quick and easy

[islandpiper]

There is a place for art and a place for functionality.......

I am considering buying two FEATHER brand canoe paddles from Wally World, cutting the knobs off on a long taper and grafting them to be a double blade paddle. Maybe glue the long splice with gorilla glue, wrap the graft zone and beyond with nylong mason cord, and after sanding the blades and shafts, covering with epoxy and spar varnish.

Any suggestions or ideas? Anyone else done this? I already have the cord and the epoxy and varnnish....and will spend about $20 on the two paddles. This will give me a good double paddle at a pretty low cost and not much time invested.

Ya, sure.....when I get some real time to dabble on it I'll build a paddle from stock like some of the beautiful ones you all have posted here over time.

Cheers. piper

 

[bearridge]

I reckon yer transplant come frum Mister Goldberg? :mrgreen:

Gimme a few days ta post a pichur of the Homer King "Silver Creek" paddle I jest bought off a left coast fella. It dont weigh much more'n a cellularized telephone. It will send ya off ta the wood shed. :wink:

regards
bearridge

Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish. Euripides

 

[hairymick]

Hi keith,

I made up a break down paddle that sounds a little similar to your idea.

Alluminium shaft and flat, symmetrical blastic blades.. I cut the handles off each and turned up a piece of hardwood so that it was a hammer in fit in one shaft and a real neat slide in fit into the other one.

I carry it as a spare paddle and it works OK. It is not real flash but goes together real quick and easy and will get me home if I brake my lovely Skee.

if I remember, I will take some piccies tomorrow.

 

[islandpiper]

BEARRIDGE, you know they never will tell you where your donor tissue comes from.........but, my right eye keeps looking at the 55- year old women walking past the shop in their fashinable clothes, carrying the fancy shopping bags.....and I have cought my left eye trying to focus on the 25-year old bankers and laywers that park their BMWs out front. Much as I'd like a BMW I may have to go back for a different cornea if I can't re-train that one. The doctor says there may me hormone drops that will clear that up.

Nothing to worry about though...... :lol:

Piper

 

[keith]

i was on paddle trip a few years back and a friend broke his paddle. we went to wally that night and bought two cheap plastic paddles, them walked to the plumbing section and bought a plumbers helper for the wood handle. we cut the hand knob off the paddles and inserted the wood plumers helper handle, put a couple of screws and back in business. later Keith

 

[Kayak Jack]

... I may have to go back for a different cornea if I can't re-train that one. The doctor says there may me hormone drops that will clear that up....

Piper san, you can always tell the difference between an enzyme and a hormone - you can't hear an enzyme.

 

[oldsparkey]

There is a place for art and a place for functionality.......

I am considering buying two FEATHER brand canoe paddles from Wally World, cutting the knobs off on a long taper and grafting them to be a double blade paddle. Maybe glue the long splice with gorilla glue, wrap the graft zone and beyond with nylong mason cord, and after sanding the blades and shafts, covering with epoxy and spar varnish.

Any suggestions or ideas?

Cheers. piper

I haven't done it but it sure sounds like a good idea to have an inexpensive kayak paddle.

I would make a few changes.

1. Epoxy the graft together to make sure it will hold.
2. If it was wrapped with nylon use the nylon over the graft area. Then cover the nylon extending out a distance from the graft with para cord.
3. OR.....Wrap the center area with para cord. This way if you needed some para cord you have a back up supply.

Chuck.

 

[oldsparkey]

Piper

I hope you don't mind but I have to try your idea. Off to Wally World to get a couple of the cheep paddles in the morning. I get them and add art work to them for my fun.

Then back here to canablise them , add some home made art work and make them into one paddle.

I did this one for everyone on the trip of the Crock-A-Gator when we paddled the Okefenokee.

One side of my sample paddle........

The reverse side ...........

The one I like since these critters are always camping with me.

Never trust an X- Commercial artist ( Turned Cop) with a wood burning tool........ They are just not right in the head ... Ya Know :roll:

Chuck.

 

[tx river rat]

I have to get in on this
buy your paddle
cut off handles so shafts are the same diameter
buy you two 1/4 lag bolts
put the heads together and weld then so you have a thread on each end
pre drill a hole in the end of each shaft and screw the lag bolts into them setting your angle you will have a gap where head of screws meet
mix up some epoxy and wood flower fill in gap then put a wrap of fiberglass around shaft and epoxy it
be pretty smooth and I bet it doesnt break there.
Ron

 

[Kayak Jack]

Six to nine years ago, I used to post and read on the Baidarka.net. Interesting guys. One fellow had a home made paddle of a bamboo shaft about an inch in diameter. He cut slots in the end and glued in pieces of plywood. Didn't look sexy, but worked fine.

