Making Canoe Paddles at the Duluth Folk School
November 23, 2019

Canoe Paddle Making

  • Make Your Own Canoe Paddle - Day 1 of 2
     February 28, 2020
     6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
  • Make Your Own Canoe Paddle - Day 2 of 2
     February 29, 2020
     10:00 am - 4:00 pm
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The warmth and beauty of a hand-made canoe paddle is hard to beat, and this is a wonderful time of the year to create one!

In this class, you’ll make your own straight-shaft canoe paddle, and you can select which type of wood you will be working with:

  • Basswood (with accents of western cedar; excellent for creating almost any paddle shape or style).
  • Cherry (a rich reddish-colored wood; excellent for making traditional beavertail or ottertail-shaped paddles)

Note: Basswood is significantly easier to work with than cherry.

On our first evening, we’ll start building your paddle by gluing the blade and the grip onto a prepared shaft. We will discuss characteristics of various types of paddles, materials, and how to size a paddle to an individual person. The following session will be spent shaping your paddle, using hand and power tools.

Registration Includes

Nine hours of instruction, tool use, and $25 (basswood) or $35 (cherry) fee for materials. By the end of class, you will have completed your new canoe paddle. Your paddle will need to be varnished before dipping it in the water.

Cost of registration includes 9 hours of instruction and $25 (basswood) or $35 (cherry) fee for materials.

You should bring…

We’ll have all the tools and materials you’ll need. However, some people prefer working with their own tools. If you’d like to bring your own tools, bring along:

  • For Day 1: Two pipe clamps (up to 36″ long), two C-clamps
  • For Day 2: Block plane or smoothing plane, spoke shave, rasp, jig saw, belt sander and/or spindle sander, pipe clamps, etc.

Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Some folks prefer to wear an apron.

Skill Level

No prior experience needed

Best for Ages…

18 and older.


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Venue:  

Address:
1917 W Superior St, Duluth, Minnesota, 55806, United States

Description:

Located on street level. Handicapped accessible.

Main Floor Space

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1 Comment

  • Sara says:

    Hi there.

    My husband has done quite a few woodworking projects, both with hand tools and power tools, and has spent a lot of time in a woodshop. My 15yo son has spent some time with his dad and grandpa in the woodshop, and had one shop class as a 7th grader, but is less experienced. Would it work for the two of them to take the class together, even though my son isn’t 18 yet?? We’d register them separately, so they could each make a paddle, but the 15yo wouldn’t be there on his own.

    Would that be okay?

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Contact

1917 W Superior St
Duluth, MN 55806

Duluth Folk School
Office: 218-216-6929 or info@duluthfolkschool.org
Office Hours: Monday-Friday (9 am – 1 pm)

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Hours: Wednesday-Sunday (8 am – 8 pm); Monday & Tuesday (8 am – 3 pm)

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