# DIY oar counterbalancing



## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

Objective - Turn my non-counterbalanced Cataract oars for my smaller 13' boat into counterbalanced so wife will row with less complaints for less than the $90 Cataract sleeves cost.

Potential Solution - I got lead weights from the big fishing/hunting store. (Both in 1ft x 1/2 inch wide long strips and also in wire form). I plan to pull the blades, drop these down to the handle end of the oar, balance, and seal somehow.

Why I'm starting a thread - I'm hesitant on what to use to secure the weights inside the oar at handle end. I feel like I talked to one of the sales guys at DRE a few years back who suggested drizzling liquid epoxy down on a string. This may be what I do, but still have some hesitancy. Lead is so malleable I'm also contemplating just dropping it down and smashing it with a pipe that's fits inside the oar. (insert sex joke here) I feel like that would potentially hold it in place. Or maybe I do the smashing and then apply epoxy.

Suggestions? Recommendations? Experiences?

Yes, I know somewhere in the buzz archives are discussions about counterbalancing, but we're starting a new one!


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

After rowing with counterbalanced Sawyers which are like tanks, my wife loves our counterbalanced cataracts. I've heard of folks duct taping rocks to their oars for the counterbalance. Surely you could give this a try with lead taped to the outside and figure out the weight so it's just right. That said, if it's for your wife, spend the $90 on the Cat counterbalances and get the right tools for the job instead of some cobbled together janky setup (I suggest you DO NOT make these a birthday or anniversary gift...). They've gone up a bunch since I got mine but are still worth it.

Yeah, lead's malleable but after smashing it into the end of the oar, you may need to apply that epoxy to the fiberglass to fix a busted shaft. If it comes loose it'll probably happen when it's getting shaken around a bunch (ie rapids), by definition this is not where you want to have to deal with the weight suddenly in the wrong end of the oar.

Just my thoughts....


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

Get some ankle weights with velcro. You can slide up and down to adjust. 
When you find the sweet spot, apply with duct tape.
Removable when the wife is not on the trip.
P.S. I hate counter balanced oars, they sink, they hurt when they slap you up the side of the face.


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

Andy H. said:


> That said, if it's for your wife, spend the $90 on the Cat counterbalances and get the right tools for the job instead of some cobbled together janky setup (I suggest you DO NOT make these a birthday or anniversary gift...). They've gone up a bunch since I got mine but are still worth it.


I shouldn't do this as a mother's day gift??? Hahaha

Also, non-counterbalanced oars can hurt just as much when slapped on face and/or body.


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## Riverwild (Jun 19, 2015)

All you need is a new pair of Cataract grips. Cut the grip off and remove the black cap. get some foam sealer and shoot it inside sealing off the end of the handle where it meets the shaft. Fill with buckshot, replace black cap, install new grips. BAM!


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

I was contemplating making a buddy's 9' non-counterbalanced Cataracts into 10' square-topped oars.
but he put counterbalanced Gilman grips on them and is happy with those.

I like Riverwild's idea.


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## kengore (May 29, 2008)

I made my own oar sleeves using strips of lead sold for weighting duck decoys. The lead strips are about 1/2" wide and 6" long. At first I just duck taped them on until I got the balance I wanted. It worked well as is but I wanted a more finished look.

I later wrapped them in fiber glass and added some set screws. I found some PVC pipe with the same diameter as my oar shaft, wrapped it in saran wrap and used it as a mold. I used slow set 2-ton epoxy and medium weave fiber glass cloth.


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## whip (Oct 23, 2003)

I had a friend who duct taped the nuts from the base of ski lift tower to his oars. They were pretty close to an exact fit.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

A friend used 2 inch wide lead strips, double sided tape on the bottom, wrap the shafts about 18 to 24 inches down and cover with something decorative to keep your skin away from the lead. He says it works for him, and watching him row it's sorta a festive touch to decently balanced oars. 

