[openboatt]

I'm in the process of refurbishing a small sailing dinghy that came with a pair of beat up wooden oars. The oar-blades are cracked in a couple places--not seriously, but enough to necessitate a repair in my mind. Is a coat of epoxy enough, or should I wrap the oar tip with a bit of FG cloth? Thanks. Tom

 

[capta]

Resorcinol glue is the preferred glue for spars and oars. However it is an adhesive, not a coating, so after mending the cracks you might want to varnish or coat the oars with polyurethane or epoxy.

 

[openboatt]

Thanks for the advice cap. t

 

[Group9]

Here's an idea. We were walking through one of those nautical shops and saw two old beat up oars for sale for $145 as decoration. My wife saw liked them and said, "The oars on the dinghy look older than those. Why don't you give them to me and buy two new ones for the dinghy?"

Here is what she did with them (and I got new oars!).

 

[openboatt]

Thanks for the response G9. Good idea. These oars are in a little better shape than yours, so I'll have to live w/out any more nautical decoration probably (we've got a wood strip canoe hanging from the ceiling now!). tom

 

[miatapaul]

I think I would try to fill the cracks with epoxy, then coat the whole thing in a coating of thin epoxy then varnish. Epoxy itself is very prone to UV degradation, so it needs either paint or varnish to cover it and protect the epoxy.

 

[AlaskaMC]

I think I would try to fill the cracks with epoxy, then coat the whole thing in a coating of thin epoxy then varnish. Epoxy itself is very prone to UV degradation, so it needs either paint or varnish to cover it and protect the epoxy.

X2. That's the ticket!

 

[algee]

Perfect timing for this thread. I just bought a pair of wooden oars on Craigslist for $19 to use on my dinghy. They are old and cracked, and beat up, and there are traces of at least 4 paint colors, but they certainly have "patina".

I don't know if I will use them for the dinghy or not. It would wreck them if I refinished them.

 

[openboatt]

Thanks you guys for the suggestions. I think I'm going to follow paul's advice and do the epoxy/varnish deal. I'm sure that'll last for as long as I do... t

 

[paulk]

Even better deal is to go to the lumberyard and pick up an 8' Douglas Fir 2x8 for about $10. Find one with few/no knots. Trace out a pair of oars on it (Woodenboat#127, NOV/DEC 1995) and go wild with your saw and planes. I have a pair in my garage you can have for just $450. (You already showed us what you think $145 can get you!)

 

[openboatt]

Thanks Paul. Good advice. I'm going to fool with the old oars a bit--it ain't a big deal monetarily, just keeping myself in the shop and out of trouble.

Regardless, thanks for some very level-headed advice. tom

 

[deltaten]

Ditto what Paulk just said.
I fabb'd up a pair for the dink in a few hours out of a nice clean 3x6 #2fir. Glue-lamm'd the blades from rips and rabbet/morticed 'em to the shafts's. Glued up and filleted with epoxy. Plane, spokeshave and sander on the shafts. A coat or five of varnish then finished out with hand-sewn leathers and a nice nautical touch of bands of 3 strand line for keepers. 7 feet LOA and blades ofnear 18" x 6"w. Materials? free and just laying arouind. Woulda cost me near $140 at WM! Move's the WB dink inna right smart fashion.

U kin do it!

 

[TomMaine]

I paint my oars. They last about 4 or 5 years, then they're worn out due to use. I'd try to epoxy and clamp a split in the loom.

We recycle oars too. They can be useful for handrails. I designed a long climb to a apartment overlooking a harbor and my wife supplied(from her collection) a 14' Ash oar, probably the sole survivor from a pair of Peapod oars.

We needed it's length(12') and a shorter one for the upper flight. We've used several oars for handrails since.

 

[openboatt]

Thanks delta and Tom. You guys are too creative.

But I see delta is a retired carpenter, so that's where the oar-building chops come from.

Looking at what Tom does with his oars, maybe I should try that with mine! tom