I have a question about making a new paddle from a single board. Although I haven't chosen the appropriate slab of wood, which will most likely be maple or cherry, my question is in regard to the grain orientation. The paddle I will make is a copy of a classic shaped paddle my parents bought in 1956 as an alternate source of propulsion for their 16' mahogany outboard runabout.
The paddle is great for maneuvering the old boat from a standing position in the stern, around a dock or lake shore, but at 66" long it's way too long for canoe paddling (for me!). I've made a 1/4" plywood pattern directly from the paddle

By the way, the name Four Sons is the name of the family runabout... My Dad was proud of his brood of four sons, of whom I am the fourth!
My question is this: Do I want to choose a slab with flat grain, so that the resulting blade and handle has grain running across the blade... or to put another way, at 90 degrees to the direction of travel? Does this make sense? I imagine that grain in the handle might be strongest parallel to the direction of travel, but that would make the thin areas of the blade subject to strain against very short grain... right?
Thanks for the help. Pat
The paddle is great for maneuvering the old boat from a standing position in the stern, around a dock or lake shore, but at 66" long it's way too long for canoe paddling (for me!). I've made a 1/4" plywood pattern directly from the paddle

By the way, the name Four Sons is the name of the family runabout... My Dad was proud of his brood of four sons, of whom I am the fourth!
My question is this: Do I want to choose a slab with flat grain, so that the resulting blade and handle has grain running across the blade... or to put another way, at 90 degrees to the direction of travel? Does this make sense? I imagine that grain in the handle might be strongest parallel to the direction of travel, but that would make the thin areas of the blade subject to strain against very short grain... right?
Thanks for the help. Pat
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