What is the best material for canoe paddles?
Wood: Beautiful, responsive and warm to the touch, wood is by far the most popular material for canoe paddles. Laminates enhance performance by combining the best characteristics of different soft and hard woods. Many have a layer of fiberglass over the blade for added strengh or a tip guard to improve durability. Maple is strong, flexible and results in a clean vibrant paddle. One of the more ideal woods for paddles, it’s light weight like cherry, slightly more durable than cherry but not as aesthetically pleasing as cherry. With the lighter colour wood the wood grain tends to be less prominent.Walnut is a very aesthetically pleasing wood and is typically as light weight as cherry. Durable like cherry, but absolutely stunning color. Walnut is well paired with a Quill or Ray Special! Walnut is extremely costly so expect an up charge in paddle price.Basswood, roasted basswood, red alder and maple are the woods we use in all our wooden canoe paddles (and in our wooden kayak paddles). The woods we use are all sourced locally here in the American Midwest. Basswood is light, quite strong and very consistent in terms of look, density and cost.
What is the best epoxy for canoe paddles?
SilverTip Epoxy is designed for use with fiberglass, Kevlar®, Dynel® and graphite as well as on bare wood, making it ideal for paddle and oar repair. It has superior wet-out characteristics with little tendency to foam or trap air. One of the only downsides to epoxy is that it is more expensive than polyester and vinyl ester resin. It can be used with carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass cloth (NOT compatible with chopped strand mat).We know polyester gelcoat can be used over WEST SYSTEM Epoxy. As Jeff Wright wrote in “Polyester Over Epoxy” in Epoxyworks 22: “As with many products, the surface must be prepared properly: if it is not, then poor curing and adhesion may result. Polyester materials can be affected by amines in the epoxy hardener.When it comes to epoxy vs. WEST SYSTEM Epoxy is the better choice for repairing fiberglass boats. It has excellent adhesive qualities, wets out fiberglass fabrics and it is tough. It has great thin film cure characteristics, cures in cool temperatures and has a long shelf life.
What type of wood is best for paddles?
Ash Paddles and Oars For paddling ash is a perfect choice and we recommend this wood to most of the paddlers who call. Ash is indigenous to Maine and is very strong, in fact, the strongest of the hardwoods we offer. Ash provides long straight grains and is very tough. There are only a couple of species of wood that are heavier than water. Ash, cherry, and walnut will all float, as will any other wood commonly used for paddle making.
What is the toughest canoe material?
Made from composite Basalt/Innegra cloth covered in high impact-resistant vinylester resin, TuffStuff canoes are incredibly durable. TuffStuff is a cutting edge proprietary composite made of basalt and Innegra fibers. Basalt fibre is made of melted basalt rock and Innegra is a fibre consisting mostly of polypropylene. When they are woven together into a cloth and infused with our high impact vinylester resin system, the result is simply amazing!
What is the best finish for a canoe paddle?
What Kind Of Varnish Should I Use To Varnish My Canoe Paddle? We recommend a high quality marine spar varnish or an exterior polyurethane with UV protection for a durable and weather-resistant finish. There are many varieties on the market – ask your local paint expert for what is the best choice available to you. Polyurethane varnish is fast and easy, but marine spar varnish is much tougher. Preparation: Sand lightly (not back to bare wood), then polish with progressively finer grits of sandpaper until the surface is baby-bottom smooth. Two coats of marine spar varnish (sand lightly between coats) are enough.With a dry paddle: Sand the area you want to repair with a fine abrasive until that area is smooth and dull. If there’s any wood damage, use more aggressive grit (100-120) and remove any discoloration to the wood. Then follow it up with fine grit (220).Sand down chipped areas and damaged spots with 80 grit sanding disc, removing all loose varnish and wood oxidation. Smooth out with 120 grit sanding disc. Rough up all surfaces with 320 grit sanding disc and apply the first coat of spar varnish. Let cure for 12 hours at 65°F or warmer.
How thick should a canoe paddle blade be?
Most shafts on canoe paddles are approximately 1. Slightly thicker is better (between 1. I used a planer to thin them down but not everyone has one of these. Longer paddles generate more leverage, which means more power and spin. This is why elongated paddles are preferred by pros. However, power isn’t everything — if you can’t control it, you’ll struggle with consistency.The design idea behind a bent shaft paddle is for your forward strokes to be more efficient over a long day of paddling. It specializes in the forward stroke, creating less drag in the water than a straight shaft paddle. This can be a big deal for people with shoulder, arm or wrist issues.The canoe paddle’s purpose If you are going to be doing most of your paddling on flatwater lakes, choose an ottertail or beavertail blade shape. The beavertail shape has a rounded blade tip and a nearly consistent width until it tapers off towards the neck.On the other hand if you’re making your own paddle AND if getting somewhere quickly matters to you, or strong and quick maneuvers are essential, stick to a thicker blade; 1/4 of an inch at the edges will work.