is made with an ash shaft and cedar blade, makes for a light, but strong deep water paddle.
thanks again
S
Cheers Lindsey, afraid I couldn't make the moot this year, but eagerly await next year!
I took a selection of photos whilst making the paddle which I think could better illustrate how I made it, than I could type;
Starting out my designing it to scale;
Marking and glueing boards together;
Cutting out blank;
Shaping the blank, having a springer always helps;
more shaping, and sanding down through the grades of abrasives, eventually damping the wood to lift the grain a few times, before sanding to create a smooth paddle.
I took a selection of photos whilst making the paddle which I think could better illustrate how I made it, than I could type;
Starting out my designing it to scale;
Marking and glueing boards together;
Cutting out blank;
Shaping the blank, having a springer always helps;
more shaping, and sanding down through the grades of abrasives, eventually damping the wood to lift the grain a few times, before sanding to create a smooth paddle.
robin wood
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nice photos and sketches. Interesting the note about the shoulders I didn't like the look of them but the idea of not having drips is very appealing. Is it standard practice just to glue and clamp the side bits on or do some joint them in some way? I have been planning carving a one piece paddle but it is pretty wasteful of a wide piece of timber, this looks good if it works well.
A very good looking paddle!
Can you elaborate on how the shoulder design stops drips falling into the canoe...surely the lower hand is usually below the upper hand level so "run off" from the blade is minimal (except when cross decking)...
Damn fine looking paddle though!
Can you elaborate on how the shoulder design stops drips falling into the canoe...surely the lower hand is usually below the upper hand level so "run off" from the blade is minimal (except when cross decking)...
Damn fine looking paddle though!
Hey Robin... this being my first laminate paddle i thought i'd request some advice from a veteran and had a chat to a chap who runs an watersports centre on the side of derwent, he's made everything from cedar strip canoes through to viking boats.
His advice coupled with the advice from a canoe making book would point towards the standard practise being just glue and clamp the pieces together flush, rather than using a joint.
I too thought about using a joint. The chap I chatted to said he'd only had one paddle delaminate, this being on the grip, which only had a small contact surface area- this was repaired with dowels- and is still in use.
I made two one piece paddles last week from cherry. I take a template along to the timber yard, and buy something which will allow two paddles to be cut from one plank, layed out opposite to one another. This reduces waste and keeps costs down. Although is significantly more wasteful and expensive than lamination.
My timber costs
for the laminate; £3.55 ash + £5 cedar= £8.55
One piece paddle; £36 plank cherry/2= £18
The glue I use is Epoxy resin, which is more than suitable, although if the two woods being joined have different properties (e.g. expand more when wet) this might not be suitable as its not resistance to hydrocycling. (unless varnish seals the paddle).
There are apparently new polyurethane glues which are more suitable for these problem woods, although I have yet to try these.
I often use both power sander and planer for removing the bulk of the waste, although care must be taken, as its easy to take too much off.
His advice coupled with the advice from a canoe making book would point towards the standard practise being just glue and clamp the pieces together flush, rather than using a joint.
I too thought about using a joint. The chap I chatted to said he'd only had one paddle delaminate, this being on the grip, which only had a small contact surface area- this was repaired with dowels- and is still in use.
I made two one piece paddles last week from cherry. I take a template along to the timber yard, and buy something which will allow two paddles to be cut from one plank, layed out opposite to one another. This reduces waste and keeps costs down. Although is significantly more wasteful and expensive than lamination.
My timber costs
for the laminate; £3.55 ash + £5 cedar= £8.55
One piece paddle; £36 plank cherry/2= £18
The glue I use is Epoxy resin, which is more than suitable, although if the two woods being joined have different properties (e.g. expand more when wet) this might not be suitable as its not resistance to hydrocycling. (unless varnish seals the paddle).
There are apparently new polyurethane glues which are more suitable for these problem woods, although I have yet to try these.
I often use both power sander and planer for removing the bulk of the waste, although care must be taken, as its easy to take too much off.
