tidclacy
Well-Known Member
Can anyone advise on how to fit leather to oars. Any special technique or do you just nail it on?
Leather oars
- Thread starter tidclacy
- Start date
burgundyben
Well-Known Member
I guess one consideration should be where the join in the leather ends up when the oar is in its rowlock. At the top I should think best.
Spuddy
Well-Known Member
Fettled just one a long time ago. Used knife to chamfer ends to give sort of scarf joint where they meet. Soaked leather to soften, then used copper tacks. Shrank as it dried was the theory. Downside of tacks is forming weak points round loom. That was out of some old book, things might have moved on now with materials.
nmiller
Active Member
To avoid weakening the oar loom with copper tacks, try lacing the leather on. Soaking it may still be appropriate to allow it to shrink to fit and get a good grip.
dur
Well-Known Member
I did a pair last year following these instructions: http://www.gartsideboats.com/leather.php
No tacks. you do it wet and when it dries it tightens so that it doesn't move. Looks great too.
Oh while you are over there, if like me you dream of building yourself a wooden boat some time, have a look at http://www.gartsideboats.com/gallery.php - and weep!
No tacks. you do it wet and when it dries it tightens so that it doesn't move. Looks great too.
Oh while you are over there, if like me you dream of building yourself a wooden boat some time, have a look at http://www.gartsideboats.com/gallery.php - and weep!
MASH
N/A
A few copper tacks are hardly going to weaken the loom!
dur
Well-Known Member
Agreed. However stitching is easy and looks better (imho). You might still need a couple of tacks to stop the leather sliding if it isn't really tight or for particularly hard use.
Katomi
New Member
LET ME MOVE INTO THE NEW HOUSE THEN CALL i MAY HAVE SOME LEATHER YOU CAN HAVE
sTEPHEN
sTEPHEN
Romeo
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
A few copper tacks are hardly going to weaken the loom!
[/ QUOTE ]
In the long term it introduces a weakpoint where great force is used. Apart from anything else it allows a point where water can penetrate. One of my ash oars failed at this point at a rather crucial moment. Having said that it is a heavy boat and the oars were over 50 years old. The replacement ash oars are about the same age. I have left them unleathered, and just row on the bare wood. Very little wear on them 10 years later, although some may think they don't look as pretty as they might.
Robbie
A few copper tacks are hardly going to weaken the loom!
[/ QUOTE ]
In the long term it introduces a weakpoint where great force is used. Apart from anything else it allows a point where water can penetrate. One of my ash oars failed at this point at a rather crucial moment. Having said that it is a heavy boat and the oars were over 50 years old. The replacement ash oars are about the same age. I have left them unleathered, and just row on the bare wood. Very little wear on them 10 years later, although some may think they don't look as pretty as they might.
Robbie
Keith 66
Well-Known Member
Wooden boat Magazine did an excellent article some years ago on how to leather oars, the favorite way was to use two heavy sail needles and herringbone stich the edges together the leather would be soaked before use to make it pliable.
A good source of leather for oars was old school satchels in the local charity shops or skips!
Copper tacks weaken the loom too much leading to busted oars
A good source of leather for oars was old school satchels in the local charity shops or skips!
Copper tacks weaken the loom too much leading to busted oars
Keith 66
Well-Known Member
If you are a philistine you can use heat shrink plastic available from big rowing suppliers such as Ray sims
Just cut to length hot air gun and there you go!
Hardly classic though.
Just cut to length hot air gun and there you go!
Hardly classic though.