Past that have @MT4Runner make you a nice set of square top wooden oars LOL.. The set I have from him are the sweetest rowing oars I've ever used, my Sawyers are a close second..


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## Whitewater Worthy Equip (Dec 11, 2013)

Ankle weights and coban or vet wrap is a cheap and easy solution that does not add potentially deadly sharp edges that could beat the rower or passengers to hell.


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## kengore (May 29, 2008)

The vet wrap is a great idea.


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## KlaustheK (Mar 20, 2021)

I used hospital leaded rubber shielding that was being thrown out, wrapped it around the end of the oar just below the handle and used heat shrink to secure it. Finished setup looks real nice. Increased the outer diameter by about .5 inches and added about two pounds to each oar.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

I have the big weights that set screw on and they look like denture makers to me so I took them off!! Gilmore handles are not cheap but iam gonna try some. Thanks mt4runner had no idea they where here. My wife says that why she doesn't row as much...now she gets to lol!


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## eyeboat (Feb 7, 2017)

I think on my effort to try DIY balancing found that you can NOT fill from the oar end as some thing prevents shot going to handle end. Therefore as above-work from handle end.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

I also think the commercial counterweights (outer sleeve and inner Cataract handle) are too heavy. Most are like 3-4lbs when you may only need 1-2 lbs. I think Gilman grips are in the 1lb range.
The lead shielding is also a great idea.

@eyeboat, many oars have a foam plug inside. You can dig it out with a coat hanger, and glue it back in with a thin bead of silicone afterward..but keeping water out of the shaft usually isn't enough to keep the oar floating if you've added more than ~2lb of counterweight.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

MT4Runner said:


> I also think the commercial counterweights (outer sleeve and inner Cataract handle) are too heavy. Most are like 3-4lbs when you may only need 1-2 lbs. I think Gilman grips are in the 1lb range.
> The lead shielding is also a great idea.
> 
> @eyeboat, many oars have a foam plug inside. You can dig it out with a coat hanger, and glue it back in with a thin bead of silicone afterward..but keeping water out of the shaft usually isn't enough to keep the oar floating if you've added more than ~2lb of counterweight.


Wouldn't the foam plug provide some buoyancy in and of itself?


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

You can’t displace any more water than the outside volume of the oar.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

MT4Runner said:


> You can’t displace any more water than the outside volume of the oar.


Correct, but if it occupies the volume inside of the oar which the water would normally leak into, is it not increasing buoyancy in that respect?


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

I was assuming the plug was keeping the water out in the first place...so no net change?


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

MT4Runner said:


> I was assuming the plug was keeping the water out in the first place...so no net change?


Depends on the oar.. historically carlisles have had foam plugs, the older cataract shafts I have do not, and my sawyers do not.. so in that respect, adding a foam plug should increase buoyancy


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## eyeboat (Feb 7, 2017)

Whatever stopped my efforts was resistant to a pointed end of rebar. Do test before loading !


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## coult45 (May 14, 2020)

Pinchecharlie said:


> I have the big weights that set screw on and they look like denture makers to me so I took them off!! Gilmore handles are not cheap but iam gonna try some. Thanks mt4runner had no idea they where here. My wife says that why she doesn't row as much...now she gets to lol!


I am a novice rower but I will share my experience. I bought the counter balance sleeves for a set of Carlisle 8 footers. It was a nice upgrade. But alas, I found a set of cataract sgg but needed to shorten them, so I bought some Gilman grips since I was already cutting the oar down. I sold off the cataract aftermarket sleeves and I really like the Gilman grips. I’ve only ever rowed with oar rights. I bought convertibles to go with the Gilman/cataract combo and man, I don’t think I’ll ever use them. But the convertibles are great for the girlfriend.


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## NoCo (Jul 21, 2009)

Pins and clips, full power all the time. Counter ballanced oars are for yuppies! 

I hope i waited long enough into this thread to barge in with this one snd still retain some kind of cooth.


