1999
Cheap N' Easy Canoe Paddles by Philip Jacobs (h21)
Making paddles has always been a little bit intimidating to me. The old Boy Scout/Red Cross method seemed to require endless carving and sanding, and the high-tech paddles in the stores today seem beyond anything I can easily do in my basement. So I was pretty impressed when Dale Hedkte showed me some simple paddles made out of scraps of plywood and a wooden closet pole.
These aren't the latest foam-filled, graphite-laid, dihedral-faced, weightless wonder sticks to come around, but they are simple, serviceable, and easy to make. I didn't need any more basic paddles, but they looked like a fun project, and a good way to use up some materials lying around. Even if all of the materials had to be purchased, the total cost would be less than $10. Though it helps to have access to a bandsaw, these paddles can be made with basic hand tools.
The shaft of the paddle is inch-and-a-quarter Douglas fir closet rod, sold by the foot at local home centers. These wooden rods are available in lengths up to 16 feet, and few are completely straight the whole length, so take some time to pick through the stack and be choosy; but remember that you only need a straight section about 5 feet long for a canoe paddle. I paid about 70 cents a foot for mine.
The paddle blade is just plywood. I laminated some scraps of marine plywood up to about 1/4 inch thick, but you can probably get away with a thinner blade, or using any basic plywood with exterior glue. Trace the shape of a paddle you like, or design one of your own. Because this process is so simple, it's a great way to experiment with different shapes or to try a unique design.
Cut a slot in one end of the closet pole the same thickness as the plywood, and about 2/3 the length of the blade. This part goes easiest with a bandsaw, but can be done with a handsaw, or other power tools with care. The paddle blade slides into the slot and is glued in place. I used epoxy left over from building a boat.
Cut the paddle shaft to length, and use a 4 inch section of the closet rod to make a 'T'-handle. I attached the handle to the shaft by cutting a round tenon on the end of the shaft to fit a hole bored in the handle, and epoxying it into place. Again, cutting the tenon is easy with a bandsaw, but it can also be done with hand tools, a router table, etc.
Some of the sanding and shaping of parts is easier before they are assembled. For example, I tapered the slotted end of my shaft with a belt sander to make a smoother transition with the blade; a spoke shave could also be used. Rounding the ends of the 'T'-grip is also easier before it is attached to the shaft. Final shaping and sanding is up to the builder, but starting with a round shaft and a flat blade really speeds things up.
My paddle will be finished by encapsulating it in a coat of epoxy resin (without any cloth), followed by two coats of the same varnish used on my boats. Total weight for my 57 inch paddle before finishing is approximately 25 ounces; comparable to a purchased wood paddle I have of about the same length, and significantly lighter than a couple of aluminum and plastic paddles I weighed, like the kind used by many canoe liveries.
