I want to encourage people to try it. If you have even minimal woodworking skills and access to a table saw, you can do it. I've made four bent-shaft paddles in the past six months. Three were made using the "bird's-mouth" method that results in a lightweight (but strong) hollow shaft. The other was made with the more conventional laminated-shaft method. I used mainly cedar (bought at Mendards) and a little pine for more strength on the blade and in the handles. I used play-doh dams to add a 1/2 epoxy rock guard at the bottom of the blade (It works great!) I sheathed the blades in fiberglass-- 4 oz. on the power side and 2 oz. on the top. I used West Systems epoxy, which dries clear. (To glue wood to wood I used waterproof Titebond.) I carved asymetrical handles that are very comfortable. The paddles all come in around 19 oz.--heavier than graphite, of course, but lighter than most commercial paddles. They're very strong. We took one to the BWCA in September--the first finished--and it worked fine. Anyway, it's fun, relatively inexpensive, and you end up with a very nice paddle. Try it!

Excellent job!!! I especially like the shape of your grips.

Great job on keeping the weight down as well. Do you have a source for Instruction?

Very impressive. I also like that sort of grip and 19 oz is pretty good for a wood paddle.

Here's a link: http://sawdustfactory.nfshost.com/Home%20Page/
There's a link to making a paddle on this page. To shape the handle I copied--roughly--a Mitchell paddle I have.
I think using mainly cedar and pine keeps the weight down. My Mitchell and Bending Branches paddles are all heavier, but I think it's the type of wood they use. The hollow shaft probably saves a couple or a few ounces. Lightweight fiberglass gives the blades strength without weight. (Don't forget to coat them with spar varnish to keep UV rays away from the epoxy.) But don't anyone be impressed. My paddles have a lot of flaws. But the flaws don't matter, really. The paddles are still strong and work well. I was determined not to be a perfectionist about them. Hence no close-ups!

Very nice job, I like the wood color contrast. I made one a few years ago. The twist on mine is I did not use power tools. Saws, planes, drawknife, spokeshave, sandpaper. I would also encourage others to try making a paddle.

You're right, the contrasting colors do look good. But I used pine with the cedar only because I thought it would add a little strength with minimal extra weight. Also, I needed a little extra width on the blade, and of the stock I had the pine was a a bit wider.

Hmm, the joint between the hollow shaft and the blade looks tricky. Is it strong enough using epoxy? Did you fiberglass over this joint?

Making a paddle is definitely on my list, which is below the honey do list.

Here is one that our Northern Tier interpreter made for one of our Scout's Eagle Ceremony.

Very interesting technique for the shaft. I also like seeing that the guy who did those instructions also builds telescopes. We did that a ways back.

Nice job!

Those looks great and you've got me interested enough I might just give it a shot. I've got all the materials laying around that I would need anyway.

Hi overland - great post. I did make a bunch of awesome hollow shaft paddles a few years back-from this same website even- it's really a great method. I used hardwoods and was around 20 oz. I took them on numerous trips.

After a few years though-There is an issue with the joint between the blade and the shaft. I made 5 and 3 of them have broken. They held for a while, but repeated stress has taken its toll. One came off entirely, one started to de laminate, and one just started to crack.

All of them were done with thickened West systems epoxy- so it's not an epoxy issue.

There is a method though that is even better that can still be done to remedy the problem: Rather than gluing the shaft directly to the blade, the blade can be fashioned with a male end that is inserted into the tube, and then everything smoothed together- just like you did with the handles. This is the best way to have your birds mouth paddles succeed. It's also a way to make a straight paddle with this method.

Not trying to rain on your parade- but just to provide some advice. Here's a few pics of mine before the issues.

Thank you very much for your report. It's the first I've seen from someone who has used these paddles over time. I think your solution is great, too. It's easy to see how to do it for a straight shaft paddle, but a little harder to see how to do it with a bench shaft. I guess I would glue an extra piece on top of the blade blank and fashion it with a spoke shave or rasp into the male part that comes off the blade at an angle--probably 12 degrees--and fits into the tube. I'm guessing I would use a hardwood and not pine or cedar. One could even glue a block of wood on top of the blank, drill a hole and insert a length of hardwood dowel. Glue is strong and will hold as well as wood fibers. Would either of these methods work? I'm thinking of making one more paddle in the spring and may try what you suggest. It's a great idea. Also, as you say, for making straight paddles.
I almost forgot: very nice paddles!

Looks this can become an addiction.... Anyway I noticed in the Canoecopia Gazette that one of the seminar speakers is talking about making paddles...

dr bob

Grizzlyman: "Hi overland - great post. I did make a bunch of awesome hollow shaft paddles a few years back-from this same website even- it's really a great method. I used hardwoods and was around 20 oz. I took them on numerous trips.


After a few years though-There is an issue with the joint between the blade and the shaft. I made 5 and 3 of them have broken. They held for a while, but repeated stress has taken its toll. One came off entirely, one started to de laminate, and one just started to crack.


