Subject: Re: [baidarka] Sitka Spruce
From: Wayne Steffens (wsteffen@skypoint.com)
Date: Mon Jan 14 2002 - 12:19:28 EST
----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglas Huft" <douglashuft@earthlink.net>
To: "baidarka mailing list" <baidarka@paddlewise.net>
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 12:37 AM
Subject: [baidarka] Sitka Spruce
> I have a paddle I carved out of Sitka Spruce, The thing is lighter than a
> carbon fiber paddle, not too flexy and strong enough (so far). The only
> downside is it dents easily(not really a problem-it just gives it
character
> and most have a story behind them that they help me to remember). It was a
> pricey stick here in the San Francisco Bay Area and only one lumber yard
> carried this wood and even then it took a while to find the magical piece
> that was the lightest with the tightest grain in the proper orientation
with
> no knots and so on. Here is the question? I dont hear the stuff mentioned
> much on this list. Is there a better more commonly available wood out
there
> that I dont know about? How does this red cedar stuff I keep hearing about
> compare or is just another name for the same stuff? A good enough wood is
OK
> bearing in mind that Doug Fir for example is way too heavy in my paddle
> whittling experience.
> Douglas Huft
> Shields, Dyson Double, "play baidarka" in the works
My current paddle is made of 3/4 inch sitka, with red cedar laminated on the
loom and partway down the blades where extra thickness was needed. It has
been a very durable paddle for me. 2 years ago it started to split near a
tip. I said, need to do something about that, but never did, and I still use
the paddle. Last fall I there was an audible "crack" sound when I rolled up
in surf, and I've used it several times in surf since then!
I built a beautiful paddle out of red cedar-my first ever-but it broke. I've
been
tempted to build another simply because they are sooooo light, but havent. I
might try a white cedar which should be roughly the same. I think cedar is
perfectly adequate for normal paddling, but isnt going to take the same
abuse that other woods might. I dont trust it for rougher conditions.
I built one paddle out of doug fir, but its a heavy lunker that I never use.
I think doug fir would make a very durable paddle though. Might be the wood
of choice for a paddle for a long expedition or very rocky places. Its
tougher wood to work, as
someone else mentioned. not fun to hand plane. I swore I'd never build a
boat with it, yet here I am building a boat with it. I shouldnt swear I
guess.
I built one of white spruce that worked very well for me until it was stolen
along with a fiberglass kayak. I have enough white spruce for my next
several paddles. Its certainly not sitka but its perfectly adequate, from my
one-paddle experience.
Experiment with different woods. You shouldnt have to buy cvg sitka spruce
for every paddle. Its expensive, especially in 2 by's (so laminate 1 x's) ,
and there are other
adequate woods. You can probably get some other good woods (and very cheap)
by going to small local sawmills or even by picking through the spf piles of
2x4's at the lumber yard. You'll probably develop a personal preference
based only in part on the hard physical
data, and mostly on "feel".
Wayne
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