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Making oars 2-piece

  • 14 Oct 2019 16:44
    Quote
    Reply # 7959415 on 7924197
    Deleted user

    I have a project similar to this on my to-do list.  We've had various take-apart oars in the past.  I think the two ferrules that slide together with a button works well enough, although if the fit is sloppy then the play gives the oar a "clunky" feeling I don't like.  So, it is worth making sure the ferrules fit very snugly, and perhaps make the ferrules a bit longer than standard.  If you use aluminum, don't leave the oars assembled for long or you'll never get them apart again.  Even brass/bronze seems to weld itself together in this application if left for long enough.  I was going to recommend going to the local metal-supply shop and finding some stainless tube in the off-cuts bins. If you're lucky, you can find a piece of tubing that will fit almost exactly inside a piece of pipe.  However, for the price and trouble it looks like the duckworks ferrules are a nicer option and won't suffer corrosion.  

    If you're going to the trouble of making oars (or even just new inboard ends for your existing oars), Pete Culler, "Boats, Oars and Rowing", is a great reference.  He leaves the inboard ends of the oars square and heavier, while rounding/lightening the outboard section of the oar to help balance the oar.  I just skimmed the article, but this PDF has much of the info from Culler's oar-making chapter in the book.
  • 12 Oct 2019 09:18
    Quote
    Reply # 7956763 on 7924197
    Anonymous member

    Thanks, Bob,

    I hadn't seen those.  While reading about them, I realised that I have a short length of 50mm Al. tubing in the garage which I might be able to bodge to do something similar.  

    If not, I'll try and buy the Duckworks ones.  

    Regards, David D.  
  • 09 Oct 2019 19:43
    Quote
    Reply # 7925251 on 7924197
    Anonymous member

    Duckworks sells some excellent carbon fiber ferrules for making take apart oars you might want to check out
  • 09 Oct 2019 10:15
    Quote
    Message # 7924197
    Anonymous member

    Hello,

    I went for a row the other day with a set of oars that came with the Wayfarer when I bought it.  It wasn't very successful.  My rowing technique is sadly lacking but mainly the oars are too short at 7 feet (2.1M) long when internet searching revealed that for my width of boat, approx 5 ft 6in (1.67M) between rowlocks, they should be more like 10/10.5 feet (3.0M) long. 

    I'd like to both lengthen them and also make them 2-piece, as 10 feet oars will be too long to store easily out of the way when sailing. The cockpit floor on the Wayfarer MkII is about 7ft 6in long, hence the current length.  

    Looking on the internet, all I've found so far is for aluminium shafts with spring-buttons to split the oars.  I'd prefer to re-use the existing wooden ones, lengthening them using epoxied scarfed joints and maybe a fibreglass bandage for added security.  

    But then making them 2-piece and relatively easy to join and take apart yet strong enough to take the strain is requiring more thought.

    Wondering if anyone out there has seen anything which might work and be constructable by a person with basic hand and power tools and a shed? 

    The oars currently are approx 2.1M long and 42mm diameter, constructed of what looks like pine.  Weight of each oar with rubber collar is approx 1.6kg.

    Should this be in the "General Forum"?

    Regards  David D.  


      

    Last modified: 09 Oct 2019 10:17 | Anonymous member
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