Subject: Re: baidarka FW: Aleut Paddle
From: James Mitchell (mariner@seanet.com)
Date: Thu Dec 21 2000 - 18:38:43 EST
Oooh, I hate to recommend this to anybody. It is a special cutter I built
up myself with the help of a machine shop (the cutter alone was nearly
$500). Tricky, expensive, dangerous as hell. A panel cutter won't do it.
This is more like a 2" high cove cutter with a long straight side set at 8
degrees. If you really want to go there, I will send you some photos after I
come back from Alaska. You will need a pretty health shaper for this, at
least 2 hp. I am using a 220v Grizzly. Ask me again next year!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Childersmith, Gary" <GChildersmith@providence.org>
To: <baidarka@lists.intelenet.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2000 11:51 PM
Subject: baidarka FW: Aleut Paddle
> James Mitchell,
>
> I have access to a shaper. It is in my garage and I am just learning to
> make some window frames. So far, I have all my fingers. What type of
> cutter are you using for "scooping" your paddle blanks? Is it a type of
> raised panel cutter? I'd rather be making paddles than window frames.
>
> Gary Childersmith
> GChildersmith@providence.org
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Mitchell
> To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
> Sent: 12/19/00 9:17 PM
> Subject: Re: baidarka Aleut Paddle
>
> I already done did the scooping. That's what the shaper is for. The
> power
> face is essentially done.
>
> Now.... OK, that's a maybe. The "Maybe" is if you want to accept my
> "short
> cut" ridge shape for now. I have stopped making the ridge as sharp as I
> used to. I am going now for a rounded ridge that is more the resultant
> size
> of the grooved ridge that Lew uses on the center of the paddle. You can
> take my blank, round that ridge down to Lew's dimensions, and with a
> narrow
> gouge put in his center groove. Or you can do what I am doing, just
> round
> that ridge off.
>
> Performance wise, I think the rounded ridge is fine; at least within our
> ability to test so far. We are doing more tests to try to determine the
> real function of the ridge at different angles of attack. I have found
> that
> the sharp ridge may be a contributor to flutter, whereas the rounded
> ridge
> seems to draw less critically.
>
> Lew's grooved ridge seems to perform just the same as the rounded ridge.
> Lew thinks (and I am not disagreeing; but have no evidence either way
> yet)
> that the center groove adds power to the stroke. I dunno. I do know
> that I
> am really pleased with the rounded ridge that I have been using. It
> seems to
> make the paddle especially friendly in a low brace, where it skims the
> water
> gracefully. In a high or sculling brace, the paddle seeks its own
> proper
> angle of attack. That is very sweet in practice. Lew and I agree that
> my
> blade pulls a bit more smoothly than his, with considerably less flutter
> --
> due largely, I think, to the dihedral angle; however it is possible that
> the
> ridge is affecting flutter. It is hard to compare actual pulling force
> without some objective measuring gear. Bottom line: Lew is one hell of a
> speedster; he can pull away from me any time he wishes, using either
> paddle.
>
> AND now that we have finally got ourselves all nice and comfy, I dug
> through
> David Zimmerly's web site and extracted a large copy of the MAE hulls
> (Lenningrad) from Akun, collected about 1845. Both drawings show a
> similarly shaped Aleut paddle, a variation on the blade that Lew drew up
> and
> that we have been making and testing. These blades are slightly longer
> at
> 100" (250-254cm), and about 3-3/4" width. The blade portion appears to
> average about 39", as opposed to our present 33". The loom may be 2 "
> shorter, running about 22" to our present 24". Result: a monster blade.
> I
> made a template last night. This blade will fit the same shaper setup
> as I
> am using for the present Aleut paddle, so I will make one from a couple
> of
> the clear 2x6's that I picked up at the lumber yard a couple weeks ago.
> This
> one may pull my arms off, we shall see. But what we may have here is a
> really high power Aleut blade. I am calling this one the Akun blade.
> Lew,
> if you are listening, do you know where your blade came from? Can you
> tell
> us more about that?
>
> Dotter1.com, the Juneau Jewel, has apparently joined the kayak club up
> there. They have been drooling over her boat, and asking paddle
> questions.
> So she is getting my latest Aleut paddle for Xmas. If you are around
> Juneau,
> this will be a chance to try the blade. I will be there from the 22nd to
> the
> 29th, so if you want to come talk kayaks, I will meet you at Valentines
> any
> day I am not skiing!
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Samson Family" <bill.samson@tesco.net>
> To: <baidarka@lists.intelenet.net>
> Sent: Monday, December 18, 2000 8:00 AM
> Subject: Re: baidarka Aleut Paddle
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: James Mitchell <mariner@seanet.com>
> > <snip>
> > >All you
> > >will need is a low angle block plane, or a good belt sander.
> >
> > Will that be adequate to generate the scooped out bits either side of
> the
> > ridge? Or will some kind of rounded-sole plane be necessary?
> >
> > Bill
> >
> > -
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> >
>
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