Paddel from a pallet

[birdbrain57]

Now that i have got the hang of posting pictures i just want to show you a canoe paddle i made a couple of weeks ago its made from an old pallet i got out of a skip.The boards was 59 inches long by 5 inches wide and 1 inch thick,there were a few nail holes at the bottom so i filled them with epoxy then burned a picture over the top to diguise them.It weighs in at 2kg is this to heavy to use or have i wasted 3 hours of my time.

 

[Mesquite]

That's a really nice bit of work

 

[Zingmo]

3 hours! I'm impressed. I guess the only thing is to get in the boat and try it out. The grip end looks like it might prove to be a bit uncomfortable to me. If it's a good one, it will become a favourite with a story attached; if it snaps it will become... firewood!

Z

 

[Shewie]

That is very cool, 2kg does sound a bit on the heavy side but I've never weighed any of mine so it might be spot on.

Agree with Zingmo about the handle, just round it off a bit more and taper it in a touch more where it meets the shaft. Some strokes require you to rotate the handle in your palm and that would soon get sore with those sharp edges.

Great work though mate it has to be said

 

[mrcharly]

Impressive work and impressive pallet wood!

 

[birdbrain57]

Thanks for the input lads will do that.I will try something different on the next one.Ihave a few boards left.

 

[al21]

You've made a lovely job of that! 2kg is pretty heavy though, still, it'll save you some time at the gym! I've a paddle which I regard as being on the heavy side and I've just weighed that and it comes in at 1.1kg. It came with a sailing dinghy I have though, so it is intended to move a much bigger weight than a canoe. To give some idea of canoe paddles, my favourite paddle, an otter tail in walnut weighs 0.7kg. Don't get down-hearted about the weight though, you've a thing of beauty there and that 0.7kg is really at the lighter end of the scale and intended for use in deep water paddling and well away from rocks.

You clearly get better quality pallets up your way!

I'd rub the sharp corners on the upper grip with some sandpaper to remove the pointy bits too.

Al

 

[birdbrain57]

Just got a lend of some decent scales it only weighs 1.1kg

 

[al21]

Just got a lend of some decent scales it only weighs 1.1kg

Jobs a goodun then! Use it with pride.

Al

 

[sasquatch]

Was going to say 2kg sounded too heavy for a piece of pine! Looks a real beauty, if it doesn't work mount it on a wall in the den! Can't see why it wouldn't work though, thanks for sharing...

 

[Tadpole]

Was going to say 2kg sounded too heavy for a piece of pine! Looks a real beauty, if it doesn't work mount it on a wall in the den! Can't see why it wouldn't work though, thanks for sharing...

Pretty sure that is not pine...

 

[OliveDrabnotDPM]

BB57 that's seriously good! I agree, you must get a better class of pallet up there! Maybe I should stop by on my way North next time ...... Any top tips on where and what to look for? I'd like to give making a paddle another go and now that I have lots of time (made redundant) but not much money (ditto) a pallet would be an ideal resource.
Duncan

 

[Hedgehog]

Looks like a fine job to me.

Pretty sure that is not pine...

Most likely Poplar.

Great for bow drill base boards too

 

[birdbrain57]

No tips really it was just the size that that got me.Was going to use it for shelves then put the sander over it and discovered the lovely grain pattern.

 

[Barn Owl]

Don't know about the weight but it's a work of art to my eyes.

 

[nuggets]

it `looks` like a tropical hardwood but not sure on type ??? Plywood sheet manufactures from malaysia etc use the same hard wood to make the pallets at the mill for export !!

 

[Hedgehog]

it `looks` like a tropical hardwood but not sure on type ??? Plywood sheet manufactures from malaysia etc use the same hard wood to make the pallets at the mill for export !!

Looking again I imagine you are right. It ain't poplar.

 

[Tadpole]

many years ago (Ok back in 2003) when I drove a fork truck, we use to get all kind of pallets, from Pine and compressed paper to chinese teak and chinese Mahogany. the good stuff was pinched, but you had to be carefull as lots of the wood was soaking in some nasty chemicals to make them fire Resistant

 

[JJJ]

That would certainly look fantastic mounted on the wall above my fire place. Each to their own but it doesn't look uncomfortable to paddle with to me. As to the weight, it also looks like a dense non native wood to me. It made me think though. How to reduce the weight of such a finely ornate paddle. How about cutting out shapes from the blade. I seem to remember ( decades ago ! ) seeing Polynesian paddles with holes in, stones mounted and intricate carving of very dense, and therefore heavy woods.
Thanks for posting Birdbrain57. I have just made a new workshop out of pallets due west of you. Got one left and you have got me thinking. In this case it might be getting a case of getting a paddle before my first canoe in decades. Yep it's about time!
Cheers John

 

[bb07]

Very nice work. Certainly something to be proud of. Would you mind telling us what tools you used?