Oars of Babylon

[Toxophilite]

It didn't rain today, for several hours in a row! so though I only had half the coats of finish on I decided to try out the oars I made.
Culler style but with wider blades. 4 7/8" instead 4.5". Also my square looms ended up smaller.
Glued them up out of spruce(SPF) 1x6 (with 1.25" ripped off one side) that my drummer didn't end up using for a retaliatory flagpole...

The lovely oars the boat came with (browner ones)are spruce and weigh about 5 lbs each (minus locks) and have blades about 4" wide and shafts that are 7/8" wide at the narrowest part.(oval cross section) 9'2" long
They work well but I wanted to try something with a wider blade as there isn't that much open water rowing in my immediate area.

Somehow the oars evolved into culler style oars. the shafts are beefier to down by the blades. Could probably go thinner. (to the spruce dimensions I found for Culler oars though.
They weigh in at around 5.5 lbs each and are 9'1/2" long . In these pictures I just have some leather lashed to them to try them out.
Balanced well and I found they get the boat up to speed faster and seem able to maintain a better cruising speed. Similar top speed bouncing on 3.4 knots.(in a dead calm)
Worked well for sculling off the stern too.
Not by any means perfect, but they seem to do the job so far. Should've hit them with some stain as the spruce is very white.
Might still addd hardwood tips in the future as the blades are thin edged

[Toxophilite]

Making them. I didn't have a table saw so I was ripping on my bandsaw

[Ben Fuller]

Look nice; take a look at the brochure that comes with a Gflex kit. Directions for a bullet proof Gflex and silica oar tip. Proof against Maine rocks.

[Bruce Brown]

For a dressier look, you can put some cross grained hardwood on the tips
2B21666B-8912-4F8A-BE6A-64E7781AD709_1_105_c.jpg

[johngsandusky]

Nice oars mister!

[cstevens]

Very nice! But I want to know about the "retaliatory flagpole". The concept escapes me...

[Toxophilite]

Very nice! But I want to know about the "retaliatory flagpole". The concept escapes me...

Well, it's a little political, involving a neighbour who was an avid flag waving supporter of the 'freedom convoy' of 'truckers' we had up here last year (in reality it was only a tiny percentage of truckers the vast majority of which did not support the convoy. Mostly yahoos complaining about briefly loosing a few 1st world 'freedoms')

My drummer was going to fly the indigenous version of a Canadian flag to annoy the flag flying and waving neighbour whom he had been feuding with, bought the wood and a HUGE router bit, studied mast construction, made one long rip in the 20' board and then wisely decided better of the whole thing. I ended up with 2 10' 2x4.25' boards and the rip that I took home atop my smart car. He still has another 20 footer but it's not nearly as clear. I also made a small removable sprit for 'Lyre' out of the rip which I fly a small jib off of.


I was contemplating inlaying tips, it does look very sharp and I have a large variety of hardwood scraps that would work. If I go that route I will probably butt join a couple pieces of hard locust on and then paint the tips and looms to match the boat.

[cstevens]

Well, it's a little political, involving a neighbour who was an avid flag waving supporter of the 'freedom convoy' of 'truckers' we had up here last year (in reality it was only a tiny percentage of truckers the vast majority of which did not support the convoy. Mostly yahoos complaining about briefly loosing a few 1st world 'freedoms')

My drummer was going to fly the indigenous version of a Canadian flag to annoy the flag flying and waving neighbour whom he had been feuding with, bought the wood and a HUGE router bit, studied mast construction, made one long rip in the 20' board and then wisely decided better of the whole thing. I ended up with 2 10' 2x4.25' boards and the rip that I took home atop my smart car. He still has another 20 footer but it's not nearly as clear. I also made a small removable sprit for 'Lyre' out of the rip which I fly a small jib off of.


I was contemplating inlaying tips, it does look very sharp and I have a large variety of hardwood scraps that would work. If I go that route I will probably butt join a couple pieces of hard locust on and then paint the tips and looms to match the boat.

Ah. I admire your drummer's spirit but have to say that I think the lumber was put to a better use!

[Toxophilite]

Yes indeed, that was the general consensus. He said all the prep, thought, and acquiring of materials were enough to satisfy his initial pique. He's a pretty funny man.

Ah. I admire your drummer's spirit but have to say that I think the lumber was put to a better use!

[Michael_Owen]

Man, that is one pretty boat! And a nice location!

gartside.jpg

Mike

[pez_leon]

Beautiful oars, worthy of a title from the book of revelation! Very nicely done.

- James

[John Meachen]

Nice looking oars.They may be a little heavier than their forebearers,but if the balance is better it hardly matters.As for staining the,wait a few months and they will mellow a bit of their own accord.It may be enough.

[Toxophilite]

Thanks I feel lucky in both regards. She's kind of askew on her aluminium rollers in this photo.

Man, that is one pretty boat! And a nice location!

gartside.jpg

Mike

[Bill Perkins]

Nice oars! Your glueup is interesting . It seems that one 1by6 (ripped to two 2 1/4 in wide lengths or whatever ) and one 1by4 cut into 4 pieces can make up the Culler oar by your method ,which is good to know .

[Toxophilite]

I had 2 10' sections that were 1.5" by 4.25"
As they weren't wide enough for the blades I wanted and they were only really clear near each edge. I ended up ripping both in half, then I had two shafts 2" x 1.5"
I ripped 4 1/4" pieces to glue on either side of the 1.5" thick side to make it 2ish and the ripped the other pieces taht were clear enough into 3/4" x 2" pieces for blades
All on the bandsaw.

Somewhat convoluted but that seemed the most symmetrical way to be the dimensions I wanted with the lumber I had. It would've been way simpler to go find a couple of 12' clearish 1X6 boards with decent grain frankly.

[Bill Perkins]

Yeah ; but making do with the available material is a time honored part of woodworking .

[sp_clark]

It would've been way simpler to go find a couple of 12' clearish 1X6 boards with decent grain frankly.

But not nearly as much fun I'd surmise.

(I love what I can do with my 14" Rockwell 'Extended' myself. Lot's less mess than from the 10" Craftsman tablesaw I bought first, some five decades ago.)

[rbgarr]

"Them's not 'ores. Them's me sisters!!"-- Long John Silver