: Everyone comes up emply handed with Sitka Spruce. Construction grade spruce
: is fine. Many times you can by a 2 x 6 x 8' and find a clear run with no
: knots for a shaft. Fir is fine too. I used straight grained fir closet
: poles and made paddles with strip blades.
Here in Queensland, such items as cedar, pine (the pine that is available is a quick growing breed ... very very poor quality) and other good kayak-type woods are almost non-existant. I am building a Guillemot using spar quality Oregon Pine (the Aussie name for Douglas Fir) and don't like that wood much either. I got it at a great price as the wood was off-cuts from a boat yard and already cut in perfect sized strips. Waste wood for them, I was glad to take it off their hands.
However I'll have to do some searching for adequate lumber for paddles. Your comment about closet poles caught my eye. My question is, how did you acquire the 60 or 70 degree offset Nick recommends for the paddle blades? How does one reach that offset ... for once Nick's explanation left me totally puzzled.
Thanks