While the idea of carving your own paddle may intimidate some, it’s attainable by anyone with the right tools and willingness to learn. Follow this step-by-step approach to produce a paddle you can be proud to use and show off.
Needed
- Wooden plank or paddle blank
- Pencil
- Band saw or jigsaw
- Sandpaper (various grits)
- Honed spokeshave
- Epoxy, varnish or oil
- 8 to 16 hours
Get Started
After determining paddle length, choose an appropriate one-and-a-quarter-inch by six-inch plank. Pencil in a centerline on both faces. Draw your paddle profile, including blade, shaft and grip—tracing a favored paddle is fair game. Cut the profile on a bandsaw, then draw a centerline along this new edge, bisecting the width of the paddle.
The Blade
Shape your blade by beveling with a spokeshave from the centerline of each face to the edge. Work to achieve a thickness of three-eigths-of-an-inch on the lower third of the blade, tapered from a thickness of five-eigths in the middle third. The upper third of the blade should taper to the width of the shaft. Leave a spine on the centerline in the upper third of the blade. When the blade is the desired thickness, round the edges.
Tip: The sharper the edges the easier the blade enters the water. However, they are more easily damaged.
Grip and Shaft
Using a spokeshave, shape the grip. Pencil in lines along the lengths of all four sides of the shaft, halfway between the centerlines and the shaft edges. Using these guide lines, use a spokeshave to remove the four edges of your square shaft, creating an new octagonal shaft. Now remove those eight edges and continue shaping the shaft to a soft oval that fits your hand comfortably.
Finishing
Use a piece of 80 grit sanding cloth to remove tool marks and give an even shape. Sand again with 120-150 grit paper to remove the 80 grit marks, then 220 grit sandpaper to finish. Consider a light stain on white woods, such as ash. Finally, finish with an exterior grade polyurethane/spar varnish or marine oil.
Starter Kit
The Canadian Canoe Museum offers would-be woodworkers a starter kit that includes a honed spokeshave, cherry paddle blank and the book Canoe Paddles: A Complete Guide To Making Your Own. Order at www.canadiancanoemuseum.com.
For more detailed instructions click here.
This article first appeared in the Spring 2015 issue of Canoeroots and Family Camping magazine.
