From: "James Mitchell" <mariner@seanet.com>
To: <baidarka@lists.intelenet.net>
Subject: Re: baidarka (no subject)
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 1999 21:18:40 -0700
Gerald, those sound really pretty. And strong.
I have been working with the Aleut designs, trying to learn from them by
building the blades I see in the various studies, and testing them. Am
starting on one to fit Wolfgang Brink's pattern in his book, and 84" x
3-1/2" blade that appears to hail from the Leningrad boat from Unalaska (his
baidarka design is based on the Lowie boat from Adak). I have just
completed a replica of the leaf-shaped Lowie paddle, or at least as close to
it as I think I can handle -- I took about four inches off the shaft length
as I am far from matching the physique of an Aleut! My favorite blades so
far are based on the Kotzebue blade that Zimmerly captured in his models,
which are currently on display in Juneau. It appears to be an 8-foot hybrid
of the leaf upper form with the blunt end of the Unalaska blade, in a fairly
short but wider shape (4-1/2" approx.). That blade seems to have a good
balance of the acceleration of an Inuit blade, the Aleut sweeping stroke,
and with the completely silent entry of an Aleut touring stroke.
Will be testing some blades in two weeks off Vancouver Island. Will keep you
posted.
----- Original Message -----
From: Gerald Maroske <gumaroske@email.uni-kiel.de>
To: <baidarka@lists.intelenet.net>
Sent: Monday, June 21, 1999 1:51 AM
Subject: Re: baidarka (no subject)
> Send me a photo when you get it done! Oh, one other thing I have seen
done
> around here is to tip an Inuit blade with nylon, much as they once did
with
> ivory.
I laminate epoxy/glass tips for my greenland paddles. They are a bit
translucent
(looks good, 'cause I am not a purist). I did that for my seal starts on
gravel
beaches.
Normally I laminate my paddle the way that the glue plane is rectangular to
the
blade's work face.
Once I did it the other way (along the work face) I found the paddle was not
really stiff enough and the outrunning laminated woodstrips are difficult to
sand in a goodlooking manner.
I think the lamination should be done in the way the grain of the wood for a
one-piece paddle runs.
Gerald
-- Gerald U. Maroske gumaroske@email.uni-kiel.de Inst. f. Geosciences Univ. Kiel, Germany Phone: 0431 / 880 4678 http://elwood.gpi.uni-kiel.de/index.html FAX: 0431 / 880 4376