im having a hard time following the chuck hoist directions for making the gp----mainly the blade dimensions–how thick at the tips and edges— at what point of the blade do u start to taper it thicker—how thick is the centerline of the blade from tip to the shoulder or root—thanks for your help—the loom part i think i get=== just need help with how to wittle down the blade
If you email me…
…I’ll send you some modifications to Holst’s instructions that are easier to follow and IMO, produce a better paddle. The whole bit of carving the flat section at the tips is unnecessary and compromises the function of the paddle.
cross sections
Gail Ferris has cross sections of a number of Greenland paddles she surveyed from museums and collections. I made 2 paddles from these several years ago and love them. Google her name for the cross sections. Used a spoke shave for most of the whittling. I hope seeing all the sections doesn’t confuse you…good luck.
Making a GP
Don’t worry too much for your first paddle. It is only after using a GP that you will fully know what you want – and have a good mental image of what you want to create. You can incorporate changes into your next paddle. Just draw the lines per Chuck’s directions and make your best attempt.
Many first paddles end up being somewhat “clunky” due to the fear that you will remove too much material. If that is the case, then you can refine the paddle further at a later time. If your loom ends up a little too short (as did my first paddle) you can adjust this too over time.
One bit of advice, plane the tips so that the very ends of the paddle match the radius of the blade edges. Often times, many first time paddles have very thick and blocky tips which can be quite noisy and prone to ventilation (drawing air into the water on the catch).
Some people like their GP very stiff (me), some like them flexible, some like very sharp edges and tips (me), some prefer the edges more relaxed. Hearing conflicting details like this can cause confusion until you discover what you like.
Greg Stamer
Bryan’s instructions are good .
An electric planer will save a lot of time , as will a palm sander.
don’t worry
As Greg suggested, don’t worry to much about your first paddle. Your next one will be better and after you make a few paddles with different features you will know what works best for you. They only get easier to make.