How To Make Kayak Oars

By keeping some basic guidelines in mind, you can learn about how to make kayak oars. Making your own kayak oars will not only give you a sense of accomplishment, but will also help you to save some of your hard earned money.

To make kayak oars you will need:

• Spruce
• Saw
• Bandsaw or jigsaw
• Pencil
• Block plate
• 220 grit sandpaper
• 2 12 x 18 inch carbon fiber sheets
• Scissors
• Thin plywood
• Epoxy
• Paintbrush
• Weight or clamps

1. Saw the piece of spruce until it is about 1 3/8 inch wide, 1 1/2 inches thick, and eight feet long. This will form the shaft for the kayak oars.
2. Use a bandsaw or jigsaw to cut flat curves on each side of the shaft for the kayak oars. The curves should be as long as you decide to make your blades, and they should be curved as you like. Some kayakers prefer straight blades, some curved.
3.  Continue to remove corners in this way until the shaft becomes circular. Sand the shaft with 220-grit sandpaper until the shaft looks rounded and smooth. Apply two layers of epoxy to this circular part of the shaft.
4.  Continue to remove corners in this way until the shaft becomes circular. Sand the shaft with 220-grit sandpaper until the shaft looks rounded and smooth. Apply two layers of epoxy to this circular part of the shaft.
5. Cut blade shapes into carbon fiber sheets with a scissors, making the blades as long and wide as you like for the kayak oars. A standard length is about 23 inches long. The width can vary  from five to eight inches wide. Place these shapes onto a thin piece of plywood and cut the plywood to the shape of the carbon fiber.
6. Apply a layer of epoxy to the pieces of plywood with a paintbrush and attach the carbon fiber to the plywood for great kayak oars. Apply a layer of epoxy to the curves in the shaft. Before the epoxy can dry completely on the kayak oars, attach the blades to the curves in the shaft. Hold them in place with weights or clamps until they dry.