Well. Many of you may know that my Fall Project has been to build a paddle. A long paddle, mind you. It all started around the end of the summer, when I saw stand up paddle boarder on a lake in Madison and realized that it was a crime to live so close to 2 lakes and not be out enjoying them. After looking at the prices for a real board and paddle ($1000 and $300, respectively), I decided I'd be a typical Mainer and try to make my own. Duct tape anyone? First the board--the easiest part, really. Within a few hours of placing a want add on Craigslist, I was the proud owner of a 1980s era windsurf board for 50 bucks. Who knew if it would support my weight, but I didn't have time to fool around with the details--winter was on its way.
Next, the paddle. Luckily, my friend Rob from work is an expert paddle maker. Or at least he's made a few. He even built a wooden canoe with his wife. He's the type who has every tool and wordworking device you'd imagine, from saws to sealant to 20 clamps--and yes, you need that many. So my project had a mentor and a patient guide.
The first task was to select two cedar 2x4s (with as few knots as possible) from a local lumber yard. Boy, did I feel grown up. We cut one of the boards up into 8 or 9 strips and glued them together over a form board to make a composite shaft--stronger than a single piece of wood. This is where the 20 clamps came in handy. We used the other board to glue 6 or 7 strips to make the blade and a couple blocks to make a rough handle. Basically I had a real blocky paddle-looking thing by the end of this process, and I told Rob that it looked good enough, I was ready to hit the water! "Not so fast," he winked.
The next step involved lots and lots of carving, first using a draw knife (not pictured) and then using a spokeshave (pictured below). The blade took the longest amount of time, and then after using a power sander for the handle, I used the spokeshave to make the square-edged shaft into a rounded handle that would actually feel comfortable in the hands.
I did a lot of work on our front porch. It was pretty cool to see the curly wood shavings pile up on the steps--it felt like I was actually doing something useful for once. I got a lot of curious stares from folks walking by, and some encouragement too as people began to see the shape of a paddle emerge.
Next I did a ton of sanding, moving from coarse to fine. Below is what the paddle looked like after all the sanding.
A few months later, after some epoxy to the blade and 3 coats of varnish, voila! We had ourselves a stand up paddle! It's a cool 78" of pure hand-carved elegance--what dreams are made of. Well, it may be a bit asymmetrical, but at least it's functional!
I can't give enough credit to Rob for helping me through this project. Without his expertise I'd be out there using my bare hands or getting splinters from a rough-edged waterlogged 2x4 cut in half. But now, I'm out on the lake at sunrise and sunset, exploring a new world that has literally existed at my doorstep all along. And let me just say, it felt so good to work with tools again (shop class was in 6th grade!), to work with my hands and see fruit start from a seed. This is what island living is all about.
