Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Choosing a paddle...
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Duluthian |
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Ausable |
Cliff Jacobson, in his book "Canoeing and Camping: Beyond the Basics" writes the following on page 64 (3rd edition, 2007): "Fourteen-degree bends are popular, but 12-degree bends encourage better control and a higher, more relaxed sitting position. Nearly all competitive racers use 12-degree bent paddles. Bends of less than 10 degrees don't offer much advantage over a straight shaft." The length of the bent shaft paddle is generally shorter relative to a straight shaft paddle because of the way that it is used. Jacobson gave a rule of thumb that bents should be about 2 inches shorter, but this is not an inflexible measurement. The Grey Owl Paddles website takes a different approach to sizing. |
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Richwon4 |
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cooke350 |
Every one of my paddles are different styles and lengths. My favorite is one I built myself, with a bent shaft. I can't remember the exact angle I used, but I'll try to check it tonight if I remember. Since I built it, I've tweaked the blade shape a couple of times and shaped the shaft and handle more to my liking. It's dialed in now! |
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Richwon4 |
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cooke350 |
quote Richwon4: "I have a genuine craftsman from my church who can build anything. I would like to ask him to make me a paddle but not sure what to give him to go off of. Is there a plan online somewhere? How about what you used? What kind of wood would be durable but lighter. I could copy cat one I find for sale somewhere but truly the closes good paddle is actually almost two hours away from me. " I took a class that gave the basics. It was cool to see how everyone's designs and styles made the paddles turn out different. Some of the wood was soft and some hard, but can't remember exactly which ones. I have the list of woods I used at home, so I'll post it if I have time tonight. Basically, you cut the individual pieces on a table saw, then glue & clamp them together overnight. Then, cut the design out with a jig saw. After that, it was a lot of sanding and planing, and sanding and planing, and sanding some more, and planing some more, and, well, you get the idea! Lots of hours put into mine! |
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RLancer |
I started making some of my own canoe paddles and I've shied away from a laminated blade because of the whole gluing multiple pieces together. I'm worried about improper gluing. Still would like to try it. I finished my first paddle a few months ago and started a second and third single piece. Haven't had much time to work on it. Here's a somewhat poor picture of the paddle I completed: |
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cooke350 |
quote RLancer: Interesting! What type of wood did you use for the blade? Here are some pics of mine throughout the process. The blade shape has changed since this, and I added a strip of fiberglass on the bottom. The measurements are burned in with a soldering iron. I've always added measurements to my paddles for fishing, but I burned these in before finishing so they don't fade. |
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RLancer |
That is nice. The laminated blades are very pretty so thanks for the pics. The blade is yellow pine and the shaft is reinforced with Walnut. This combo made for a stiff paddle. I used boiled linseed oil for the finish. Richwon4, Sorry for the distraction from the original intent but I was always told the better way to size a paddle is to sit down and hold the paddle so the blade is facing up. The shoulder of the blade should be between your nose and forehead. As mentioned earlier though, there are many different opinions on how to do it. From the few bent shafts I have used, I like the 12 degree bend the best. I don't know that I used a 14 degree bend. |
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RLancer |
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Happy Trails |
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Richwon4 |
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