Ron's idea of the double ended lag bolt is a good one if the paddle shafts are wood.

I've played with the idea of taking lengths of wooden quarter round strips, Cut off the 90 degree edge back for some distance, and fit four of them together to reconstitute a long cylindrical shat. It would be hollow because of the removed 90 degree angle.

This hollow shaft could then have paddle blades attached to the ends, epoxified, & glassed.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Whilst we're at it here, let me pose a question. My kayak paddle cavitates as it enters the water, and is noisy. Does anyone have either (A) a paddle design that doesn't cavitate? Or, (B) have an effective way of paddling without the cavitation?

I know that I can paddle slowly, slip the paddle into the water end first, and not get it. But then I travel pretty slowly. It's good for sneaking up on stuff, but no good for traveling. (Especially, if I'm having to paddle AGAINST a tide.)

 

[islandpiper]

KJ......the old Chinese Junks had diamond shaped holes in the stearing rudders to make them more efficient. Perhaps a couple of holes in your paddle could decrease cavitation without costing too much efficiency.

Piper

 

[Kayak Jack]

Yer serious, aren't you. Lemme think this one over a bit.

 

[hairymick]

Hi Jack,

Can you post a piccie of the blade please. This is a serious issue and I suspect the blade is flat on the power face or worse, scooped.

In either case, the cavitation you are talking about is what I would call fluttering. It is caused by ineffecient flow of water over the blade. This happens because the centre of the pressure point in the water immediately in front of the power face is shifting from side to side.

Probably as clear as mud, the way I have decribed it. Short answer, either put up with it or throw the paddle and buy a good one. Have a look at what the expedition guys are using in your area. From what I have heard, Bending Branches make superb paddles.

 

[nobucks]

I know another company that makes superb paddles. They'll even custom fit 'em to you for no extra charge.

:wink:

The diamond shaped hole is an interesting concept. I suppose that even if water goes through the blade, you'll get thrust, the same as if you use a narrow blade. You need a higher cadence, but the narrow blade ends up being more efficient than the broad blade.

 

[hairymick]

Hi Keith,

Here is what I did with two elcheapyo canoe paddles to make a kayak one. It pulls apart and I only use it as a spare and strap it to the deck in case I brake my beloved skee.

Hardwood insert

They just slip together if needed

Hi Jack

Even with the el-cheapo blade, the ridge down the centre holds the fluid pressure point in place and stops blade flutter.

Comparison, My beautiful Skee blade. Note the ridge on the power face. This is the prefferred blade type for expedition and touring kayak paddlers down here.

 

[Kayak Jack]

Thanks, Joel, I just ordered one of your paddles. It's 3 oz heavier than my present one, but prettier. Likely, it's springier too.

Mick, the blade has a raised rib on the back side, and it is scooped. I like it a lot, except for the noise. I notice that a beaver tail paddle is silent, so I think the curve of a blade tip is another important factor here.

I don't have the patience for a long, slim blade that dumps more water than it holds. If I want an easier load on my arms, I just don't pull as hard on a larger paddle. It isn't difficult to figure out. But, no matter how hard I pull on a slippery paddle, it's still dumping more water and losing more thrust than I prefer.

 

[nobucks]

--

Thanks Jack! I forwarded the order to my partner so he can get busy on it. Would you like us to send it to Chuck for some pretty artwork?

Chuck, the artwork is outstanding. Is that all freehand?

 

[Kayak Jack]

Joel,

You don't know how much I'd love to have that Olde Farte do his electric scribbling on a paddle for me. I'm afraid though, that the shipping would equal another paddle before we got through.

Maybe I can get him to bring along his gear and do it in September here at my house, or at Lake Miji (Commodore restaurant in Wawa) in Lake Superior Provincial Park.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that your paddles are one piece and unfeathered. Good on ya, mate!

 

[hairymick]

Hi Joel,

Nice paddles mate

Your Euro style paddle is so nice, it is allmost enough to tempt me away from my feathered jobbie.

The Innuit style one is stunning. I would love to try one, one day.