Oar Making

Good oars are hard to find in the market! This two-day workshop provides a hands-on introduction to the craft of oar making. Learn the value of balanced oars, various blade patterns, how to choose suitable wood, how to figure the right length of oars and how to make leather oar collars. Students will lay out and build their own pair of flat-blade oars. Learn how to sharpen and use drawknives, spokeshaves and hand planes and some good techniques for shaping and finishing wood. Take home one finished oar and one partly finished to work on after the class.