Difference between revisions of "Building an inexpensive paddle strop quickly"

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(Building the strop)
(Building the strop)
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== Building the strop  ==
 
== Building the strop  ==
  
My version features a 16-inch long light, wooden paddle and a 1.5-inch by 11-inch leather stropping surface.    Wood finish is an involved process so I chose to avoid it.
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<gallery perrow="2" heights="250px" widths="400px" caption="Mounting the handle">
 
<gallery perrow="2" heights="250px" widths="400px" caption="Mounting the handle">
Image:Building Quick and Inexpensive Paddle Strops - 001.jpg|This is what you get.  It isn't fancy but it works so don't laugh.
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Image:Building Quick and Inexpensive Paddle Strops - 001.jpg|This is what you get.  It isn't fancy but it works so don't laugh. My version features a 16-inch long light, wooden paddle and a 1.5-inch by 11-inch leather stropping surface. 
 
Image:Building Quick and Inexpensive Paddle Strops - 002.jpg|The secret for making this easy is to find leather strips and wood paddle stock that is already at the proper width.  Here are some possible material for 1.5-inch wide wood paddle.  The top piece is a paint stirring stick available for free at paint shops.  The middle piece is a heavy-duty yard stick available for 60 cents each at HomeDepot.  THe bottom piece is a poplar trim strip available for about $3.  These are all about 1/4 inch thick except the trim strip was a little thicker.
 
Image:Building Quick and Inexpensive Paddle Strops - 002.jpg|The secret for making this easy is to find leather strips and wood paddle stock that is already at the proper width.  Here are some possible material for 1.5-inch wide wood paddle.  The top piece is a paint stirring stick available for free at paint shops.  The middle piece is a heavy-duty yard stick available for 60 cents each at HomeDepot.  THe bottom piece is a poplar trim strip available for about $3.  These are all about 1/4 inch thick except the trim strip was a little thicker.
 
Image:Building Quick and Inexpensive Paddle Strops - 003.jpg|A look at the end grain. Top to bottom is the paint stick, the yard stick, and the poplar trim strip.  The yard stick has a nice, tight grain pattern and looks quarter-sawn.  Thus, it should be less likely to warp than the other two and give a nice stable surface for mounting the leather. This yard stick is much heavier than typical ones.  Also, I sorted through the barrel to find the ones with the best end-grain.
 
Image:Building Quick and Inexpensive Paddle Strops - 003.jpg|A look at the end grain. Top to bottom is the paint stick, the yard stick, and the poplar trim strip.  The yard stick has a nice, tight grain pattern and looks quarter-sawn.  Thus, it should be less likely to warp than the other two and give a nice stable surface for mounting the leather. This yard stick is much heavier than typical ones.  Also, I sorted through the barrel to find the ones with the best end-grain.

Revision as of 20:58, 19 January 2010

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Background

There are several styles of really beautiful paddle strops available at vendor sites, however they tend to be a little expensive. I wanted to experiment with several different stropping pastes, so I decided to make a set of my own paddles based on a very quick and easy design. Mine came out to less than $5 each, and I was able to build them in a day with just a few tools.


Building the strop

Video