: Don Beale, I'm sorry to announce the demise of one of your
: "children". The long-shafted cedar Greenland paddle you let me
: take home from R2K1? Alas, I overstressed it.
.....
: and I had gotten into shallow water near the beach. So I tried to push off
: the bottom. Oops. Snap - right at one blade/loom joint, about an inch from
: the shoulder. That'll teach me to try to cheat.

Last winter I asked this board about paddles been broken in use, and one typical case was just this. Seems like WRC is susceptiple to break at this joint.

Maybe a month back I asked about Obechi, a tropical wood, and was cordially advised to check the US Forestry Service WEBsite, where I found interesting data sheets on various woods, WRC included. Seems like it has poor strength when "used as a beam", which is what the loom of a solid paddle is.

So if I were to laminate, I'd make the loom my main concern. In fact I have made a greenland paddle (spruce) where only the loom is laminated, and also hollow. Relatively light, very stiff, strong.

So, maybe blades of WRC, tips of hardwood, hollow spruce loom? Hardwoods in the loom seem exessive, over-kill to me, since the thickness (large hands) will already give strength, if a weak wood is not used.

risto