hi, is there any way to do your own custom layup on a glass paddle blade? or are there places that do custom layups in the s.f. bay area? my web searches have yielded nothing. this is a purely unnecessary consideration from a practical viewpoint, it's all about aesthetics. and with my budget, one could even call it frippery. <sigh> kcd kathleen comalli dillon~friend, mom, wife, musician, violinist, writer, ailurophile extraordinaire ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "We can do no great things; we can only do small things with great love."-Mother Teresa~~"I find a lot of people like chubby 67-year-old girls."-Beverly Sills~~"I care not for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it."-Abraham Lincoln~~"Prepare to be assimila-----OOOOOoooooo, jelly donuts!"-Homer of Borg~~"I am Boris of Borg. Moose and Squirrel are irrelevant."~~ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Kathleen wrote: >>hi, is there any way to do your own custom layup on a glass paddle blade? or are there places that do custom layups in the s.f. bay area? my web searches have yielded nothing. this is a purely unnecessary consideration from a practical viewpoint, it's all about aesthetics. and with my budget, one could even call it frippery. <sigh> kcd<< Hi Kathleen, I'm not sure about custom paddle makers in the Bay Area, or even what kind of aesthetic customizations you're interested in, but... Here in WA, there is a company that makes pretty light paddles, at relatively low cost, and they do customize their blades to some degree. It is Swift Paddles - part of the Eddyline kayak company I think. You can look at them here: http://www.eddyline.com/main.htm They have variously patterned fabric that they can incorporate into the blade layups, and also custom colors. I've only used Swift paddles a couple of times, and they seemed quite nice, though I felt the shafts were a bit "circumference challenged" (too small) for my tastes. I've just been so happy with my boring old Werners that I haven't really looked into getting other paddles, other than traditional wooden Greenland style paddles. The Swift paddles are pretty though (at least some of them - depending on personal taste). Melissa *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Melissa Reese wrote: > Kathleen wrote: > > >>hi, > > is there any way to do your own custom layup on a glass paddle blade? > or are there places that do custom layups in the s.f. bay area? my > web searches have yielded nothing. > > this is a purely unnecessary consideration from a practical > viewpoint, it's all about aesthetics. and with my budget, one could > even call it frippery. <sigh> > > kcd<< > > Hi Kathleen, > > I'm not sure about custom paddle makers in the Bay Area, or even what > kind of aesthetic customizations you're interested in, but... > > Here in WA, there is a company that makes pretty light paddles, at > relatively low cost, and they do customize their blades to some > degree. It is Swift Paddles - part of the Eddyline kayak company I > think. You can look at them here: > > http://www.eddyline.com/main.htm > > They have variously patterned fabric that they can incorporate into > the blade layups, and also custom colors. > > I've only used Swift paddles a couple of times, and they seemed quite > nice, though I felt the shafts were a bit "circumference challenged" > (too small) for my tastes. I've just been so happy with my boring > old Werners that I haven't really looked into getting other paddles, > other than traditional wooden Greenland style paddles. > > The Swift paddles are pretty though (at least some of them - > depending on personal taste). > > Melissa > > I have a friend with a Swift paddle (Kathie of my last two trip reports) that is truly unique. She sent them the fabric that she wanted the blades made of, so she knows that there isn't another quite like it anywhere. Mike -- Paddling along through fog so thick that only one's thoughts are visible, your reverie is abruptly shattered by the ancient cry of a great blue heron as she lifts uncertainly from the brilliant blue of a mussel-shell beach witnessed only by the brooding, wet spruce....your passage home seems as much back through time as it does through space. Mark H Hunt *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hi Kathleen, I've found that vacuum-bagging is the only good way to make a custom paddle blade. Hand layups are too resin-heavy. That's not too much of a problem with other glass paddling gear, but getting too much weight out 3' from your hands is very tiring at the end of a long day. I started custom building my own glass blades 2 years ago and started vacuum bagging in August. I think I'm ready to step up to carbon fiber and really make a stiff, light blade system. My vacuum-bagged paddle blade page http://www.geocities.com/shawnkayak/paddle/vacblade.html I could make a set for you, but it's something that's not terribly difficult to do yourself, and very satisfying in knowing you built them with your own hands! What type of shaft do you intend to mount your blades on? Shawn Missoula, MT, but soon to be Moscow, ID (USA) Kathleen wrote: >is there any way to do your own custom layup on a glass paddle blade? or >are there places that do custom layups in the s.f. bay area? my web >searches have yielded nothing. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I think I remember seeing in a brochure of theirs that they could incorporate your favorite colored fabric (you supply it) in a custom blade layup. Shawn Melissa wrote: >Here in WA, there is a company that makes pretty light paddles, at >relatively low cost, and they do customize their blades to some >degree. It is Swift Paddles - part of the Eddyline kayak company I >think. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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