Tools for a canoe paddle

[Matt Rogers]

I have been reading up on carving canoe paddles and have decided that this will be my next project. I have secured some ash that is 4/4. While this might be a little thin, I can probably make a decent paddle with it because it is just a little "over" 4/4.

My question to you folks is what are the best tools to tackle this project, and are the tools I have enough to tackle the carving of the blank into a paddle.

This is what I have currently:
Rasps and files of many different styles
Stanley low angle hand plane (the new ones that are English)
#4 Stanley plane from the late 50's
Stanley #51 spokeshave
Powersander and detail sander (if it comes to this)
Handsaws and a back saw to handle the roughing out of the blank
EDIT: I also have a draw knife.

I guess I am asking if I need a round bottom spokeshave or a concave bottom spokeshave. Are these necessary? Will they be an asset in the hands of a newbie?

Thanks for the advice.

--Matt Rogers
Western Michigan

[harry strasil]

Turning bow saw, drawknife, spokeshave and if you finish it like the old mountain men and some Indian cultures, a piece of leather and some sand to "sand" it smooth with.
If you want to really go period, just a stick of wood, a hatchet and the leather and sand.

[Matt Rogers]

Harry,
Good information! I am trying to be a little neanderthal, but mostly I just want to do the job "right". I am not quite to the point where I could take a hatchet and a tree and get anything other than toothpicks of various sizes....maybe someday though. I do have access to TONS of sand though, I might try this technique out on this project.
Any other wit and wisdom you could pass my way would be much appreciated!
Thanks again,
--Matt Rogers

[harry strasil]

Well just picture yourself out 500 miles from home with ur canoe loaded with the winters haul of pelts and your heading down the big muddy to sell them and ur paddle either brakes or accidently gets lost, all you have is ur belt knife, a tomahawk and a few supplies, you gonna have to do something to make ur canoe navigable or walk.

When I started my smithing apprenticeship, our smith shop did not have an abundance of modern tools and you did with what you had, its seems like the hard way to do things, especially as you obtain new modern tools and skills to do your work. That's fine while you are in the shop, but I did about 50% of my work in the early days of owning my own business from a 1 ton service truck at the customers place or out in a field somewhere as the equip was too large or too badly damaged to get it to the shop. So the early years of doing without all the modern conviences allowed me to do a good job with what I had available at the time. And I very seldom had to got get special tools from my shop. Just use your imagination all the time and it will come up with a solution to your problems.

[David Gendron]

I Matt, I made a few paddles, and the tools I used are: Ax, draw knife or crouked knife, flat spoke shave and concave(for the shaft) one, sand paper or as Jr. said or use the dried shavings and rub wood with it! 4/4 is plenty for a canoe paddle.
Keep us posted on your progress!

[Johnny Kleso]

PM Bob Smalser
A few years back he made some great looking boat oars and posted a picturial on how to make them he is an expert boatwright

Googled it up
http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/show...even-foot+Oars

[Bruce Haugen]

what you need is what Jr. laid out for you. I often think it's not a good idea for a newbie to have every tool imaginable. It's better for you to learn to use what you have. All you need is to be able to cut the profile and then carve away anything that is not a paddle. It doesn't take any planes to do that, except if you want to call a spokeshave a plane. BTDT several times over, including double-bladed paddles.

[Michael Peet]

Hi Matt,

I have made a number of kayak paddles, and the spokeshave is my most-used tool for the task. In fact I keep two of them (both 51s) nearby - one set for a deep cut and the other a fine cut.

I wouldn't think you would need a concave or round bottom shave for a canoe paddle. You might consider a shaving horse however; it's really useful for this.

Mike

[Matt Rogers]

Thanks for all the wisdom and advice. I really appreciate it.

Looks like I will be tearing onto some ash this weekend! (Which for me is actually Thursday and Friday this week.)

I might try a small one, for my daughter, with a knife and an hatchet, just to see what I end up with.

--Matt

[John Powers]

I have the Lee Valley concave spokeshave. It is probably expensive but for the shafts of paddles and oars it is really a blessing. My bandsaw is handy for getting the basic shape out but something in the turning saw/coping saw family would do the trick. Making Canoe Paddles is available on Amazon used for $15.00 or so. Might be useful.

[Matt Rogers]

John,
Thanks for the lead on the book. I just requested it from the library, online. It should be sent to my local branch in a couple of days. even faster than buying one, I think!
--Matt Rogers.

[Johnny Ramon]

When I did my Greenland kayak paddle I found my block plane did the lion's share of the work.

[Randy Reitz]

Looks like I will be tearing onto some ash this weekend! (Which for me is actually Thursday and Friday this week.)

How about on Ash Wednesday?

Sorry, couldn't help it.

[Bob Easton]

It depends.....
Your tool list is plenty adequate for most paddles. I've done a couple of paddles with about the same set of tools. The spokeshave and the block plane were the most used. "Jr" Strasil is right, you can do a lot with the basics.

Some have mentioned a concave plane for the shafts. Naw. The block plane can do them just as well.

The "depends" part comes in when you decide the profile of the working end of the paddle. Will you use a shape similar to the one in the Smalser tutorial mentioned earlier? Or, will you want a spoon shape?

If you want a spoon shape, then one more tool might be handy for hollowing out that spoon shape. I asked about tools for making the spoon shape in this thread: http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=121485 a few months ago.

The best answer was Smalser's (again) suggestion of using Snell Atherton cobbler shaves. Since then, I have acquired a couple and they work wonderfully .... in soft woods. I have not tried them in Ash and am skeptical that it might be too hard. (I've used cedar and spruce for paddles.)

No matter what tools you ultimately use, I hope you'll find as I did that making paddles is very enjoyable

[Tom Wiarda]

Matt, where in West Mich are you? I am in Rockford. I made a Greenland style paddle last year out of a piece of clear, straight-grained cedar and used mostly a drawknife, spokeshave, smooth plane and block plane. It turned out nice. The only problem is I can't figure out how to put on a drip ring. When I use it the water runs off the blade and into my lap. I still have the booklet of plans if you want to use it. Thanks, Tom