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

Revision as of 21:44, 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 (a saw and a knife).

Building the strop

Mounting the handle
This is what you get. It isn't fancy but it works like a champ, so don't laugh. It features a 16-inch long light, wooden paddle and a 1.5-inch by 11-inch leather stropping surface. That is generous compared to many commercial travel-style paddle strops.
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 paddles. The top piece is a paint stirring stick available for free at paint shops. The middle piece is a heavy-duty yardstick 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.
A look at the end grain. Top to bottom is the paint stick, the yardstick, and the poplar trim strip. The yardstick 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 yardstick is much heavier than typical ones. Also, I sorted through the barrel to find the ones with the best end-grain.
Also, these yardsticks seemed to have a thin wash coat finish. It isn't much but it is better than nothing, and I didn't want to get into painting or varnishing these puppies. The numbers and hash marks on the yardsticks are ingraved or pressed into the wood, but that did not seem to bother the leather surface when it was applied.
Potential paddle slats
Potential paddle slats
Potential paddle slats
Potential paddle slats
Potential paddle slats
Potential paddle slats