Thread: My new paddle strop

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

That's great Tony. It would save me the hassle of searching for good leather and I know what to expect from you ---> top-notch quality. I just had a couple of questions:
1) Would smooth leather be better for abrasive compounds or should we go for Latigo?
2) What width would be the best for this? I was thinking of doing the X on 2". However since it's not a narrow paddle, 3" would also be possible. Could I go straight across (heel leading) on a 3"?
Ok time for me to shave and visit the lumber yard

Ilija,
I would go with smooth leather or Balsa as Ed did. these are great for fine pastes. latigo contains oils and many pastes are water based. Not a good combo. If using wood don;t go too wide as cupping could be an issue or seal the back really well. ed used a very stable wood and with his background I am sure he knows exactly what would work well for this.

Tony

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

Ilija,
I would go with smooth leather or Balsa as Ed did. these are great for fine pastes. latigo contains oils and many pastes are water based. Not a good combo. If using wood don;t go too wide as cupping could be an issue or seal the back really well. ed used a very stable wood and with his background I am sure he knows exactly what would work well for this.

Tony

Just to expand on what Tony said. That water oak board is quarter sawn, the growth rings are perpendicular to the face of the board. This results in a very stable piece of wood. The balsa (or leather for that matter) is very pliable and will conform to the shape of the underlying wood. I would not recommend using plane sawn wood for a paddle strop or bench hone. Looking at the end grain of plane sawn wood you will see a series of arcs across the board. The board will tend to cup slightly toward the top of the arc as is absorbs moisture.

FWIW,
Ed

Nice work on the paddle handle is nicely shaped. I have yet to come across using balsa wood in the forums for paste's. Will have to do more study on this one. Thanks for the information.

They "receive" the pastes in a flatter, slightly more pourous, application. It turns the soft flat wood into a "hone" of sorts. Stropping on it cuts slower I think, not necessarily different than leather.

Damon,
You may find that bare wood like basswood and balsa have been used for a long time on paddles. The open grain structure holds the pastes well while providing a firm yet slightly resiliant base. The bals actually comes pretty close to duplicating leather for this purpose and if damaged can be quickly resurfaced to new condition.

I have been using it on my paddles as an option the past year and it seems a popular choice for many.

Tony

Verry cool, I may have to make one to try. You guys are awsome when it comes to this stuff. So is there a proper way to apply the pastes to the balsawood to give even application?

I just read this thread and realized that although I understood the different cutting method between quarter and plain sawn, I wasn't exactly sure what the grain differences were... so I googled . I found this informative article: http://www.allwoodwork.com/article/w...uartersawn.htm

Hope this helps anyone else who wasn't up to speed in this area.

What if the wood is protected from absorbing moisture? Would warpage occur anyways?

I would either seal the entire thing oir leave it completely bare. Uneven absorbtion of moisture is what causes much of the warping. In reality most sealants are not 100% moisture proof.

This is why I limit the size of my wooden paddles to widths or cross sections (square) that will not cup or warp easily.

Okay......back to the shop to make a fancy handle strop for myself now........
(just when I thought I needed nothing else....)

Tony

Oh I do like that paddle strop!