One thing you need to do when making paddles is to learn to relax. Unforeseen issues happen and you just have to roll with it. I struggled with learning to let go of precision and go by look and feel instead. It was even worse when I was contemplating building my first skin-on-frame kayak. The best advice I received to my myriad of online inquiries was “Just buy some wood and build a boat.” As soon as I accepted that there was no absolute right or wrong and that if it looks and feels good it probably is, I relaxed and started having fun. For me, it was an absolute revelation!
Something goes awry with everything I make, but generally the end result is good regardless. I mentioned earlier that I’ve been carving spoons lately. I’ve encountered plenty of issues in the process, like errant axe blows and slips with a knife, but in pretty much every case, adjusting the design resulted in a final product that was great. I also learned a lot along the way.
Paddle making is about being methodical and repeating simple processes until you end up with a paddle that’s symmetric, but it’s even more about developing a feel for the wood. I’ll wager that everyone who’s ever made a paddle has encountered an issue with wood grain and tearout; it’s just the nature of the material. What matters is recognizing what’s happening and adapting your technique to suit. I still recall how wrong it felt the first time I had to plane in the opposite direction than I normally would on a paddle blade, but it’s what that particular stick required. There are no absolutes, just general guidelines and techniques that we can adapt as necessary.
If you haven’t already, check out Paul “Not the Painter” Cezanne’s videos in the thread “Making a Greenland Paddle with Hand Tools”, along with the ensuing discussions. There’s a LOT of content there, but you can see Paul’s evolution as he learns from trial and error, and feedback from several sources. Ultimately, he ended up with a great paddle and a lot of knowledge that will be helpful for future paddles and other projects.
Just enjoy the process and try not to stress over it. Don’t worry about the wood, they’ll make more!
For a many years, Caleb Davis from NH and the more redently the Adirodacks has held a paddle making workshop class (including GL padles) where you can make your own paddle for under his guidance for very litle cost.
I would second bnystrom’s advice and just relax and fix little goofs the best way you can. A paddle does not need to be 100% symmetric or have an absolutely perfect taper and shape to be 100% functional. Remember first paddles like these were probably made from driftwood with just knives and sanding stones by Greenlanders. A tear out can usually be fixed by just cutting the wood so it leaves a small indentation and sanding so you have a smooth surface ( just remember when you feel a tear out starting, stop, and cut back the tear so the grain is smooth and you have just a small imperfection. In some projects I have corrected a bad tear with fiberglass and epoxy — still works just fine. And yes something usually goes awry when working wood, especially if it’s wood you have felled and dried yourself. I was in the middle of making a bow and one part of the belly seemed kind of strange. I thought maybe it had had some kind of beetle infestation, I finally discovered someone had shot the tree with a shotgun many many years before it was cut down. It still worked as a bow ( with a little surgery and epoxy injection).
Finished. And I learned a lot about wood grain, hand tools and my own patience for dealing with knots, tear-outs and other imperfections associated with construction lumber and my mediocre skills. Don’t stare at it too closely, or it will make your brain hurt. The tip that is just out of the frame looks like a gelato spoon because of a nasty tear–out and my failed attempt to re-shape the end.
So it’s a really long tongue depressor!
I have new respect for craftspeople who can select good wood and make it become something beautiful. This piece of wood, though it looked fine at the lumber yard, was riddled with knots and other issues; the harder I worked to get rid of them the worse they became.
Finished it with Rubio Monocoat. At least it looks nice from a distance and it’s smooth.
I have to have a minor procedure that will keep me off the water for a few weeks, then I’ll test it. If it tickles my fancy, I’ll buy a proper one from someone who knows what they’re doing
Now you know much more than when you started so why not try again with a quality piece of wood?
My first attempts were with 1"x4" WRC boards from HD. I glued them together . I made a few for friends and one for myself from a WRC 2X4 that Castoff has and sometimes uses, I think.
Although I finished weeks ago, I haven’t been out on the water in several months due to a wicked ear problem. Finally got out yesterday in very calm conditions. I an NOT A FAN of my handmade paddle! It feels like paddling with a toothpick, like I’m not moving any water at all.
Now before you zoom in on the one picture I have, Yes the blades are terribly mis-shapen because my woodworking skills are amateurish at best and the piece of lumber I bought had knots and tear-outs at each end that didn’t help. One end looks like a Gelato spoon! But I thought it might be worth a try. It doesn’t “catch” like my Celtic regardless of what angle I hold the leading edge of the blade. And there’s definite flutter…all this is probably because the blades are just stumps!
What I also learned, a 1-piece design is very long for the deck! See below. The blade closest to the cockpit actually worked its way alongside the coaming and up against the spray deck, which would’ve been an issue in a wet exit. If I ever purchase one of these it would be a 2-piece. It was a nice experiment, and I’ll keep my eyes out for a paddler using a “proper” GP and ask to try, but I think I’ll stick with my euro blade for now
That paddle doesn’t look too bad at all. Maybe post a pic of it next to your Euro to give comparison of dimensions. Maybe even better, take and post video of yourself paddling with the GP. Technique is a bit different with GP than with Euro.
