If you look at the small amount of wood you are actually sawing off, you will see it can all be done with a block plane {and a spoke-shave for the loom and shoulder area}. A saw isn’t even needed. Simple is best. {even a small apron plane will do}
Paul, it appears that you’re making good progress this time. Using a piece of inexpensive wood to practice on is a better way to learn and hone skills than doing it on and expensive piece of cedar. However, I do want to clarify some things and make a few more suggestions.
When I suggested using a block of wood as a gauge to keep your cut vertical, what I actually meant was a small chunk of 2x4 that you can hold in one hand and just use occasionally to check that you’re cutting square. You could also use the small square that you showed at the end of the video, but I didn’t recall that you had one. That said, the 4x4 block definitely worked, though as you saw (pun intended), it reduces your cutting stroke significantly.
Speaking of cutting, the Stanley saw seems to be pretty dull, as I would expect any handsaw to cut faster than that. Even when using a crosscut saw to make that rip cut, I would expect it to cut faster.
When using a pull saw, it is very important to only apply pressure on the pull stroke. The thin blades of pull saws will only cut straight when under tension. If you put pressure on them during the push phase of the stroke (compression), they flex all over the place and you risk bending the blade. You experienced this when you were cutting the shoulder line. The reason western saws have much thicker blades is that they’re required to prevent the blade from flexing when cutting on the push stroke, . Take a piece of scrap and practice making cuts with the pull saw until it’s second nature. Once you get the hang of it, it’s nearly effortless.
I’m going to mention a way that you can use the flexibility of the pull saw blade to your advantage when cutting out the loom, but it’s a technique that requires a fair amount of skill and it’s easy to screw up. However, you could try on your practice piece if you like. I would definitely practice it several times before committing to doing it on your actual paddle. The flexibility of the saw without the back actually allows you to cut a modest curve. For cutting out the loom, you can start near the middle and cut at a shallow angle toward your line, then curve the cut until you’re cutting parallel to the line. Continue cutting to the shoulder. Once you’ve removed the waste, you should be able to cut along the line in the opposite direction to the other end of the loom. The major caveat with this technique is that it’s really easy for the cut to go astray on the opposite side, so you really have to watch it carefully.
Roym mentioned marking both sides of the paddle blank and I want to assure him that I recommend that in the book, too.
I was glad to see you add some weight to the Workmate. I use a 5 gallon bucket full of sand, or if I’m doing a demo and traveling somewhere, I’ll carry it empty and fill it with water at my destination. FWIW, I’ve never used the little plastic dogs with a paddle blank. They’re meant to be used to clamp boards on top of the work surface, rather than in the jaws. Where the Workmate really shines it when you have your blades cut to shape and you need to clamp that taper. You’ll love it!
That’s all I can think of for now. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the responses!
Yeah, after decades of pushing a saw it is really weird to pull a saw. I’ll try the setup with a small block of wood, just to correct the angle, not guide it. My smaller saw should probably work out perfectly.
It’s odd that the Stanley is dull, it is pretty new and only lightly used. I guess I have another project now, LOL.
And yes, I always mark both sides of the paddle, this exercise was just to see if I could cut a straight line.
I must try that loom trick, that is certainly worth learning. I have lots of scrap now, so I have things to try!
Here’s episode 12
I was unable to find any quarter sawn wood and I didn’t really want to try and learn how to laminate just yet, so I went with one of my remaining pieces of flat sawn wood, actually my last piece probably.
(Sorry if you started watching yesterday, I had to take that one down. I noticed an entire section was missing!)
Hey Paul, I see you’re starting again and have the initial layout done. The only comment I would make is that you don’t need to take your square apart to draw 45 -degree lines. You slide the blade toward the angled side of the frame, then butt the angled frame against the wood. The blade then makes the correct angle on the wood surface.
When you start planing, here are some tips:
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Use the largest plane you have. The longer the plane, the easier it is to create a flat surface, which is what you want
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Begin planing at the tip of the blade, where you need to remove the most wood.
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As you plane, you need to establish a surface that’s parallel to your layout line. As you remove material, that surface will slowly work back toward the loom, getting slightly longer with each plane stroke. The key is to stay parallel to the layout line and let the process unfold gradually.
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Make sure you check the layout lines on both sides of the blade to ensure that you’re planing evenly across the width of the blade.
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The goal is to create a flat surface from the shoulder to the tip. If need be, use a straightedge to check it, but it should be pretty clear just from the layout lines. Fine-tune the process as you go and don’t rush it.
