Oars

I ripped 4 pieces of the yellow pine at 1-1/2 inches.  It's 3/4inches thick and 5'6" long.  I then glued them up.  I am still using the Gorilla Glue.  I have become partial to the ease of use.  I still don't know how long it will last.

Today I drilled the loom for dowels that I hope will add some strength to the blades.

Dowels for blades go thru the loom

The blades are made from the same stock as the pieces I made the looms from.  Each piece is 18" long by 3/4"x1-1/2".

glueing one oar at a time as I only have 3 clamps large enough.  The lines for the finish shape are just visible
on the blades

 The blade will be about 4-1/2 inches wide and somewhere less than 3/4 inches thick.

Rough oars.

I am thinking I will trim the shaft down to about 1-1/4 inch just above the blades, but after the position of the oar leathers I will keep the square is shape, the full 1-1/2 inches, to help balance the weight.  I also have always wanted a set of oars with the square loom.  They look so traditional!  Of coarse I will trim down at the handle, maybe to about an inch again.

I am thinking about making the oars have a set position, like the racers use, by keeping the flat sides where the oar rest on the oar lock so that the oar "falls" into flat and vertical.  We'll see.

tomorrow I can glue up the other oar and start shaping the first one!