Oar design / drawings required.

[Don Gray]

Hi Guys & Gals,
Having built & been sailing my Swallow Boats Osprey over this summer - and having a great time doing so , my next project is to make a set of oars for her. So any recommended designs / drawings and methods of construction for lightweight oars about 8 ft long would be greatly appreciated. They don't have to be racing sculls as I am a total novice at rowing!!

Regards, Don Gray.

[almeyer]

Don,
I'm on the wrong computer right now, but I've found web sites that give dimensions for a set of 9' oars by R. Culler, and what I believe are some 7' oars by Jim Michalak (sp?). If you go googling you should be able to find them. Culler also published a book some time ago that has drawings for 8' oars. As was noted on another thread, the book is long out of print, but if you've got access to a good library they can get it through interlibrary loan.
I made my own 8-footers from douglas fir, and they don't seem too heavy at all. I've also got an canoe paddle that was made with a 1/4" ash layer laminated on either side with western red cedar. Pretty and super light! I believe Bob Smalsher also used cedar on his oars. Do a search thingy on the forum, Bob wrote an excellent couple of threads on oar making, with lots of pictures.
Al

[raycon]

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/
Read this months issue -- it has an article on paddle construction which may help out with oar construction.

[Mike B]

Hi Al,

I think the book your talking about is:

Boats, Oars, and Rowing - by R. D Culler
International Marine Pub., nd, c1978, 149 pp w/index, B & W photographic & other illus.

There are a few copies available, prices seem to run mid $40's to the mid $70's. Not a common title, but can be found. (I deal in odd, out-of-print non-fiction titles, so I get access to some unusual databases).

If anyone is looking for a copy of an OOP title, drop me a note and I'll do me best to at least let you know where you can find it.

Mike B

[Chris Stewart]

Basic oars:
http://homepages.apci.net/~michalak/1nov03.htm

Beautiful oars:
http://media5.hypernet.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=009692

[Dave Gray]

Also
Bateau free oars (http://www.bateau.com/free/simple_oars.html)

[almeyer]

Culler's oar pattern:
Culler 9-foot oars (http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Geyser/6383/oar.htm)

Michalak's oar pattern, about three-quarters down thru the article:
Michalak 7-foot oars (http://www.boatbuilding-links.de/Jim-Michalak/oar-building-and-rowing.htm)

[Don Gray]

Well, thanks to everyone for their input & help. I never knew there was so much info out there - and more importantly - so readliy accessible. This forum thingy is great, I'm sure there is something suitable there.

Regards, Don.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

I have made, over time, two pairs of oars to the RD Culler pattern and find them excellent. A couple of Culler tips in the book, not on the drawing, are:

1. Note the counter-taper of the hand grips; this is vital.

2. Don't varnish the grips unless you want blisters (anyone who has done competitive rowing will agree!)

3. You can adjust the weight balance by boring into the end of the grips with a 3/4" auger and adding a lead plug, then dowelling it over.

4. If you can teach yourself to do it, rowing with oars which cross each other is efficient.

5. The longer, the better.

[John Meachen]

If you are unable to source the Culler book in England,John Leather included a couple of small dimensioned drawings in his book "Sail and Oar".

[Yanis Abols]

The Woodenboat store sells plans for oars of various length.

[Bill Perkins]

Don Mystic sells the original scaled drawings of Culler's oars. I ordered the page on a set of Culler's 8 ft. oars drawn by R.A.Pittaway . They have more dimentions describing the blade and handle than the set linked to on another post . They also come with 2 typed pages of instructions .
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid69/pa6220290379448b5d996033d0bb2f0f3/fbb0866f.jpg

The scale is large ; an unusuall 2 in. = 1 ft. Details like the grip and the crosssections can be scanned , cropped tight so they'll print out on 8 1/2 by 11 in. paper , enlarged 600% ,and printed out as full sized patterns .

Here are some Culler handles with the reverse flair mentioned by Andrew. http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid69/pc4b5ef5c188d379cd2a6ff48a7c0abb4/fbb087fb.jpg

and a brief quote from Boats ,Oars, and Rowing :

"I like my oars square in section between the grip and where the leathers start; they roll around less in the boat and help keep the weight inboard. I try to avoid blade heaviness at all costs. Some prefer an 8-square rather than a 4-square section. This is fine, but you are losing weight where you don't want to . You can have it round here, too, but to get proper balance requires gluing on extra wood to make up the weight. Making it square is far simpler.
I dress the square section first, checking it with a try square, then chamfer the corners a little. Then I work up the complete grip, by eye and feel, fully finishing it, including sanding. Next I strike a centerline on both sides, starting about where the square will start turning to round (at the leather), and right down the flat side of blade to its end. where the square is to stop, based on my pattern, a plan, or a notion, I lay out an 8-square slightly beyond the leather; from here on you fudge with a straightedge down to the neck, which should be a pronounced oval fore and aft at right angles to the blade.
/ How much of an 0',(;11 is a matter of judgment. Have plenty of wood; you can always take it off. The up-and down section, where there is no pulling strain, can be l-inch thick or somewhat under (keep thinking about weight). Lay out a centerline on the edges of the blades, then another set of lines to give about 3/16-inch blade thickness at the edges when finished. At this time I also cut the blade end to the shape I favor, which is a shallow, roof-like angle. Some prefer round or other shapes for their blade ends,.
I now cut down the 8-square and work it into a round until just below the leathers. Keep in mind the thickness of leathers to be used and the size of the oarlocks you are stuck with. There is a limited selection of oarlocks available now, but more on this later. Next, I work down the shaft, developing the start of a ridge at the centerline right off and keeping it increasingly pronounced. After I work down near the neck, it's time to turn to the blade, working much hollow from the ridge. As the blade develops, it will be quite apparent how to work it into the ridged shaft. Take your time here.
When the first oar is fairly well shaped out and still covered with plane and shave marks, most of them rather bold, I pu t it aside. I then work down the other oar in the same v.;ay. When this is done, I compare the two for equality. I check for heft, put the blades on the floor....".

[ 08-28-2004, 05:28 PM: Message edited by: Bill Perkins ]