Paddle Blade – tape, trim, and level

Three things at once in the above image: 1.) I trimmed the plain weave, four ounce fiberglass cloth as closely as I could to the edge of the blade. This is important because if too much cloth is left overhanging the edge, the epoxy ‘flows’ out along this fiber and hardens. This adds enough weight and stiffness at just the right time and in exactly … Continue reading Paddle Blade – tape, trim, and level

A Solution for the Problem of Tools

I often wonder how many people (hopefully they are paddlers) wistfully look at a paddle kit and then go somewhere else – because while they are interested in paddling and in building a paddle, they lack a garage with a workbench and/or the tools needed to complete their desired paddle building project. If you are one of those people, then a possible solution just might … Continue reading A Solution for the Problem of Tools

Enjoy. Escape?

I’ve been working on this book. It is simple in concept. Word pairs. That’s it. I like how word pairs can compare and contrast and help inform the reader/listener. Sometimes the difference between the two words is nuanced. Escape and enjoy is just such a pair. Ever since I found Wuda Wooch, the outdoor club at University Minnesota Duluth where I started my checkered collegiate … Continue reading Enjoy. Escape?

Discover. Create. Design. Build.

Laminating shaft strips and sandwiching the blade between layers of fiberglass and epoxy allows for considerable license in building paddles. In fact, just about any wood will work. Fiberglass and laminating provide a strong backup to everything they are used upon, including non-traditional woods that may not have any history in the boating or water world, like reclaimed barn board (mostly pine) or osage orange … Continue reading Discover. Create. Design. Build.