Paddle 8. Double bend racing. In process
February, 2024. Ongoing
This is my first double bend racing paddle. I'm very much in the middle of this project and will report in the coming weeks. Here is the summary still editing and adding to: The extra pictures (coming) show my ‘over-bend’ jig and ‘final’ jig for my double bend paddle experiment. Here is what I’ve done to get to this point: First I soaked 5 thin pieces of wood (ash, cherry, douglas fir, cherry, ash) for a few days in the water of our cistern. Next I steamed them for about 20 minutes trying to keep the temperature over 200°F. This made them bendable. Next I clamped them quickly into the over-bend form for a day or so which helped them understand their new position in life. Then I released them. Knowing they would want to ‘spring back’ is why I over-bent them. Finally I glued and clamped them into my final form—the shape I really wanted including an 11° main bend at the blade. The fit was pretty good because my forecast of the amount of spring back was close enough. The second bend near the handle brings that portion back to a more ergonomic position. I allowed the contraption to dry inside the house for maybe 30 hours to let the Titebond III glue set and then took off the clamps. The glue locked the 5 layers in place and the lack of tension made the task for the glue reasonable. The 11° bend means the blade will be vertical at the most powerful point of my stroke thus getting the best grip on the water to propel the boat forward. Next to trim it up and select the wood that will become the blade. Wood:
Ash, Cherry, Douglas Fir, Cherry, Ash Grip: TBA. Length: 51" Weight: TBA Max Blade Width: TBA |