making an ash setting pole

[Jamie]

Wet weather is driving me nuts.... did not stop me from standing in the rain yesterday drinking a beer and flipping burgers on the bbq, but still i can't stand wet weather....

Today i set out to accomplish something usefull. Figured i'd make an ash canoe pole.

I ran an ash board I had thru the tablesaw... tablesaw not at all hapy with this...



Next step was to cover my floor with sawdust and shavings. With the help of a dull spokeshave and hand plane I shaped what could be called a pole.



Some sanding by hand and orbital finished off the job.




Linseed oil applied for protection.




Not a bad morning project, after the initial shaping and sanding and thinking i was done I determined I wanted the shaft to be a bit smaller. Out came the spokeshave and plane again and all the sanding too.....

Will know better for the next time.

Jamie

[Ken Corbett]

I had a beautiful ash setting pole, painted it in boiled linseed oil, and took it on the Miramichi this spring. It snapped in two on the fourth push.

Maybe it was dried out, probably. Maybe it was spindly to start with. Coulda been me. Gotta get another one.

Ken

[stewie]

Okay, I'll ask....

Where around here do you source a piece of ash long enough!!!!!

[Jamie]

Ridge Cedar (formerly Lumplys) out the Keswick Ridge road often has long length of clear ash available. Also a great source for other hardwoods much cheaper than anything you can get the local big box stores.