# Rope wrapping made easy.



## Montet202 (Aug 22, 2020)

New to this forum, and looking at a bunch of posts about rope wrapping, it seems like a lot of folks are making this way harder that it should be.

There is a centuries old tool that is very easy to make and use called a serving mallet. Fashion the mallet with a spool at the end of the handle. Run properly, your rope wrap will be super tight, gap free, and take no more than 10-15min/oar. And no need for a freind to turn the oar for you. No Ned to glue it down, though I do use a dab of 5min epoxy to help hold it at the start.

3/16" para cord is fine. I like to coat my wraps with a good marine varnish like Epiphanes (not Helmsmans) until it is glossy. Looks great, and provides UV and abrasion protection.


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## Leonmajor (Sep 25, 2017)

Been hearing about these mythical serving mallets. How about a video on how to make one, set it up and wrap an oar start to finish?


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## Montet202 (Aug 22, 2020)

Leonmajor said:


> Been hearing about these mythical serving mallets. How about a video on how to make one, set it up and wrap an oar start to finish?


I'd love to, if I knew how (to make/edit video), and had the time. It's a fun adventure figuring it out. If I can do it, anyone can. It's quite a sime tool. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions, though.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

It's pretty simple. Montet202's pic pretty much shows how it works, and they were invented back in the day long before digital video!!!
There are a lot of videos on YouTube showing a serving mallet being used on tall ship rigging..not really any different from oars.

This blog post from Mark Stuber is where I first saw the idea applied to oars:








Serving you the perfect oar wrap!


"Oar wrapping sucks. There is no way around it." This was what i was told and came to understand the last time i had to wrap an oar. But wr...




shoelessmusings.blogspot.com





More:








Barkley Sound Oars


Was all excited to order my oars from fisheries supply yesterday. Upon checkout I noticed that they would charge me 200 dollars in surcharges to get them to m…




woodenboatpeople.org





My own mallet is a stubby, but works fine. I do rotate the oar since my spool is huge...but all the force comes from the mallet.


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## Leonmajor (Sep 25, 2017)

Does the the arc at the end of the mallet have the radius of the oar shaft or the shaft plus rope diameter? Or maybe I am overthinking it. My woodworking skills are pretty rudimentary if it can’t be done with a miter or circular saw I’m probably in over my head.


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## Montet202 (Aug 22, 2020)

They are a simple tool. I added the business end of a paint roller and threaded it to accept a 1/4x 20 wing nut so I could put the spool on the end of the handle. So I'll spool up 80' and get to work.


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## Montet202 (Aug 22, 2020)

Leonmajor said:


> Does the the arc at the end of the mallet have the radius of the oar shaft or the shaft plus rope diameter? Or maybe I am overthinking it. My woodworking skills are pretty rudimentary if it can’t be done with a miter or circular saw I’m probably in over my head.


The arc is roughly the radius of the oar/iar and rope. It isn't critical, just keeps it on the oar while you are wrapping. It could even be two angled cuts forming a V. Easy to do on a table saw. These things were made centuries ago, so they aren't too complicated. I added the leather to help protect the wood from scratching/denting.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

If anything, make the arc larger than the rope diameter

v cut or rough it out with a rasp or 60-grit paper held over your oar shaft. It helps with alignment but exact size isn’t critical..


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## Pinner62 (Jun 25, 2013)

I take a bit of a different and more elemental approach. I simply loose wrap the entire length that I want to be wrapped, including each bitter end fed under the last 8 or so wraps. A little redundant on the term wrap...; O) Once I have it all in place, I grip the wrap and start tightening it on the oar working my way from one end to the other. I am able to generate enough force to get it pretty dang tight. I secure each end with epoxy putty and let it set up. Once the epoxy has cured, I put on my stop. It has held up well for years. I can wrap an oar in 5 minutes. Pretty simple, no tools, meets my needs
All that to say I am moving to leather wraps on all my wood oars for both my wood boats ( "Juanita" Ray's McKenzie DB, "Irenabyss" Briggs GC Dory)


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