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Enjoy the refreshing scent of cedar shavings…
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This is the 13 episode in my series on making a Greenland kayak paddle entire with hand tools, but really, start with #11. In this episode I rough shape one of the blade edges and struggle with my tools. I also talk about rust and rust prevention.
That’s pretty cool and quite nice if you only have a small number of tools to protect. Thanks for the heads up! (I have 5 boxes worth… :- )
That would be a lot to outfit with plane socks! Maybe get a few for the most valuable and you cans see if it works as well or better than the solution you have just implemented?
As I watched you planeing, it looked like you were taking a pretty healthy shaving. If you back off to take a thinner shaving, you might find it helps reduce tearout. A little wax on the bottom of the plane may help as well, letting it slide across the wood more smoothly. Canning wax is what I use. Another thing that might help is to angle the plane so the blade does not hit the wood perfectly perpendicular to the grain.
Keep up the good work, I am enjoying learning the process. Might even try one myself at some point…
Paul, check out VCI paper as a means of keeping your tools protected from rust. It’s actually what a lot of tools come wrapped in from the factory.
Regarding the movement of the centerline, it’s not unusual. Cedar is funny in that it can change shape depending on how it’s stored. A few years ago, I took a cedar board that was curved like yours is and set it on a support in the center - with the ends curving upward - and left it overnight. The next morning, it was curved the other way (the ends were drooping). I was pretty surprised, as I’d never seen any other wood do that. When I flipped it over and repeated the test, it curved back the way it was originally.
All that said, if the finished paddle has a minor bow in it, you’ll never notice it when you’re paddling, so it’s not worth stressing over. You pretty much came to the same conclusion, which is good; you’re developing a feel for the process and what’s important.
Can you strap or clamp the Workmate to the gray support column to stabilize it?
When you get close to the line, reduce the depth of cut of the plane. You can also switch to a smaller plane at that point, since your flat surface is well established.
You’re correct that it doesn’t have to be perfect, just very close. You’ve got a lot more wood to remove before you’re done and you can correct minor imperfections. As you discovered, your hands are more sensitive than your eyes, so keep taking time to feel the wood. That’s another big step in your progress! You’re on the right path…
I’ll certainly turn it down even more, it seems like that should work. I tried angling the plane, that may not have made it into the video (I cut an awful lot out). It didn’t work very well, but that may have been because I was both cutting too deep and because I may have tried it before I trimmed the blade angle. I’ll certainly try that.
I do have some wax, I can also add that. Thanks!
Thanks for the kind words! Yes, strapping the workmate to that lolly column might bet the hot ticket. I could even remove the lolly column and put a large board under it (it is currently on a wood pad anyhow) and then bolt the workmate to the board. I’ve certainly must do something!
It’s good to have the confirmation that a minor bow isn’t going to matter, it just didn’t make sense that it would.
And yes, l’ll be reducing the depth of the cut. Thanks!
Or maybe just position the workmate so it is against the column on the leading edge, so the column stops it from moving in the direction the plane is going. Sort of like having a planeing stop on a work bench. Not sure if you have enough room for that.
I’m not sure I have the room, but I’ll mess about with the placement.
I’ve lost track. How many paddles is this?
As many as necessary.
Episode 14 is up.
In this episode I continue to taper the blade and talk about the mistake I made earlier.
Looks and sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing.
I haven’t had a chance to watch the video yet, but will do when I get the time.
This sounds like a very interesting and worthwhile project.
I’d love to see a list of tools requred for the project, if anyone has any of those to share.
A list of suppliers that can provide the wood stock would be greatly appreciated too, for those that don’t have any local ones.
You’re welcome! You can use as many or few tools as you are comfortable with. I’m using 2 or 3 planes, a spoke shave, and maybe a chisel and get this, maybe a drill. You’ll also want a high quality saw, a pull saw is best.
But that’s just me, for this project I’m avoiding power tools. Using a band saw or jig saw would certainly make the project easier. You can even use a jointer I think.
And of course you can use almost nothing, it is possible to make a blade with just a knife, though a draw knife and saw pair would be much less work.
If this is your first project I would strongly recommend getting the cheapest, knot free, wood you can find locally. You will make mistakes. My first paddle was from before wood prices went crazy, but it was only $3.10, those are $8.25 now locally. Back then, locally, a Western Red Cedar piece was $9, now it is $14, and a knot free piece is about $50. So practice first.
I don’t know where you live, but I would guess that if you don’t have a local lumber yard then shipping to your area could be expensive.
Buy a DIY Greenland Paddle Project Carving Blank For Sale Online — BF Custom Greenland Paddles sells partially finished blanks, actually, it looks like they do all the hard work letting you do the fun part. It all depends on your budget and your goals.