My older brother loves water sports. Lately he has taken up SUP (standup paddleboarding) because it is easier on old geezers like himself. I say that with the greatest respect….I hope I can be half as active as he is when I’m 60+. It is basically a very large surf board with a paddle and (you gueesed it) you stand up the whole time. It’s great exercise, easier to catch waves and if no waves…just fun to paddle. If you are interested my brother has a great blog for beginners. http://www.ponohouse.com/ponoblog/?p=158
Here is a picture of the great Laird Hamilton making it look easy on a crazy wave in howling Kona winds at Hookipa Beach, Maui. Photo courtesy of MauiSurf/windsurf forecast, Giampaolo Cammarota
Anyway…back to woodworking.. I decided to make my brother and myself paddles when we started discussing the sport. I’m thinking of taking it up as exercise to try and help my balance problems. A frequent visitor of his blog has similar problems and seems to be able to do it. It certainly helps the core muscles. I’m surprised how quickly its going together. I had a small window of shop time this weekend and got a lot done. I need to get them done by labor day since we’ll be getting together at his race in Lime Rock, CT that weekend.
I cut a bunch of 1 1/4” x 1/4” x 8’ strips of cedar and a few of mahogany.
I cut one strip of mahogany narrower to accept a spline for the paddle blade.
I was planning on steam bending the shaft but is was unnecessary. The standard way is a simple bent lamination. So I made a frame from MDF. The paddle has a 10 deg bend.
Bent laminations…I used West Systems epoxy.
Spline for the blade.
Tough to tell but there is a paddle blade glued up in there somewhere.
Glueing up the handle.
Starting to shape the shaft with my Grandfathers drawknife…I love this tool.
One of the clamps slipped off the block and left a mark..I should be able to fix it.
The profile of the end of the paddle. I’ll be tapering the back a lot and the face slightly.
The handle after the epoxy hardened…ugly looking but lots of promise.
Shaping with the drawknife.
I decided to get creative and add an inlay of a Mako shark into the handle. I figured i’d cut a couple so I cut the slices and taped them together.
One little Mako
Sanding the blade.
I carved out the outline of the shark and set the inlay in. I was a little nervous since I couldn’t really see how it was seated.
Shaping the back of the blade shaft.
The finished blade shaft will have concentric ellipses running to the bottom.
It’s looking like a paddle
I shaped the handle to fit comfortably in the hand and give a good grip.
I couldn’t wait and sanded down the inlay while the epoxy was still a lttle tacky.
Looking pretty good if I do say so myself.
I still need to put a 1/4” mahogany edge on the blade and then taper the blade. The blade will be fiberglassed as well as 1/2 the shaft. I should be able to finish the 1st one this coming weekend. I can’t wait for him to see it. I just hope it performs as good as its going to look.
-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org
14 comments so far
dennis mitchell
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3785 posts in 1192 days
posted 824 days ago
Awesome
-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com
Max
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13957 posts in 1151 days
posted 824 days ago
That really looks great!!!!!!!! I think he will really like it…. Oh and it doesn’t “Look easy” too me.
-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT
woodspar
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705 posts in 977 days
posted 824 days ago
Wow, nice job on the inlay! What a great project!
-- John
Buckskin
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484 posts in 866 days
posted 824 days ago
I wanted to say awesome but Dennis beat me to it. Perfect choice for an inlay subject!
Bob Babcock
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1808 posts in 964 days
posted 824 days ago
My brother has an interesting story on his blog about an encounter with a school of tiger sharks that inspired the inlay of the shark. http://www.ponohouse.com/ponoblog/?p=251 I’ve been in the water with big sharks before and nothing else I can think of brings quite the same chill up your spine.
I chose the Mako because its found in the waters of both New England and Hawaii and is one of the fastest and most agile.
-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org
Thos. Angle
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4015 posts in 840 days
posted 824 days ago
Bob, you like ‘em tough and you really make it work. Great project and I really like the shark.
-- Thos. Angle
Jeff
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996 posts in 972 days
posted 824 days ago
Supercool paddle Bob. Great documentation of the process. I want to make some paddles for our canoe someday. This helps a lot. Have you been watching Shark Week? LOL.
-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN
Dorje
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1768 posts in 875 days
posted 824 days ago
Wow – can’t believe what you just whipped up! That’s super!
-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA
MsDebbieP
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14090 posts in 1039 days
posted 823 days ago
I’m with you Dorje—“yah, I think I’ll make a paddle today”..
it’s beautiful.
When we got our canoe, against Rick’s advice, I bought an expensive paddle… oh how I love it. I love the look, the feel…
but to have made it myself. I can’t imagine.
Well done
-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
Bob Babcock
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1808 posts in 964 days
posted 823 days ago
I’m amazed myself at how quick this is, but the fact is that it’s really simple. No complicated joints to cut. Just strips of wood, some epoxy and clamps. I’ve used the drawknife, my hand held belt sander, and a random orbit sander to shape it. The cedar is soft enough to shape easily. Of course that said a few weeks of careful planning and research went into the design. Danny Brown at Whiskey Jacks was kind enough to share his methods with me.
Any of you could easily do this. One thing I do plan to do is to get more clamps. I’ve decided that these are going to be Christmas presents for all my siblings. They all have canoes and/or kayaks so its the perfect gift.
I clamped up the final outer strips on the blade tonight and will shape and sand the whole thing tomorrow. I’ll fiberglass the back and edges of the blade the following night and then put the finish on and get started on #2 this weekend. I’ll be sure to blog the rest of the process.
-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org
Timbers
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21 posts in 869 days
posted 823 days ago
Great Work Bob!
I am jealous of your using the drawknife. I thought the spokeshave was cool, but oh man, a drawknife looks even more fun to pull on! Sweet inlay work as well.
SHAKA!
-- Tim Nuanes
Bob Babcock
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1808 posts in 964 days
posted 822 days ago
Hehe….as I’m sure you probably know Tim,the standard length for a SUP paddle is one shaka over your head….:)
-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org
Sae
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1 post in 506 days
posted 506 days ago
dude, check this out! you’ll love it!!! http://bushleague.tv/2008/06/17/surfing-garrett-mcnamara-part-uno/
Bob Babcock
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1808 posts in 964 days
posted 506 days ago
LOL…I’ve been paddling 10 months now…dropped 40 lbs while adding loads of muscle. In the best shape I’ve seen in 20 years…now I’m puting this together…. http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org ...22 miles across Cape Cod Bay for charity. I’ve been out in 10-12 ft waves…never felt so alive in my life!
-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org