How to Build a Canoe Paddle

Making something with your hands is a rewarding encounter regardless of how you make it happen. With regards to making a Build a Canoe Paddle, it’s an extremely personal thing. As fly poles are to anglers and shotguns are to pheasant trackers, paddles to a canoeist are as well. It is the primary tool that you use to touch the water, and as I would like to think can be as important or more important than the canoe.

There’s a special place on the shore of Lake Superior, in Grand Marais, Minnesota, that joins the loves of handmade crafts, the outside and northern traditions. I as of late put in several days there when the activities on campus included basket weaving, sausage making, canoe building and, in my case, making a paddle

This page isn’t planned to be a “how-to” as there are a lot of good tutorials on the web. Rather, what I might want to do is offer a rundown of things one could wish to think about prior to embarking on their paddle making adventure, and a few brief considerations about each.

I purchased the book “Build a Canoe Paddle,” composed by Graham Warren and David Gidmark. I thought it was ideal to continue with some information and information rather than simply grabbing a hunk of wood and hacking away. For reasons unknown, I had a considerable amount to learn about paddle making.

The issue is that the aforementioned tools can run you two or three thousand bucks and take up half the garage, which is fine assuming that’s your Build a Canoe Storage Rack. In any case, what if you want to make something out of wood and don’t have the whole Delta catalog at your disposal? How about some hand tools?

Picking the Wood

Contrary to many assumptions, a paddle doesn’t have to be made from dampness resistant wood. As lengthy as you apply a completion and hang your paddle to dry completely after each utilization, you can make a paddle out of pretty much any wood. The best wood species for paddles are areas of strength for both lightweight.

Mike’s go-to decision is Build a Canoe Paddle. Other popular choices incorporate white cedar and Alaskan yellow cedar. These woods will more often than not have less character to their grains, yet they are light-weight and easy to shape. In the event that you’d like something with really fascinating character, you could pick a hardwood, like ash, black cherry or walnut, however these woods will be heavier.

Another consideration to remember is that seriously intriguing grain patterns will quite often be more challenging to plane. Whatever species you pick, start with a piece that is 5/4″ thick by at least 7″ wide by generally 60″ long (the length relies upon the expected paddler’s level; see photo, page 46). It’s also best to choose a board that has a symmetrical development ring pattern.

Design

There are innumerable variations of paddle plans. Mike had a choice of several templates that he has gathered throughout the long term. He was even sufficiently kind to share his 26″ Northwoods beavertail style blade and handle templates for you to utilize (see Drawings).

We made a traditional strong wood paddle, yet you can also laminate numerous pieces together and utilize the same templates and methods to make a laminated Build a Canoe Paddle. Remember that involving different wood species and grain bearings in the same paddle blank may create hand planing challenges.

Shaping

The steps to make a paddle are fairly easy to follow (see underneath). As the old woodcarver’s joke goes, you essentially start with a piece of stock and eliminate all the wood that doesn’t seem to be a paddle.

Contingent upon your ability with a hand plane, making your most memorable Build a Canoe Paddlewill take the better part of an end of the week. You can accelerate the initial blade planing process with a power planer, yet the remainder of the shaping is best finished with hand planes, a spokeshave and maybe a carving or warped blade.

The goal is to eliminate as much material as you can without compromising strength. The most widely recognized mistake for participants in my class was actually being too cautious and not eliminating sufficient material. Unfortunately, knowing when to stop eliminating material is something that accompanies insight — another reason attending a class with a seasoned instructor was useful.

Finishing

There are two ways of thinking with regards to completing a Build a Canoe Paddle. One approach is to utilize a marine varnish or epoxy to give maximum security. The drawback of this approach is that when the completion eventually breaks down, it requires more work to restore. The other approach, the one that Mike underwrites, is to apply an oil finish, for example, tung oil finish, that will seal the wood, however doesn’t create a thick film layer. An oil finish should be reapplied all the more habitually, contingent upon how much utilize the paddle gets. Regardless, the most effective way to keep your paddle looking great is to hang it up to dry completely after each utilization.

Whether you make one for yourself or as a gift, making a paddle is an extremely satisfying task. It will pay you back everytime you use it. Regardless of whether you decide not to make a paddle, I strongly suggest searching out a craft school in your area and signing up for a class. The experience will leave you with new abilities, another undertaking and new companions.

Making something with your hands is a rewarding encounter regardless of how you make it happen. With regards to making a Build a Canoe Paddle, it’s an extremely personal thing. As fly poles are to anglers and shotguns are to pheasant trackers, paddles to a canoeist are as well. It is the primary tool that…