[putting together the hull]
1. cutting & shaping the blanks >
2. turning them round >
3. shaping the blades >
4. adding leather wraps >
5. welding my oar towers >
cutting & shaping the blanks
august, 2022
This project was super time-crunched, I had to get at least two oars done in time for the Maiden voyage of the Odonata in September. It took ages for the ash I'd ordered to come in so by the time it arrived I had a month to bang these things out. Given that this was my first pair of oars, it was quite the task!
I used 8/4" ash as the primary wood for my oars, ash is light & springy so it can stand up well to the abuse oars see in the water. I planed them, drew out my oar shape, & rough cut them using a chop saw.
The maximum thickness of the oar shaft is 2-3/8", in order to get that thickness you need to laminate additional wood onto your blanks. It's common to use walnut for this because it creates a nice contrast with the pale colored ash.