How to Make a Poplar Paddle

Choose a poplar board, preferably kiln-dried. The board needs to be approximately 1 ½ inches thick, 8 inches wide and 5 ½ feet long. Depending on your arm span, you can make the paddles longer if you prefer.

Mark the center of a sheet of butcher paper with a dotted line using a pencil. This gives you a midline for designing your paddle.

Draw a pattern for the paddle on the butcher paper making sure the drawing on each side of the centerline is symmetrical. A wider base displaces more water, making you go faster but also takes more strength to pull. Design an oar handle that fits the width of your palm and your fingers can easily wrap around.

Trace the pattern onto your board using carbon paper. Trace over the line with a marker in order to make the line more visible when cutting.

Cut out the paddle using a jigsaw or band saw. These types of saws give you the range of motion necessary to stay on target with your line.

Sand the end of the paddle with a hand plane. You want the tip to be thinner than the rest and to gradually get wider. The hand plane sander will allow for a gradual change in thickness.

Cut down the handle with a rasp so as to make nice, rounded edges. Sand down the handle to a comfortable width and feel. You can even sand out grooves for your fingers if you like.

Sand the entire paddle down to make the wood smooth and free of splinters. Start with a coarse sandpaper such as 75-grit and work your way to finer sandpaper. You should end with a sandpaper of 200-grit for the final smoothing.

Brush the paddle with polyurethane and let it dry completely. Repeat this three or four times. This seals the wood and protects it from the elements and the water.