Hey John, cheers for your comments, the shoulder was a design feature a quite liked from the mi'kmaq and voyageur paddles.
From the paddle making book apparently; "the angular recurve at the shoulder causes water to run off along the edges of the blade, when the paddles is moved forward horizontally between stokes... stops water running down the shaft into the canoe"
I havent tested this yet, and I somewhat doubt that the water will run up the shaft, as when i paddle, i rarely bring my paddle past horizontal, but it does make for a pretty and unusual paddle.
From the paddle making book apparently; "the angular recurve at the shoulder causes water to run off along the edges of the blade, when the paddles is moved forward horizontally between stokes... stops water running down the shaft into the canoe"
I havent tested this yet, and I somewhat doubt that the water will run up the shaft, as when i paddle, i rarely bring my paddle past horizontal, but it does make for a pretty and unusual paddle.
I like it!
All it needs now is a bit of Pyro work on the blade
I love Firecrests work and when I get round to making a paddle (other than ply off-cuts and a broom handle - but that is another story) I may (if it is OK with you) copy your design and get her to go wild with her "hot pen"!
I have ben paddling for......years now and never yet got the courage up to make my own paddle....but will one day!
you surely can copy my design, infact when you get around to it, you might find the design sketch for the blade i've included below useful. I'd also recommend the book "Canoe Paddles, a complete guide to making your own, (Graham Warren and David Gidmark, Firefly, 2nd edition 2004)"
i've been paddling for about 18 years now... started making paddles a while ago... my first ones were just shocking! knotted, bent... lets just say i learnt from my mistakes!
i've been paddling for about 18 years now... started making paddles a while ago... my first ones were just shocking! knotted, bent... lets just say i learnt from my mistakes!
Duely copied!
Many thanks.
I love making stuff - I passed my 4 star with a home made canoe pole (1 piece ash with an iron shoe) and my lecturette was on making your own throw bags, paddle bags, thwart bags etc.
All these years later I am still using my home made "soft" gear but the pole has been replaced by a 2 piece Alloy pole a mate made - but I now use a home made buoyancy aid!
Woodwork has never been my stong point, but I enjoy spoon carving and making knife handles...
Since I had a laugh with Ray Goodwin about his paddle making (on the RM show) then I realy should get round to proving I can do better! I have already carved better spatulas
Thanks for the design sketch
Many thanks.
I love making stuff - I passed my 4 star with a home made canoe pole (1 piece ash with an iron shoe) and my lecturette was on making your own throw bags, paddle bags, thwart bags etc.
All these years later I am still using my home made "soft" gear but the pole has been replaced by a 2 piece Alloy pole a mate made - but I now use a home made buoyancy aid!
Woodwork has never been my stong point, but I enjoy spoon carving and making knife handles...
Since I had a laugh with Ray Goodwin about his paddle making (on the RM show) then I realy should get round to proving I can do better! I have already carved better spatulas
Thanks for the design sketch
well I paddled with my new design for the first time today... Derwent was very high!
The paddle is a powerful paddle, actually too powerful for all day paddling, although will make a fantastic moving water paddle or for trips less than 4 hours.
Paddles very nicely both as tandom and solo. Sliced nicely through the water for linking stokes. Draw strokes and prys were very powerful, for some reason found bow jams a little tricky... maybe just need to get used to the paddle.
I still think I prefer an ottertail in all honesty for solo paddling, but its good to experiment with these things! I will certainly continue using this paddle, especially when we head out in the voyageur canoe.
The paddle is a powerful paddle, actually too powerful for all day paddling, although will make a fantastic moving water paddle or for trips less than 4 hours.
Paddles very nicely both as tandom and solo. Sliced nicely through the water for linking stokes. Draw strokes and prys were very powerful, for some reason found bow jams a little tricky... maybe just need to get used to the paddle.
I still think I prefer an ottertail in all honesty for solo paddling, but its good to experiment with these things! I will certainly continue using this paddle, especially when we head out in the voyageur canoe.
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