Kayak... the paddle
I decided to make my own paddle for the kayak. I thought I would try a
greenland style rather than the euro-lollipop.
In the interest of strength I used ash for the center laminations . The
outer laminations are all white cedar. The tips (painted white) are coated
in fiberglass and epoxy to add split and abrasion resistance.
I used a bandsaw for the rough shape, followed a spoksave, rasp, file and
sandpaper.
The finish is BLO. The word is that most greenland paddlers prefer just oil
rather than a slippery film finish.
I hollowed out all but the outermost laminations to save weight.
Unfortunately I was only able to get it down to 35oz.
If I make another, I'll use just thin ash laminations perpendicular to the
face of the paddle. That shoudl keep the weight of ash only where it does
the most good.
Thanks for looking,
Steve
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