i'm trying to find someone to help/teach/advise on how to make a wood oc-1/oc-6 canoe paddle. i plan to teach the kids at my club how to make it so they can learn the process and take greater pride in the art of paddling.
Submitted by noa14 on Sun, 08/13/2006 - 5:58pm
I just started making a few paddles, but they aren't really light. Uncle Bobby Puakea is running a paddle making workshop in Jan. Check out his organization at www.puakea.org.
#1 Sun, 08/13/2006 - 9:33pm
I have made a few paddles using a paddle making book by Graham & Gidmark called Canoe Paddles: The Complete Guide to Making Your Own. I bought it on Amazon and it is very detailed. It has some outlines of blades, but none for outrigger canoe types. I just traced the blade of my existing paddle and tweaked it a bit to make it unique. I found that if you make the blade as thin as possible in wood it is lighter, but needs fiberglass to make it stronger. However, I've yet to make one that replaces my purchased paddles, but it's a fun building project anyway.
#2 Mon, 08/14/2006 - 10:04am
i just ordered the book off amazon. any advice as far as where to pick up the wood?? i assume you used balsa? also what kind of resin/epoxy did you use? am looking for phenolic resin used for the edges like makana alii, gillespie, and xylo's use. anyways any other tricks of the trade would be helpful ..mahalo.
#3 Mon, 08/14/2006 - 9:56pm
I haven't been able to find balsa in planks. My buddy just did a paddle with cedar and covered it with carbon.
#4 Mon, 08/14/2006 - 10:23pm
I've used a variety of different woods. If your covering with fiberglass, it really doesn't matter how strong it is. I've found the easiest to find wood is cedar and redwood, they are both light and easy to work with. I use basswood for the shaft as it's light and fairly strong, that way you don't have to glass the shaft, just the blade. I haven't been able to find any balsa either, at least not in good lengths. I use system 3 epoxy resin, you can get it and a bunch of other fiberglass supplies at www.jamestowndistributors.com or www.fiberglasssupply.com
#5 Tue, 08/15/2006 - 8:45am
One of the early Kanu Culture mags had step-by-step photos on the paddle-making process a la Xylo.
The protective edging on Xylo paddles is molded polyurethane which they have made especially for them. You might be able to source sheets of it commercially but it's a secret how they get it to stay on as even epoxy won't stick to it. Paddlemakers used to use epoxy fillets to protect the edges altho it's a bit brittle.
If you can't get solid balsa in planks, most boatbuilding suppliers have what's called "balsa contour" - lots of endgrain balsa squares on a cloth backing. If you're covering the blade in kevlar or carbon and won't see what's underneath, this is perfect. You could also use surfboard foam.
If you live in the tropics or subtropics, try to get hold of some "Hau", Hibiscus tiliaceus, known as Sea Hibiscus in Oz and Sea Mahoe in Florida. This is half the weight of westernred cedar but strong enough to build handles out of. You will have to season and cut it yourself, tho.
Use a dust mask when cutting or sanding red cedar as the dust is toxic. Use gloves with epoxies.
#6 Tue, 08/15/2006 - 4:12pm
you wouldn't happen to know which issue it was would you?? looked at the site and couldn't find the exact subject on paddle making. what kind of wood would you recommend for the shaft?? i plan on using a carbon or fiberglass stringer for added strength. also, what kind of tools would you recommend using??
#7 Tue, 08/15/2006 - 8:33pm
Can't remember which issue - one of the very early ones (1 - 4) that aren't available as back issues anymore. Check your library.
Basswood and chokecherry are popular in the US, I gather. Common white pine outer laminates with a red cedar core is reasonably light. I'm using Kauri pine, Westernred Cedar and Sea Hibiscus at present. A laminated timber handle is plenty strong enough without carbon or glass inserts. For your keiki, solid timber handles would be good enough. If you do use carbon, put it under the two outside laminates. In the centre of the handle does nothing for you. Any lightweight timber is okay for the blade as it is the layers of glass cloth on each side that actually provide the strength (4 oz woven glass cloth and epoxy resin).
You can get by with the simplest of hand tools: coping saw, clamps, rasp, sanding block and elbow grease. But beltsander, jigsaw, orbital sander and plunge router will make quick work of it.
The shaft should be a 28 x 38 mm oval or thereabouts.
The whole paddle needs 5 coats of epoxy to seal it from moisture and then 2 coats of singlepack polyurethane varnish to protect the epoxy from UV.
Enjoy!
#8 Tue, 08/15/2006 - 9:19pm
You can try Corecell foam its used to build yachts im building my OC3 out of it its great stuff and you can work with it realy easy its Briljant.
to see how it works check out my site
WWW.Tijns-outrigger.spaces.live.com
there you can see you can bend it with a heatgun , file it, mill it, drill it, exc.
I use 15 mm corecell.
Mahalo
tijn
ave fun
#9 Fri, 05/25/2007 - 10:24am