Despite the growing interest in making paddles and canoes, it is difficult to find reliable information for that craft. For the how-to beginner, a paddle represents the perfect challenge, both finite and functional. For the skilled woodworker, the opportunity to experiment with design and technique to create a tailor-made product that perfectly suits a paddler's needs is a dream come true. In Canoe Paddles: A Complete Guide to Making Your Own, longtime canoeist and woodworker Graham Warren provides detailed information and guidance to make a canoe paddle that will be used with confidence and cherished for generations. The book is thoroughly illustrated with photographs, line drawings and plans with measurements for: How to make a paddle having a single blade, a bent shaft, or double blades; How to protect a paddle with oil or varnish; What to look for when test-driving a paddle; How to decorate a paddle; How to care for and repair a paddle.The book also covers: Paddle design - grips, shaft, blade, flexibility, weight, balance; Paddle woods and adhesives; Hand tools, power tools and homemade tools, carving and finishing tools; Making the paddle - size, design, mark out, cut and carve; Paddle plans, including Beavertail, Voyageur, Algonquin, Whitewater, Bent-shaft, Double-blade, Child's; Templates for grips, tips and blades; Materials sources. The authors include an appreciation of the evolution of the paddle plus a special chapter by renowned canoe-building teacher David Gidmark, which celebrates paddle-making in the native American tradition.

About the Author
Graham Warren has been building wood-canvas canoes and paddles since 1991. His articles on canoeing have appeared in many journals. David Gidmark teaches canoe building in Wisconsin, New York, Tahiti and Quebec. His previous books include Building a Birchbark Canoe and Birchbark Canoe: Living Among the Algonquin.

Reviews
'Canoe Paddles makes it possible for many of us novice woodworkers to create our own personal paddles. Whether you are making a paddle from a single piece of wood or a laminated paddle consisting of several pieces, this comprehensive book will show you the way... An excellent book for creating beautiful, functional paddles' N. Glenn Perrett, Metroland North blog; 'This book combines practical woodworking technique with practical canoe use experience... Covers every single aspect of canoe paddle building' Sawdust and Shavings.



Book Information
ISBN 9781552095256
Author Graham Warren
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Firefly Books Ltd
Publisher Firefly Books Ltd