Wood Canoe - Paddle Making | A Natural State - Episode 7

Kaltura

Canoes need paddles, so Phil specializes in both woodworking crafts. While paddles made of softwood are more often purchased for economy and function, paddles of hardwood are bought for visual appeal. Several contrasting wood types are used in pattern and design work. Paddle blades are bent using steam and further shaped and smoothed with sandpaper. The grip and shaft are laminated layers of wood and may be custom built to match the shape of the buyer’s hand.

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Natural State / Coastal Plain | A Natural State / Phil Greene

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   - Episode 2 Spotlight 1

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Spotlight
Episode 1
A typical Phil Greene canoe is a Spotlight of exotic and indigenous woods that were cut, sanded, carved and refined for six months or more. The canoes combine sculptural details with practical design...
Wood Canoe - Paddle Making | A Natural State
   - Episode 7 Wood Canoe 2

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Wood Canoe
Episode 2
In June 2002, an 18th century Cherokee canoe was found in the cold clear water of the Chattooga River. Early Cherokee canoes called dugouts were burned and scraped out of single tree trunks. The...
Wood Canoe - Building a Hull | A Natural State
   - Episode 2 Wood Canoe 3

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Episode 3
Finished hulls appear as rich warm-toned boats encased in a layer of glass. The finish is the result of hours of sanding and polishing the epoxy layers on the outside of the hull. A fairing board is...
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Phil Greene's Wood Barn | A Natural State
Episode 4
Wood destined to become part of a canoe is kept dry in a loft above Phil's workshop. A tour through the loft reveals the different woods found in Phil's work including red cedar, bloodwood, walnut...
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Baptizing a New Boat | A Natural State
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Wood Song Canoes, Phil's business, gets its name from the feeling he gets as he quietly glides through the water in a well made wooden boat. We visited Phil and his son as they "baptized" a new boat...
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Grades

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Wood Canoe
Episode 6
The finished paddle has three basic parts--the grip, the shaft and the blade. The grip is ergonomic, or designed to reduce a paddler's hand fatigue, and can be custom shaped to the user's hand. The...