All of them were done with thickened West systems epoxy- so it's not an epoxy issue.


There is a method though that is even better that can still be done to remedy the problem: Rather than gluing the shaft directly to the blade, the blade can be fashioned with a male end that is inserted into the tube, and then everything smoothed together- just like you did with the handles. This is the best way to have your birds mouth paddles succeed. It's also a way to make a straight paddle with this method.


Not trying to rain on your parade- but just to provide some advice. Here's a few pics of mine before the issues.





"

Did you utilize any fiberglass reinforcement on your paddles? That website considered that for extra strength.

yellowhorse:
Did you utilize any fiberglass reinforcement on your paddles? That website considered that for extra strength. "

No. The reason is it would be hard to make it as "nice" with glass over the shaft.

That being said, putting a tail on the blade that can be inserted and epoxied into the tube is an easier and nicer way to make it stronger.

It's even suggested in the comments on that website.

Like grizzlyman I fiberglassed the blade but not the shaft, even where it joins the blade. I now think this would have been a good idea. It wasn't hard to attach the shaft to the blade using the method described on the bird's mouth paddle website: I simply cut the shaft at an angle on the table saw, using a simple jig, and attached it with epoxy--taking care to keep it straight! I filletted in some epoxy at the joint for extra strength. The angle I used was 14 degrees, but I now think I would opt for 11 or 12. That would result in a longer mating surface between the shaft and the blade. It would be easy enough to lay some fiberglass over the top of the shaft at this point. I used 2 oz. cloth on the top of the paddle, which you can't really see. Even 4 oz. cloth is hard to see. I may even consider doing that with the paddles I've already made. It's not hard to make changes on them even when they're finished. On one, for example, I screwed up the grip. I simply planed it down a little to give me a flat surface, glued on a couple pieces of pine, and re-did it.
And just to be clear, making a shaft by clamping a bunch of cedar laminations over a form is also an easy way to build a paddle like this. I made one of my four paddles this way (it's the one on the left in the photo). You gain a couple ounces but avoid any later problem with the joint between the shaft and the blade.

overland: " And just to be clear, making a shaft by clamping a bunch of cedar laminations over a form is also an easy way to build a paddle like this. I made one of my four paddles this way (it's the one on the left in the photo). You gain a couple ounces but avoid any later problem with the joint between the shaft and the blade."

Couldn't you cut the shaft at the 11-15 degree angle then incorporate that into the blade instead of gluing it on? As in the blade wraps around the shaft like in a straight paddle but with another piece of wood carry on to the end of the blade. It would be a solid shaft here but I think that would be strong and look nice without being too heavy and having to form laminations.

I want to try my hand at making an angled paddle but I do not want to mess with bending wood to fit a form. I thought this method would be working with more familiar elements and have cleaner lines. Plus, this way I could alternate colors of wood in the to match up to the blade and make any pattern I wish.

Any reason I couldn't do it this way instead?

Just epoxying the shaft to the blade blank makes for a strong paddle, I can tell you that. But doing the way you describe might be better, if more complicated. It means that the center piece of the blank will have to project up and back at the angle you choose and that you'll have to shape this projection to slide inside the hollow of the shaft. I can think of two ways to do this. One way is to get a piece of straight grained 2 x 6 pine, or maybe something stronger, put it on its side, and on one end simply mark out and cut the angle you want. Beyond the angle you'll cut the 2 x 6 down to 1/2." That piece will be 1 3/4 - 2 inches wide and become the center piece of the blade blank. The end that angles up will have to be shaped to fit inside the shaft. The other way, the lazy man's way, might be to do the same thing but to use a length of dowel as a kind of floating tenon to join the shaft to the blade blank. Both might work. But people better informed and more experienced than I should really chime in here. Maybe this kind of joint would actually be weaker than simply using epoxy, as in the original design, which is strong and attaches the shaft over a pretty long distance.

I would think the dowel method would be stronger. It would also add strength to the end of the shaft where it meets to blade. I think that is a good improvement to the design.

I have also been wanting to make a paddle. I have all the wood and tools. Garage is at about 25 degrees right now though. Hmm. I could lay some news paper on the kitchen counter and glue it up there. I am sure the wife would like that :-)

I want to try my hand at making an angled paddle but I do not want to mess with bending wood to fit a form. I thought this method would be working with more familiar elements and have cleaner lines. Plus, this way I could alternate colors of wood in the to match up to the blade and make any pattern I wish.


Any reason I couldn't do it this way instead?"

Honestly- laminating, gluing and bending is super easy. All you need is glue and clamps. You can make the Bend form out of a 2 x 4. That's a lot easier than cutting strips for a birds mouth even.

As far as how to make the "tail" that would slide into the tube- I would simply make the middle piece of my blade a bent laminate at the angle I want. That angle would become the Male piece. Then Simply cut the tail 3-4 inches and glue the rest of the paddle blade to the blade side of that laminate piece That's easy and strong.