I've got a frickin' hole in my head, er - paddle.

Yes, you guys are right - and thanks so much for the comments.  I've always been a firm believer in the right tool for the right job.  You really can't make these paddles without all of that wood working equipment.  And, yup, it's like anything...if you have the experience in the craft then you can make the difficult easier.  And working with woods for over 30 years qualifies as that for sure.  Let alone a studio full of woodworking equipment.

Sometimes I see teachers who try to instruct their students with shoddy equipment and it makes me crazy.  If they're new to whatever the craft is you can just see the frustration written all over their faces.  Basically, they're not only fighting to learn the process but they're fighting the equipment right along with it.   It's an insanity.  One class I used to attend for fun I watched a very decent metalsmithing teacher telling her students how easy it was to solder with a plumbers torch.  Uh, sure - maybe for an experienced artist who solders a lot it might be.  And certainly it wouldn't be used for a delicate seam or something with multiple soldering jobs but the poor students were trying to do just that and they were ready to give up on making jewelry.  Not fair.  If she'd of just explained the limitations of working with that type of torch - or maybe added a butane or duel fuel torch so they could see and try the difference but she wasn't about to do that.  Like I said - an insanity - - - - almost like withholding information so you can cripple your possible competition.  So not nice.

I digress - sorry about the tangent. 

Here's the next steps on the Viking Knit paddles...holes, holes, holes.  LOL.  As you can see from the photos there are eight of them and each hole is new set up with the press...not hard, more like time consuming.  After this I will side sand the paddles (you turn the band saw into a tall sander by replacing the blade with a 1"X 80" sanding belt).  After that - rout them and flat sand them - then change the drill press into a flap sander so you can go around what was routed in the grip and make sure it's "soft" edged for the handle.

"I follow you out to the studio and then I wait - can we go yet, can we go yet?  Hello....."

Yeah, I know lots of steps but so worth the process.  Thanks Maple Girl (Andrea) - I'm glad you like yours.  So many teachers use them - Diane Cook at Art Unraveled and Diana Frey.  Robin Koza down in Indiana - and Cahootz (who sells great Viking Knit caps).  I'm grateful so many artists like them too.
 

Viking Knit Paddles - This is why I love my paddle.

I thought it might be interesting to document how we make Viking Knit paddles.  I sell them on my Etsy site.  Considering what it takes to make one they are crazy cheap but we like making them.  Maybe the price will have to go up - next year.  But for now the price will be the same and in about 10 days they'll be back on-line for all my customers.

They look deceptively easy...you know, one of those things that someone would say, "I'll just have my husband make that for me."  Although I'm proud to say husband has always been one of those makers.  For thirty years he was a toymaker.  Yup, Santa's little helper.  He was making organic, poison free, wonderful wooden toys before they became popular.  So, I got to be one of those wives who when she needed something unusual she'd take a plan to the darling man and he'd make it.  I designed the toys for his business and he did the rest.  Unfortunately, he's had to stop making toys but since I'm darn good at using a band saw and most of the equipment in his studio I can help out now when I want a run of Viking Knit paddles made. 

It's not actually one of those easy little things to make.  They need to fit your hand in a size that can accommodate pulling the finished wire through.  They are made of maple (a hard maple variety) so they will last and the holes won't distort yet it won't scrape the precious wire braid - I've been using the same one for 15 years.  Maple is great closed grain kind of wood that doesn't splinter easily.  Who wants splinters of Oak or Ash in their hands....not me! After that wood is bought and lugged home it has to be ripped, the pattern drawn on, recut, sanded on both the sides and flat, drilled, and routed.  Doing a single paddle - well - it would be quite the chore.  I guess this is why Henry Ford made a production line!  It doesn't make it easier but at least you get more paddles and if you are setting up to do one paddle you might as well make dozens.

And since we don't want them to split and get yucky we use the same sawyer for the wood that we've used for the toys.  It's kiln dried to perfection.  As a side note I'm so sorry to say they are closing.  I'm so bummed about that.  We bought all the remaining boards of this kind they had and will go back next week and get some wood for other projects I would like to do. 

So here we go - The making of a Viking Knit Paddle.  Or at least the beginning......

Buy the boards and bring them home.  In this state they are called 8/4 boards - too wide and too thick to use so it's on to the next step.

The 8/4 boards get ripped down on the table saw into a useable size.

 The 8/4 boards are thick enough to get three thicknesses of paddles so they are ripped into the right size width wise and them re-sawn (ripped) for the appropriate thickness.

 

One pass done on the table saw.and one to go for the three smaller boards.

 

Once the right size board is made it's back to the drawing board for the paddle pattern to go on and then it's on to the second saw - this time each one has to be cut out at the band saw.  Tedious work but worth it for a good paddle.

What a process, huh?  I told you it looks deceiving...just a simple looking piece of wood with holes.  There's more to come and when I have photos I'll get them up.  I kind of covet my paddle - USA made with love and care to the process.  Woot woot!