Monday 15 October 2012

Carbon blades

The Teifi skiffs at Langstone Cutters are great boats, quick, rewarding to row and very seaworthy, but the lightweight wooden blades we got with them are now over ten years old and showing their age. So I managed to get some second-hand carbon fibre blades.
They were designed for fine boats with outriggers so they were far too long, of course. I set about shortening them by about 8in, and cutting a nice blade in half takes a bit of screwing-ones-courage-to-the-sticking-place as the bard has it. I took my trusty tenon saw and did the deed.
Next step was to remove the handles from the stubs of the looms, which was done by making two longitudinal cuts with a precision angle grinder and breaking the split loom off the handle with a precision club hammer and bolster.
I cleaned the gunge that had been used to stick the handles inside the oars with a sander and glued them back in with silicone gunge designed for window frames, figuring it would hold the handles in place without causing undue stresses.
What I hadn't bargained for was that one set of handles had been cross-sawn where it goes into the oar, so that it would squeeze into the hole. The silicone gunge did not provide enough strength to prevent the handle wiggling in the loom, and the handles cracked and came out on the first outing.
The damage was easily repaired with epoxy, however, and the blades passed their first thrashing round the harbour with flying colours.
Now everyone will have to start getting used to the much larger overlap, but the combination of lightness, strength and the bigger area of the Macon blade means they really propel the boat through the water.
Now we need another couple of pairs. Anyone know where we can get two pairs of carbon fibre sculling oars cheap?

10 comments:

Bursledon Blogger said...

Tricky stuff indeed

Didn't Rolls Royce go bankrupt over carbon blades in the 1970's !!

doryman said...

I've got two sets of Concept2 and you can have them for a beer. Stop by anytime.

Chris Partridge said...

BB - yes, that little experiment with carbon fibre cost you and me a bundle.
Doryman - next time I am round your way I will certainly drop in with much beer. Will the airline let nm put them in the overheads on the flight home?

doryman said...

Now that you know how to put them back together, they could be shipped in pieces. The payment might require more imagination.

Brian said...

Chris, would something like this be possible.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/212765960/Carbon_fiber_Sculling_oars_and_Rowing.html

They do 5 pairs in one carton. I have been looking for a nice two person rowing boat and you have praised the teifi highly, so when one turned up on ebay I bought it. So I could use two pairs of the correctly spec'd blades.

Brian

Chris Partridge said...

Hi Brian...where did you buy the Teifi from? Pics please!
Those Chinese oars look interesting, though they may be a bit long even when adjusted to the minimum 2840mm length. If you got ultralights and pushed the buttons right up to the end of the leathers they might fit without too much of an overlap, and the light weight would mean they wouldn't feel to unbalanced. But the gearing would be a bit punishing.
What sort of price are they offering?

Brian said...

Well, I think I bought a Teifi Skiff. One turned up on eBay only last night on a trailer with wooden oars with a buy it now, so I pressed the button and contacted the sellar.
Usually you receive an e-mail from ebay saying congratulations you won the auction, but I have not received one. No reply yet from sellar.
Usual care needed with eBay. Will let you know if it comes off.
What would be the correct length of oar and correct rowlock button placement? Will get a quote from China.

Chris Partridge said...

When you request the quote, ask them if it would be easy to shorten the oar shafts.. The handles were glued into the old oars I shortened, which made the process a bit violent and you can't hack of just half an inch or so, it must be a minimum of 3in.

Chris Partridge said...

BTW I can't find the Teifi on eBay - can you send a link? (I promise not to compete for it!)

Brian said...

I think the item disappears when sold, will have pictures soon. Pleased to report contact made with seller and arranging collection.
Do you row the skiff with just two rowers, and no rudder, or do you use rudder with aft rower adjusting or do you row with two rowers and a cox?