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Curlew too


Hirilonde

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Good point Jeff, thanks. I have some tape called Fine Line by 3M. Not sure how well it sticks to painted cloth though. And yeah, regardless of type of tape, burnishing it after applying it helps a lot to avoid paint getting under it. I will have to test tapes out and see if I need to go find something more tenacious than I have.

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I made my paddle measuring myself and using the steps in the instructions linked before. I used Alaskan Yellow Cedar like the stringers. Liberty Cedar sells ALC as 5/4 x 4, 5/4 x 6, 8/4 x 4 and 8/4 x 6 all dressed to the nominal dimensions. The 8/4 x 4 dressed is a 2 x 4 as we know them and is exactly what the plans call for. The completed paddle weighs in at 2.2 lbs.. A goodly portion of the original board is cut offs, shavings and sawdust on my garage floor.

Here are the tapers cut:

post-442-0-44799400-1323445697_thumb.jpg

Here is the other plane cut:

post-442-0-49767800-1323445706_thumb.jpg

Here is a close up of the blade cut on both planes:

post-442-0-67924700-1323445715_thumb.jpg

I forgot to take pictures of the bevels planed, so here is the finished paddle:

post-442-0-47252800-1323445725_thumb.jpg

post-442-0-55711200-1323445738_thumb.jpg

It took about 6 - 7 hours to make.

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Thanks guys.

I must live in a great area for buying wood. I can get almost anything I want, most things within a half hour drive, and the rest within an hour. That ALC comes absolutely flawless. I have yet to cull out a single piece in building the kayak stringers and paddle. The scrap from the stringers is sawdust. I think I will try a laminated paddle next too Jeff. I was thinking to do the edges and tip out of a contrasting hard wood as a blade protector like the bone served in the original paddles. I think it will look good too.

That video Doug uses the same plans as I did for the paddle. The stuff he shows is worth seeing but he needs to learn about hand planes. He calls his Jack Plane a Block Plane and lays them down on the blade instead of on the side. He probably paid more for that 2 x 12 than I did for my clear ALC.

I may have to build a more conventional paddle as well woodman. I will be paddling some times in salt ponds behind the barrier beaches along the southern coast of RI. These are very shallow in places. I have never used a Greenland Paddle and figured I should make and try one.

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I noted that too Dave, the way he haphazardly laid his planes on the bench, and misnamed them. I see folks at gatherings doing the same thing to expensive pattern maker rasps, throwing them in with a bunch of other metal tools, right along with their draw knives and spoke shave. Some of them marvel at the way my tools cut, and swear there must be some secret technique. When asked I'll reply just like my Grandfather did, "take care of your tools, and they will take care of you, it is just that simple." Lot of fellas get it, others you can hold their hand and guide them every step, they still don't get it. It is like carrying a conversation with a fella that keeps a dull axe.

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All painted and mostly finished out:

post-442-0-27302700-1323612630_thumb.jpgpost-442-0-77854200-1323612638_thumb.jpgpost-442-0-00757400-1323612648_thumb.jpgpost-442-0-70854100-1323612659_thumb.jpgpost-442-0-62718600-1323612671_thumb.jpgpost-442-0-39848700-1323612681_thumb.jpg

There are still a few things I want to do like add a painter, aft deck bungee, seat or pad and make a more conventional scooped paddle. But I am going to wait for now and hope for a break in the weather to try it out first. This has been a really fun project. Thanks for the encouragement all and for a great book, supplies w/speedy delivery and on-line support Jeff.

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DANG! I like those colors! Everything about that boat looks great! You did a really good job.

Anxious to hear about you first paddle in it. I expect your going to find it a little tippy at first. When I built it I could paddle it no problem. But when I put the paddle down and tried to look through my binoculars it was uncomfortable. Now I think I could take a nap it in. :)

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Thanks all!

Yeah, it dawned on me after my last post I need to make a bow chafe guard. Still thinking about the design and material, but will get that done before paddling. The weather here got really cold as I was finishing up, and the water is cold now too. I will most likely wait until spring now to go out.

I used a nylon brush for the stitching. I normally like pure China Bristle for oil based paints, but figured a little stiff would help work the paint into the whipping. I used a 4" foam roller for the rest of the boat. The rounded ends made feathering the paint very easy. I painted the deck first and rolled over the gunwale and feathered out lightly onto the upper topsides. Then I masked off 1/2" below the deck and painted the hull. I used the 3M Fine Line tape I mentioned earlier. It worked very well, but loosened up between coats. So I had to mask 3 times, once for each coat. But I really like the crisp line I got from the stuff.

Oh yeah, I weighed her just before putting her back in the basement after pictures. I knew she was light from carrying her out through the bulkhead with one hand. 30.5 lbs with just a seat/pad and chafe gear to go. I can get used to loading this thing up to go boating.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Dave, I wanted to ask you and anyone else that may wants to chime in, what did you use to cut your material? I can't fork over the money for a good hotknife espically when I can't think of any thing else I would use it for. The one at Harbor Freight looks big and awkward for this work. They have rope cutting tips for Weller soldering guns, not sure how that would work.

Any input is appreciated.

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They have rope cutting tips for Weller soldering guns, not sure how that would work.

Anxious to hear what others are using too.

The Weller will work, it's just a little slow because it doesn't get nearly as hot and it slow to warm up, but. I used one till it became obvous I was obsessed with these and might as well buy a good one.

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I used a vintage 1950s Buffalo Brand soldering gun. It worked quite well. I practiced a couple cuts on the corners of my cloth and went through the learning curve of how to direct the cut. Using a knife I figured would fray the cut and probably pull threads and using heat fuses the edge as you cut. I don't think I would use a knife of any kind. I would think the Weller with rope cutting tip would work too.

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