Don,

I recommend getting vertical grained cedar and using that for the entire paddle. Fir will add a lit of weight. To get more stiffness, leave the center ridge thicker. If it is still a little too heavy, try hollowing out the area between the ridge and the edges to a concave shape like an Aleut paddle. With careful shaping you can get the weight way down and still maitain a lot of stiffness and strength.

As far as laminations, I don't think Greg uses them, I think he prefers a one piece blank. I like using cedar laminations, 2x2s and 1x2s. Whenever I go to the lumberyard, I look though the stacks and pick out the clear, straight vertical grained pieces (I always leave the stack tidier than I found it). Laminations make up for some imperfections in the wood, but any runout or flat grain is still a weakness that has to be compensated for with more thickness, i.e. weight.

Mike

: What a timely post, Thanks again Greg!

: My redwood paddle that was bent is good enought to duplicate with a laminated
: fir/cedar version for more stiffness. I have a 1/4" cedar for the
: middle, and two 3/8" fir peices for the outer laminations. I noticed,
: in choosing the grains, that the vertical grain fir is heavier than the
: flat grained one, so I picked another and planed it down. I have a choice,
: to use one flat-grained and one "run-off" in the laminate, or
: one vertical to sub on either side. Or, I can scour the bone pile and find
: another vertical piece. The run-off piece is thru the thickness, not
: across the width. I'm inclined to use it and the vertical one.

: In a lamination, are the grain orientations as critical? Will it tend to be
: more flexible one way or the other if I dont match the outer layers? And
: does the run-off still tend to break in a lamination? And, would you think
: a thicker cedar middle would be better? I dont know much about mixing the
: characteristics of different woods, I'm after a paddle that is as light as
: the redwood, but less flexible. I havent glued it up yet, so now is a good
: time to throw wood in the fire. Thanks!

: .