Description
Book SynopsisDespite the growing interest in making paddles and canoes, it is difficult to find reliable information for that craft. For the how-to beginner, a paddle represents the perfect challenge, both finite and functional. For the skilled woodworker, the opportunity to experiment with design and technique to create a tailor-made product that perfectly suits a paddler's needs is a dream come true. In Canoe Paddles: A Complete Guide to Making Your Own, longtime canoeist and woodworker Graham Warren provides detailed information and guidance to make a canoe paddle that will be used with confidence and cherished for generations. The book is thoroughly illustrated with photographs, line drawings and plans with measurements for: How to make a paddle having a single blade, a bent shaft, or double blades; How to protect a paddle with oil or varnish; What to look for when test-driving a paddle; How to decorate a paddle; How to care for and repair a paddle.The book also covers: Paddle design - grips, shaft, blade, flexibility, weight, balance; Paddle woods and adhesives; Hand tools, power tools and homemade tools, carving and finishing tools; Making the paddle - size, design, mark out, cut and carve; Paddle plans, including Beavertail, Voyageur, Algonquin, Whitewater, Bent-shaft, Double-blade, Child's; Templates for grips, tips and blades; Materials sources. The authors include an appreciation of the evolution of the paddle plus a special chapter by renowned canoe-building teacher David Gidmark, which celebrates paddle-making in the native American tradition.
Trade Review'Canoe Paddles makes it possible for many of us novice woodworkers to create our own personal paddles. Whether you are making a paddle from a single piece of wood or a laminated paddle consisting of several pieces, this comprehensive book will show you the way... An excellent book for creating beautiful, functional paddles' N. Glenn Perrett, Metroland North blog; 'This book combines practical woodworking technique with practical canoe use experience... Covers every single aspect of canoe paddle building' Sawdust and Shavings.
Table of ContentsDiversity - evolution of the canoe paddle; design - inner workings of the canoe paddle; woods and adhesives - a guide to materials; tools - selecting your level of technology; paddlemaking basics; adding power; double blade paddles; oil and varnishes; care and repair; origins and native traditions; paddle plans.
