So Ross, are you going to write a book someday? :)

I loved your paddle page. I'm not (yet?) a Greenland-style paddler, but I might just have to try building one and paddling with it--your work is beautiful!

Seems like you could pretty easily build a hollow shaft with your building method. Rather than drilling holes, You could just use a couple 1/4" x 1" x (paddle length) blocks, separated by 5/8" x 1" x (blade length) blocks at the ends. Then, just cap the hollow area with redwood and walnut like you did. It probably wouldn't affect the swing weight, considering you're not removing any material from the blades, but it would reduce overall weight. You could actually run the hollow into the blades; probably about as far as your walnut runs or a little farther.

Do you keep a digital camera handy for up-to-the minute pictures?

Shawn

> I put together some Greenland paddle building pages on my website, and
> with the permission of the author of the plans, Chuck Holst, incorporated
> the plans as well. The plans and constructions pages have cross-reference
> links between them to make it easy to follow the progress. Thanks to Hank
> and Kent for checking-out the pages as I built them and for their
> comments.