: Great work from Shawn and Bill.

: Don't know if this would work, but looking at the x-sectn in the last foto,
: what if you made the strips about 3 or 4 in LONGER than the completed
: WHOLE paddle, didn't put ANY epoxy in the last 20 in or so at each end and
: did exactly as before w/ clamps etc all the way along even the unglued
: ends to keep it all together. After setup, dismantle and you have a 20 in
: of floppy strips at the ends. Steam the fzck out of the longer
: ones(careful double curvature) and form in the outside profile of the
: blade (these longer ones, because of the twist always line up w/ the blade
: edges), use the inner ones to keep the lines going, and just use the usual
: strip process to strip in between to the outside perimeter ones! Sandwich
: the glass betw the six ctr strips or cut off. It'll prob work great, be
: quick and give a really, really unified blade and shaft. Lots of scope to
: strip design in between the profile strips and still keep unification.

: The other paths to unification would be to use a symetrical xsect w/ all
: strips the same size, and do the same as above but NO or hardly any twist
: and use the strips at 45deg or at 90deg to form the paddle profiles. Then
: the strips are straight and yet still run around and into the blades.

: I haven't seen too many custom paddles, so maybe pple are doing it.

: -mick

Gee Mick

I was thinking about you when I was looking for something smaller to use as a support for the innertube... vinyl coated clothsline tied to the rear bumper of my rambler or something. Anyway I made a small sample of some 1/8" thick cedar and found it didn't work so well eight sided ..but ten sided and a 54 degree cut I got something I will have to try . Maybe I could put Nicads in each end with mercury switchs and bright L.E.D 's so the blade that was in the air would be lit and a small solar cell on each blade for recharging in the daytime when the paddle was stored horizontal,it would kinda be like those running shoes. Or make provisions for those pulleys they use on compound bows and string it with Dacron for launching small harpoons at those orcas that mistake you for a large surface plug...WWWWHOOOA ... that cedar really is toxic!!

Later

Bill