quietwater bent shaft paddle kits
Our kits are made up of four parts - the wood, the liquids (fiberglass cloth is included), the form, and the tools. Each kit is a custom package based on what you want to have for your paddle building project. Some DIY'ers already have the tools and just need the form, wood, and liquids. Others have nothing or are buying it as a gift. So there is a good bit of flexibility involved. Usually a few phone calls or emails go back and forth just to make sure the kit contains what Santa, the gift buyer, or the DIY paddle builder wants. Here are the kit prices. The prices change for each order depending on what each individual order contains.
- #1 - The Wood Strips
- western red cedar - six strips;
- ‘whitish’ wood - four strips - white pine or basswood.
- The ten strips can be used in many different layouts for the two paddles;
- four clear vertical grain western red cedar blanks for two blades. Each piece is shaped roughly like half of a waterdrop;
- purpleheart accent pieces;
- two rough-shaped western red cedar handles. You finish them off; This is the heart of the matter. You are buying only the wood you will need for two paddles. You don't have to buy the entire board(s) from which you would only take a few pieces. You don't need a table saw or band saw to rip the pieces. You don't have to stand wood blanks on edge to rip the blade blanks.
- #2 - The Liquids
- West GFlex two part epoxy for assembling the rough paddle. This also makes a great tip guard for the blade!
- MAS two part epoxy for glassing both sides of both paddle blades
- four pieces of four ounce plain weave fiberglass cloth for the blade and the lower shaft
- bowls, mixing sticks and brushes for applying the epoxy Again, you are buying only the amounts that you need for two paddles. Fiberglass epoxy and resin typically come in quart or larger quantities. They are intended for boad-sized projects. I buy those large sizes and repackage into smaller bottles. The kit comes with the smaller amounts you need for the two paddles. The epoxy and resin are both packages in spout-tip bottle for easy use.
- #3 - The Form
- Engineered wood that resists warping
- pre-cut 12 degree bend ramp
- alignment bars
- clamps
- Prior to shipping, holes are predrilled and pieces are installed. Parts and holes are numbered, and the form is then taken apart and shipped,
- If you are set on a different angle (e.g. 8 or 14 degrees) just let me know and I will include a bend ramp cut to your desired angle.
- #4 - The Tools
- spokeshave
- Surform
- variety of sandpaper and blocks to hold the paper
- a round wood rasp
- a set of scrapers
- wax paper Optional add-on tools include:
- small portable vise
- clamps
- drawknife Lots of flexibility here. Keep in mind that shipping heavy tools can be expensive. Some paddlemakers will have all the tools, others will have none or want to buy the tools locally. It's all good.
Basic tools include:
You Supply:
If you buy the form as part of the kit you are pretty much set.
If you opt not to buy the form then you need to supply weights of some sort and or clamps, OR
something else that will work to weigh down the wood strips while the epoxy dries.
Kit options and costs