Weird Dreams About Animal Tails

[memaquay]

I’m not an animal tail paddle lover. In fact, I have had very little use for them for over fifteen years. I went through that phase, but I got over it. I built beaver tails, ottertails, muskrat tails, Moose tails, walleye tails…..anyway, they were pretty, but in the end, I always reached for my Sugar Island style blade.

Last night I had the craziest dream. I dreamt that I was making a beaver tail paddle. It had an incredibly short shaft and a large blade. I was in some kind of religious euphoria as I scraped away at a solid piece of maple, roughing out the Beaver tail.

So today, I dug out Graham Warren and David Gidmark’s book, Canoe Paddles, A Complete Guide To Making Your Own. This book has been well used by me, I have created templates for every set of offsets they have in the book. Of course, I can’t find any of them now.

So I had to go back to the beginning and create a new set of offsets for a beavertail.



Basically, this involves transferring a set of numbers onto a skinny piece of wood that will become the basis for a pattern. Using a flexible ruler, I then joined the dots up into half paddle shape.



I cut the pattern out on the bandsaw.



Then traced it into full pattern, and cut that out again on the bandsaw.





I haven’t decided what I’m going to make it out of yet, whether it will be a laminate or a one piece paddle.

Here’s the last animal tail I made, I think it was around 2002 or something.



I’ll post more when I get a chance. Right now, I’m still trying to find the time to make the first video for the Ripster!

 

[Alan Gage]

You must be a saner man than I. No way would I ever try to turn the stuff that goes on in my dreams into reality. Better to just forget about them as soon as possible.

Alan

 

[clemency]

Does the Ripster not whittle?

 

[memaquay]

Does the Ripster not whittle?

Ha ha, that will be part of the video!

 

[memaquay]

Better to just forget about them as soon as possible.

Ha, well, Alan, I'm beginning to find out that the dreams of older guys are hardly the stuff of legends. I dreamt the other night that I was laying in a cot in my winter tent with the stove crackling away, a good book open, and my little transistor radio turned to the CBC radio show "Ideas", where Lister Sinclair was exploring the inner workings of the female orgasm. In my dream, I turned off the radio so that it wouldn't interfere with my reading. That's what you young pups have got to look forward to.

 

[Guest]

I built
Moose tails, walleye tails…..anyway, they were pretty, but in the end, I always reached for my Sugar Island style blade.

As little as I use a single blade the Sugar Island is my all around choice as well. The moose tail might be awkward to grab, all things considered.

https://www.google.com/search?q=moos...9P5ehUTW7dM%3A

And the Walleye grip a bit too delicate.

https://www.google.com/search?q=wal...LAhUB7SYKHcAjBnoQ7AkIJg#imgrc=hbIIyauvj8CoFM:

Last night I had the craziest dream. I dreamt that I was making a beaver tail paddle. It had an incredibly short shaft and a large blade. I was in some kind of religious euphoria

Lay off the late night Spam, Bud Lite and Longbottom weed. I speak from experience, except for the Bud Lite part. Life is too short to drink cheap beer.

So today, I dug out Graham Warren and David Gidmark’s book, Canoe Paddles, A Complete Guide To Making Your Own. This book has been well used by me, I have created templates for every set of offsets they have in the book. Of course, I can’t find any of them now.

I feel your pain. Where the heck did I file that template or offset? At some point I’ll just make another rather than look in the unlikeliest of places for the third time dang time.

There are two books that should be held in a paddler’s library; Warren and Gidmark’s Canoe Paddles

http://www.amazon.com/Canoe-Paddles-...=canoe+paddles

And Adney and Chapelle’s Bark and Skin Boats of North America:

http://www.amazon.com/Bark-Canoes-Bo...+north+america

I dreamt the other night that I was laying in a cot in my winter tent with the stove crackling away, a good book open, and my little transistor radio turned to the CBC radio show "Ideas", where Lister Sinclair was exploring the inner workings of the female orgasm.

Yeah, again, fevered dreams. No Bud Lite or Longbottom leaf before bedtime.

