These are the first and second
paddles I made ( L to R).
I placed the blade too low on the
first shaft and corrected that on
the second.
This view illustrates the 14°
bend on the shaft.
The shafts are basswood-ash
laminates and the blades are
cherry, basswood and ash for
both paddles.
I used a spar urethane (satin)
on the first and a gloss spar
varnish on the second.
My fourth paddle is shown here.
I used walnut, cherry, cypress,
birch and ash for the blade, and
the shaft laminates are ash,
basswood and walnut.
Additionally, I put an epoxy tip on
the blade. This epoxy tip was my
first attempt. I found that with
just an oil finish on the blade the
wood takes up water and
swells. This swelling cracked
the epoxy tip. From this lesson, I
began fiberglassing the blade
and attaching a more
substantial tip, shown in the
epoxy-tip section of making a
bent-shaft paddle.
The blade laminates are clearly visible on this paddle (cherry,
basswood, and ash).
The grip for both paddles is walnut. In retrospect, a cherry grip would
have better accented the blade, but I had thick walnut stock in my shop,
so I used it!
Other Bent-Shaft Canoe Paddles
Walnut strips separate the spruce
edge pieces.
I constructed a suite of bent-shaft paddles to take to the Boundary Waters with a
group of friends. All blades have an epoxy tip and are covered in 3.5oz fiberglass.
Details for these paddles are shown below.
The compromise I have reached is to use as much
western red cedar and basswood to lighten the paddle
weight, while using hardwoods (I prefer soft maple) in
places receiving the most abrasion or abuse (blade
edges and outer shaft). Here WRC and walnut strips give
contrast to the blade. This epoxy tip contains graphite
powder and over time it seems to wear better than my
other tips. The down side?... black graphite powder gets
all over the blade when you sand down the tip.
These blades also contain the thin WRC and walnut strips with
soft maple blade edges.
Here western red cedar and redwood are
near the blade shaft. I used a bit of black
pigment to darken the epoxy tip.
I found a nice piece of curly soft maple and used it
for the blade edges and the outer strips on the
shaft. I finished this paddle with glossy spar
varnish. This is my lightest and favorite paddle,
weighing only 22oz.