Wood Stock for Paddle Making

djhayes

Curious about Wooden Canoes
Hi folks,
New member just getting started and attempting to make a few paddles for family. I am hoping to start with ottertail-type paddles and my first attempt out of tulip poplar is barely salvageable given my somewhat poor band saw skills. I started with 6/4" stock. Is it wiser to go directly to 5/4" to start? Thanks,
Dan
 
I start with either 5/4 or 6/4 stock, depending on the paddle I want to make, and especially what kind of grip I'm going to carve out of it.

If you haven't already, I'd start with reading this book very carefully: http://store.wcha.org/Canoe-Paddles-A-Complete-Guide-to-Making-Your-Own.html, conveniently available at the WCHA store.
Especially for your first few paddles, you might want to stick closely to the plans & instructions, as you'll learn a whole lot from the experience of the authors. Once you get the feel for it, you can try other things.

Any time you have questions, please post here -- there are quite a few folks here with much more paddle-making experience than I, and folks are very enthusiastic about helping! And post pictures... we like pictures! They also help folks visualize whatever issue you're having, and offer better suggestions.
 
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