Oar Making - June 5, 12, 13 2010
Class announcement
We will be making oars based on a R. D. “Pete” Culler design taken from his book “Boats, Oars and Rowing”. We expect that you will complete one oar in class and make significant progress on the second, which you will complete at home. The plans call for nominal 8 foot oars but the basic design can lengthened or shortened to meet your needs.
Pete Culler made his oars out of ¾ inch planks glued up to the required thickness; we will be using 8/4 rough lumber and gluing up to get the correct width. Unless you make prior arraignments, you will make 8 foot oars out of Douglas Fir. Oars can also be made out of Ash, Spruce and Western Red Cedar. Ash will be heavy and take all the abuse you can throw at it. Western Red Cedar will be lighter than the other choices but it won’t take any abuse at all.
The first class on June 5th is our prep meeting. We will be preparing our oar blanks, making the blade and handle patterns, making a spar gauge, talking about tools that will be needed and sharpening our tools. There will be a demonstration on how to 8 side, 16 side and round an oar or spar.
The second class is June 12th. We will start to shape our oars by first cutting out the face and then the edge.
The third class is June 13th. We will complete the first oar and we should make significant progress on the second. There will be a demonstration on how to leather an oar.
The cost of the class is $175 for members and $185 for non-members which include materials. All classes start at 9 AM and will end before 5 PM. The instructors are Randy Torgerson and Steve Mahoney.
Pete Culler made his oars out of ¾ inch planks glued up to the required thickness; we will be using 8/4 rough lumber and gluing up to get the correct width. Unless you make prior arraignments, you will make 8 foot oars out of Douglas Fir. Oars can also be made out of Ash, Spruce and Western Red Cedar. Ash will be heavy and take all the abuse you can throw at it. Western Red Cedar will be lighter than the other choices but it won’t take any abuse at all.
The first class on June 5th is our prep meeting. We will be preparing our oar blanks, making the blade and handle patterns, making a spar gauge, talking about tools that will be needed and sharpening our tools. There will be a demonstration on how to 8 side, 16 side and round an oar or spar.
The second class is June 12th. We will start to shape our oars by first cutting out the face and then the edge.
The third class is June 13th. We will complete the first oar and we should make significant progress on the second. There will be a demonstration on how to leather an oar.
The cost of the class is $175 for members and $185 for non-members which include materials. All classes start at 9 AM and will end before 5 PM. The instructors are Randy Torgerson and Steve Mahoney.
Class materials
- Oar Plans (1)
- Oar Plans (2)
- Oar Making class outline
- "The Long Oars of Pete Culler", reprinted from WoodenBoat #71
- Wood, Glues and Tools for Paddle Making
- Shaw and Tenny's step-by-step leathering instructions
Class conclusion
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The Oar Making class concluded on Sunday with four pairs of Oars in various stages of completion. All of the oar makers were very happy with the class and with the new skills they learned. “Just learning how to sharpen and use my tools was worth the class” Russell Smith was quoted. Students learned how to sharpen their block planes and spoke shaves and how to use them. The shop band saw was used to rough out the oar, the final shaping was done with block planes and spoke shaves.
The students learned how to make and use an 8 side gauge also called a spar gauge. The skills to round over the loom of the oar are the small skills used in making spars. The Alaskan Yellow Cedar that was used for the oars also makes beautiful spars. Two of the clubs oars were fitted with leathers as part of the oar making class. Using a baseball or herringbone stick the leathers were quickly attached to the oars. |
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