To make your own Greenland Paddle, it’s really fun!
There are a few different ways to get the form you want on the paddle. Some descriptions just give a general idea and let you sculpture the form much on free hand, which requires some experience. I have instead used the method to make it octagonal with the help of lines, and then just round of the last edges on free hand. This makes it much easier as a beginner to get it right when you try on your own. And it’s more easy to build on the experience and adjust the measurements and make changes in the direction you want on the next paddle.
This is a picture on the paddle in the working phase where it’s octagonal. It’s paddle #2.
I have so far made two paddles, #1 and #2, and the drawing is done according to the next paddle I’m going to make. The last one was the same measurements as the drawing but it was 8 mm where it’s now reduced to 6 mm. It became unnecessarily much to sand off to get it thin enough and it became still a bit thicker than the bought paddle, so I’m going to reduce it to 6 mm next time. However I will have be a bit extra careful not to slip with the saw and take to much of at the thin end.
Anyone who wants to try to make a paddle, can use this drawing together with the pictures and descriptions. I have used a fresh solid piece of spruce wood from the lumber yard in the dimension 95×45 mm, as free from knotholes as possible. Both of the paddles have bent afterwards, even though I made them symmetrical, one side of the blade is a little flatter and the other side is a bit more convex. I use them with the flatter side backward, but do not notice the most difference if I turn it around. If you want to avoid this, you can paste several pieces together, but I’m not there yet.
Total length (80 + 560 + 250 + 210) x 2 = 2200 mm
The dimensions and shape are based on my purchased paddle, Piortoq from greenlandpaddle.com but are adjusted to shorter shaft and longer blades and more pointed tips. Approximately the same total length, the purchased is 2220 mm and blade width 82 mm
I did the shaft shorter than what might be preferred by most people and paddle styles. When I use it with my most narrow kayak 48 cm wide which also has a low front deck I like it like this, but I might make it a tiny bit wider with the next paddle.
If you want to change the dimensions so that it appears in the proportions of the drawing, and not just in the numbers, you can download my drawing file here, and edit in, for example, Librecad.
Here the blades are made thinner at the ends, starting with the hand saw …
… but switched quite quickly to the circular saw.
I saw so close to the line I dare without getting over, then using planes and a bit of rasp to take the last to the line before the next step to draw the profile lines.
Draws the profile lines, still showing # 1.
For some reason I have already reduced the width from 95 to 80, do not remember why. At # 2 in the next picture, the width is still 95 in this moment.
Drawn on both profile and bevel lines in the same moment on the wide side of # 2. However, made a mistakes when measured for the blade’s bevel lines near the tip, they are far too wide apart, had to be re-measured and corrected later.
The profile is sawed.
And then use the planer and rasp to take the last bit to the line, before the next step to draw the bevel lines.
Draws on bevel lines for tip, blade and shoulder. This thus shows # 1, and the measurements for what will be the edge of the blade are here drawn as 10 mm, far too much, now reduced to 6 mm.
Bevel lines for the blade, shoulder and shaft
Shaft
It helps a lot having a heavy and stable “workbench”, the trailer was working well.
The strap stays more stable than the clamp, and in combination, it worked well. Paddle # 1
Alternative workbench, used when making paddle # 2. A heavy ladder on two sawbucks, and the nearest buck attached to a fence pole. Tensioning straps for fastening the paddle. Can work with a whole blade and shoulder and a little bit on the shaft.
Used the planer and rasp to get down to the bevel lines on the blade and shoulder.
Fastening to work with the shaft
Used the planer and rasp to get down to the bevel lines on shaft.
Detailed study on when planed and shredded down to all bevel lines, giving octagonal profile to the paddle, except the tip which has square profile. The center lines along the edge and also the middle of the blade are then important for keeping the symmetry when you start to round the paddle, they must remain visible until the last sandpapering.
Fastening for using sandpaper and round the edge around the entire blade. Will be a rounding with a radius of 2.5 – 3 mm along the entire edge of the blade, after starting off with the 6 mm between the bevel lines, with the center line in between.
On # 1 it became larger radius than so, it became a bit too thick and round. It is now used mostly as a spare paddle lying on the front deck. An advantage of having a paddle lying so within reach to just pull without assembling is that you may then be allowed to have no catch strap on your active paddle. If you paddle alone you might want to have a catch strap on the spare paddle so you do not lose that one too, then it may get a little bit awkward.
Rasped down all the sharp edges of # 1, at this moment you need to rely on your feeling, but if you’ve followed the lines so far, you will almost automatically find the shape. On paddle # 1, the measurements were too big, I realized, and it became unnecessarily thick, round and blunt. Paddle # 2 overall was about as good as the bought paddle, a little thicker but on the other hand better blade length and shorter shaft.
Paddle # 1 after sandpapering.
The magnifying glass has got to work, numbered and signed.
And corresponding for paddle # 2
An evening trip and paddle # 1 were approved!
