: I would like to experiment with making my own Greenland paddles. I
: am thinking being able to laminate pieces may make for better
: paddles. Glue up the best of the wood I can locate rather than
: settle for just OK because it is large enough in one piece.

: So thoughts on that? I have a Sears Craftsman table saw. If I get a
: good blade and set it up correctly will that edge be OK for
: laminating?
: And how about Titebond vs resin. Not sure if I will glass the
: paddle or not.
: Thanks for the help
: 2 SOF's built still working on the CLC kit stitch and glue kit
: boat.

If you set up the saw correctly and the arbor doesn't have too much runout (not likely on a Sears) and the blade is sharp and not warped, then sure it will work. But it will look better if you joint the edges.

Jointers are a pet peeve of mine. IMHO they are only for production shops that make a lot of glued up table tops and such. They have have a large foot print for essentially a single function tool. They are noisy and dusty. Get yourself a used Bailey #7 or #8 hand plane on eBay and you will have a more versitile tool that doesn't take up nearly as much room in your shop. More important: long, curled shavings coming off a well tuned hand plane is one of the greatest joys of woodworking, if not in all of life's experiences.

The Lie-Nielsen #8 is essentially a Bailey #8. Awesome tool that will work great out of the box, but at $500 a bit pricy. Their online catalog has a great primer on handplanes.

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?grp=1265

If you get one on ebay make sure that niether the base nor the "frog" are cracked, bent, or warped! You can fix the handles and knobs with epoxy. New blades and chipbrakers that are better than original are available on-line.