In my dream, I turned off the radio so that it wouldn't interfere with my reading. That's what you young pups have got to look forward to.

Dayum Mem, I thought there was an unwritten rule that us older guys would keep that to ourselves, and let the young bucks make their mistakes on their own.

 

[tear_knee]

I am lolololololing right now, you guys kill me. I would really like to see a true moose tail paddle. You can paint it with pretty stripes and sell it in Toronto for $300

 

[Murat V]

Wow. What's happening to Mem? Now he's back into carving animal tails after a wonky dream? I think Warren & Gidmark's book also has instructions for a double-bladed paddle. Maybe we'll all get to see you degenerate into making one of those too.

If you're interested, Warren's 100 Paddle Designs book has offset data & plans for 5 different types of Sugar Island blades.

Or how about something like this as an animal tail / sugar island hybrid ... 9" wide Peruvian Amazon River Paddles:

Image Link

 

[Odyssey]

Whoa. Memequay is “wandering far from camp” today. Maybe he’'s sleep walking, talking in his sleep. Best let him be.
Besides, it’s just too darned fun to stop him now.
You know Mem, speaking of paddles, tails, eroticism and some things Middle Earth-ish, you might be into leather paddles?


Just a wild guess. Spam spanking?

PS I love the looks of that Beaver Tail you made last. You should make some more.

 

[Mihun09]

Hmm, never figured Brad would be into that, but being such a mild mannered person that makes M the Dominant.

 

[Canotrouge]

Why does your template has a "flat" at the tip of the blade(template material to short?) ?

 

[Odyssey]

Hmm, never figured Brad would be into that, but being such a mild mannered person that makes M the Dominant.

No no no. I'm not into that at all. But it's amazing what pops up if you blindly look for stuff on the interweb! I was looking for those paddles in the Lord of the Rings movie the elves were using; I remember they looked like the Peruvian blades Murat posted. I watched a bonus DVD to the movies which showed the prop makers designing and fabricating everything used in those movies, from costumes to weapons, furniture to jewelry. I just wondered if somebody designed and built "elvish paddles"? So I (innocently) typed in elvish paddles and voila! That weird leather bondage spanking thing popped up.
But yes, by the way, M is the dominant one. So to speak. Nice tassels though.

 

[memaquay]

Why does your template has a "flat" at the tip of the blade(template material to short?) ?

I'm not sure about that, was wondering when I did the offsets. It could be that I read the offsets wrong. Anyone who understands how those work, have a look at the offsets listed at the top of the page, and tell me how you think that first point should work. He is using inch and 32's for measurements. I'm thinking maybe there should be a first point of 0. Does that make sense to anyone?

 

[memaquay]

Just talked tot he wood working teacher. He laughs at me lots. He was the guy that had to tell me when I was building the chum that 170 inches was not the same as 17 feet. Anyway, my mistake was in assuming that the 0/16 in the first column meant a half an inch, when in reality, it simply meant 1/16 of an inch. So my mistake is now apparent. On the flip side, he is going to scan the paddle info into some kind of program and print me out a life size template, or maybe even do it on the cnc, I'm not sure yet.

 

[Canotrouge]

Hahaha... 170 inches.... All those years that you have been bragging that it is 8", turned out it is only 2", she must be disappointed.... But at least you have a nice knife

 

[memaquay]

Ha ha, even worse when I was using centimeters!

 

[latremorej]

Hahahahahaha

 

[memaquay]

Ok, woodworking guy scanned the plan and printed out a template on his blueprint thingy. I did slight modifications to it, and am starting to build a very simple five piece paddle. White ash shaft, white pine blade and some kind of dark wood for the grip, yet to be decided.

 

[memaquay]

Shop teacher just introduced me to the magical ease of biscuit using. Never tried this with paddles before, think it will be awesome!

 

[Canotrouge]

Looking good Mem, the than the biscuits... They are over rated, and offer nothing other than easier alignment. Will follow this closely to see what you come up with till the end!!