Building a Greenland Paddle, Part 7: Layout + Cutting the Shape

[@Kyle_Spivis]

Cannot thank you enough for this series and the detailed explanations

[@JohnCooperWilliam]

I really like the order of cuts, but I would change something. Backing the blade out of a cut can be disastrous on a running bandsaw. Turn it off, wait for it to stop, then back the blade out. Thank you for making these detailed videos!

[@dwaynesmith3939]

Thank you for the course! I bought the plans and I am building my first paddle. I am thinking about using a small circular saw for the initial long cuts to get a straighter, square cut. The jigsaw isn’t cutting very square on the sides. Thoughts??

[@qaannat]

If you're starting with a non-square board, or one with more curve than you'd like, you can layout based on a centerline instead of the edge.

[@capefalconkayak]

Yeah, that’s true to a point, but usually if a board is curved that means that it’s holding tension in it from growing on a slope and what tends to happen is even if you straight edge it when you start cutting it down to the smaller size it will release more tension and curve more. But it’s all a matter of degree. Might be fine might not just depending on the stick.

[@geoffmitchell5492]

Is anyone else finding it difficult (or $$$) to get a bandsaw that doesnt drift? are there alternatives?

[@capefalconkayak]

It’s a good idea to start with a bandsaw that’s at least 1 hp and then you want a brand new half inch four tooth blade. And then it’s just a matter of learning how to set it up correctly. This is why I have people cut outside of sharpie lines, because the natural drift on many bandsaws will wave in and out of that line. You can get even more accuracy, but it cost a lot of money for the saw. The best used saws that you can find are the deltas from the 60s and 70s. Those old 14 inch saws had a ton of power and we’re quite accurate.