This is a good looking paddle, I like the handle and the blade looks great for surfing

Hi Shep,
all carbon weights are available woven cloth and non woven cloth. They are not cheap around $50 meter for 6oz and the lighter ones are more exspensive.
This is a better pic no shadow.



I have found that this blade is a bit too long for the surf at 450 x 250, the blade has a curved face as well and gives a lot of power, great flatwater blade.

The handle is 36 x 30mm at the handle and blade ends of the shaft. The shaft tapers to 30 x 26 under your bottom hand this is for flex, the balsa was then glassed. The shaft also has a slight bend thru it, completely accidental. This happened when I sliced the timber the grain bent the slices, but I chose the direction of bend. I should may be have had the bend the other way for possibly more flex.

The blade is sheathed with 6oz carbon with carbon rovings around the perimeter if the blade, with a final covering of 4oz eglass over the blade.

The shaft is sheathed with a layer of 250 gram uni carbon with an extra layer of uni on the front and back of the shaft, this to take the tensile and compressive loads. This comes from experience with building and breaking shafts. A final layer of 4ox eglass covers the complete shaft.

I have lent this blade out to any experienced (very few pass my way) paddlers and the common comment was they really liked how the shaft fitted the hand (thickness) but wanted more flex.

I am in the process of making another paddle with a smaller blade and I will post pics of the process. I still have not made up my mind whether to make the blade Dihedral or leave it flat on the face.

Rod

Nice job Rod..Thanks for all the pictures..I often thought about doing something like that.

Have you used many other paddles to see how it compares?

If you ever get to try a Kialoa check out their T grip handle..I like it..You could make one the same.

I think the almost flat against your hand gives better blade controle..It's like Casso said he uses his handle backwards for this reason.

Just a thought...btw..Interesting idea with the mini paddle at the handle end.

DJ

Nice job thats alot of work , did you vacum bag any of it ? I think if you put a diheral on the face and make the blade head a bit smaller and leave everything else as is you will have hit the nail on the head.

Top effort , the balsa on edge in the shaft is what is giving you the extra strength and not letting it flex , just use foam for the next one , it will be alot faster and cheaper to build.

Rob

Rod I think you are under estimating the strength of end grain balsa , that is what they build boats out of in composite sheets with end grain balsa cores. You only need the core for holding the shape while you glass it , the carbon will do the rest thats why all the major paddle manufacturers have hollow shafts..

Why aren't you using epoxy it's heaps stronger than vinylester and even more so if you post cure it (keep heat on during the curing process).This will increase your strength so you can reduce you lay up and reduce the overall weight and costs.

I'd still put a slight kick on the bottom of the paddle.

Keep us posted ,it's great to see someone having such a serious crack at building there own carbon paddles

Rob

This is todays effort at paddle building

The shaping tools


The shaft shows the pencil line for the thickness taper. I am shaping balsa with an angle grinder for fast removal at this stage.


The shaft showing thickness removed with the angle grinder next smooth with 40grit paper


More pencil lines for first stage of making the shaft oval


The new handle 1



The new handle 2


This image is the full shaft and handle roughed out


Removing the octagonal edges with a hand plane to improve oval before final smoothing with sandpaper


I have started to shape the back of the blade and have added fillets to smooth the shaft to blade joint.


Tommorrow is the final shaping and finishing off of the balsa.

Rod

Yeah Great stuff and looking good...Thanks for the pictures and please keep them coming.

DJ

Cool stuff Rod very interesting, can't wait to see more.

Cheers

Champ

Here are the latest Images. I missed yesterday as I was too tuckered out from surfing

This shows the shaft first painted with resin, this helps to wet out the glass and to hold the glass in place


This is of the precut glass after being placed on the shaft


This one shows the glass being wet out, I use a two inch brush


The paddle is turned over in this image and the glass is wrapped around the shaft


This is of the face of the paddle glassed and shows the over hang of glass for the rovings to sit on when the back of the blade is to be glassed.


This is a closeup of the blade showing the overhang of glass


This image is of the dry rovings for the back of the paddle edge


This is a closeup of the sanded shaft before the next layer of cloth is laid


This is the fully sanded paddle


The wet out rovings are in place on the glass overhang on the back of the paddle


The chilli fabric in place and wet out


Carbon strip in place for compression loads and reflex


carbon in place for tensile loads and reflex



Rod

Nice job Rod...... really nice where did you get the chilli fabric ? thats agreat effect. You have actually got me motivated again and I have started the lay up on my sup paddle with a curved shaft.

Rob

DJ , the handle is a bit unusual. It did not come out quite as I imagined, a bit chunky.

Rod

I nearly used an L as well. Its just a bit fat
I do like to sit down after an hour or so and paddle out, lots of my waves are 300mtr, you get a bit tired after U turn 50, thats why the mini paddle.

Rod

Hi Greenroom pm me and we can talk prices and freight.

Rod

Very very nice work Rod.

Go the Sea Eagles