Shelf board is not just for shelves anymore.
A paddle builder should be able to finish a paddle project using materials that a normal person can find in a normal garage, right? I think so, anyway. So let’s call out some details in the above picture and explain how simple things can go a long way towards making your paddle something that gets done easily and gets wet for years to come, instead of in the Friday night fire place.
First of all – shelf board. Maybe it’s called something else in your neck of the woods. It does come in a couple different colors and surfaces, so while the board above is white and slippery, it also exists in a tan color and a non-slip surface as well. It’s fairly cheap, comes in wide pieces and most of all, I trust it to be FLAT in all dimension.
Second, notice that it is up on two inch legs. This is so it is easy to get clamps underneath it, so you can squeeze the blade piece tight against the form, in theory keeping everything flat while the adhesive dries and locks it all in place.
Third, notice that on the far (back) side there is another piece of shelf board that makes a short wall. You can push the blade against this, which is a good thing when you want to push your pieces against something for just a bit of squeezing pressure.
Fourth, look at the red handle clamp. Notice how the piece it is clamping has another piece under one end. This is a simple cantilever technique that allows you to ‘extend’ the clamping effect all the way in to a place where the clamp itself cannot reach. Like the edge of the blade right next to the shaft strip. This ensures that the join between shaft center strip and blade edge is straight and in full contact, which means ‘strong’. Or as strong as a little tiny quarter inch thick piece of wood can get.
Fifth, notice the three clamps along the bottom. The middle one is squeezing the shaft strip, while the outer pair are squeezing the blade pieces down against the form base (aka shelf board). The scrap piece ensures that the clamping is felt across a wider area than if the clamp was by itself. Up at the top, the final pair of clamps is squeezing the top of the blade pieces, keeping them flat and aligned with the center shaft strip.
Sixth, notice the thin line of squeezeout along the join between shaft and blade. To me, that is the perfect amount. Remember, there’s not much space in between shaft strip and blade to begin with, so take care that most of the glue stays in there rather than coming out on top. Just a little bit of squeezing will get the job done. The fiberglass/epoxy layer is really what gives your paddle blade its strength, not this tiny little joint.
Finally, use fresh wax paper underneath. There’s nothing worse than expecting to lift the paddle off the form and you lift the form up as well. You might wrap the wood scrap pieces with packing tape if you really want to make things easy.
The shelf board is a few dollars. The clamps are 0.99 cent specials at a hardware store. Wax paper is pretty cheap.
My point?
Paddle building is a great way to DIY, when it comes to a custom wood paddle. Simple tools, quite possibly already around the garage, make the project even better!
quietwater paddles 