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## eyeboat (Feb 7, 2017)

I like posilocks better. Ted Day Payette River Equipment) can lead to a pair. Not near as clunkly !


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

eyeboat said:


> I like posilocks better. Ted Day Payette River Equipment) can lead to a pair. Not near as clunkly !


A google search returned this





Posi-Lock(R) - The Best Connectors You'll Ever Use!


No crimp connectors, and no crimp electrical connectors. Stronger than crimping & reusable.



www.posi-products.com




Ted's site says nothing about these. 

Got a photo ? 

For me, nothing bests pins and clips.. Simply nothing..


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

NoCo said:


> Pins and clips, full power all the time. Counter ballanced oars are for yuppies!
> 
> I hope i waited long enough into this thread to barge in with this one snd still retain some kind of cooth.


Someone had to speak the truth!


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## NativeDiver (Jun 7, 2017)

whip said:


> I had a friend who duct taped the nuts from the base of ski lift tower to his oars. They were pretty close to an exact fit.


I was just checking in on these nuts from the ski lift. Were they replaced before the following ski season? Also, I have never seen any ski lift base nuts available for sale?


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

They are just huge nuts, you could likely source them from McMaster-Carr


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## NativeDiver (Jun 7, 2017)

I would agree with the this idea being 'huge nuts'


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## Kayakguy (Feb 19, 2015)

Any metal or anything on the outside of your oar is not ideal. You're much better off with an internal counterbalance. If you don't want to saw the old handle off and put a proper handle with counterbalance in it It's much better to add the weight on the inside of the shaft as you had originally planned. There is nothing In between the handle and the blade other than a foam plug.


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

NoCo said:


> Pins and clips, full power all the time. Counter ballanced oars are for yuppies!


Happy to be called any name in the book if it means my wife is rowing her own boat.

I also drink cocktails and beers with fruit in them. Call me a yuppy, a wimp, not a manly man. Don't care. They're delicious.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

So guys that run pins and clips like heavy oars? Really asking. As long as you don't "naturally carbonate " your home made combucha, it's all good.


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

Pinchecharlie said:


> So guys that run pins and clips like heavy oars? Really asking.


I run pins and clips so I'll try to answer. First off, I hate anything heavy on my boat, I'm having a sub 30 lb cat frame welded as we speak (although I do not drink lite beer). 
Pins & Clips work best when you absolutely can not miss a stroke and you are making many 
quick adjusting strokes, rather than full body pushes or pulls. Counter balanced oars are fine for a long steady row, but the momentum the weights create are a negative when precise oar placement matters, such as very tight, rocky creeks. I like to control the precise oar placement. Also running tight rocky creeks there is a higher proability of flipping, and the 3 lb weights on the end of the oars become dangerous both in the flip and also reflipping mid river. Pins and clips also are more likely to remain in place and ready to use after a combat roll. YMMV


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## Rightoarleft (Feb 5, 2021)

I think everybody agrees the caveat of counterbalanced oars is how they float (or rather, don't float) when liberated.

The solution is obvious, use a weight with a specific gravity of 1. Sure you can tape water bottles to the shaft to achieve this goal... and also win a ******* boater award.

But you get the idea, a weight with neutral buoyancy does not sink. 2 pounds of lead in the boat weighs about 1.9 pounds in the river. 2 pounds of water in the boat weighs 0 in the river. So while it is difficult to strap water to an oar shaft, a plastic collar with the same density as water could be a game changer... especially if it is easy to put on and off, you know, like with a latch.

Patent it. Make it. Sell me a set. You're welcome.

edit: I see the censorship police have visited my post. I was unaware that red-neck is now a protected species. I apologize to all the red-necks I have offended please forgive me and wow I sure do feel better about everything now.


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

On the topic of sinking after adding counter balance - how dumb would it be to put the expandable spray insulation foam or even a pool noodle inside for additional buoyancy?


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## IDriverRunner (Aug 18, 2015)

yesimapirate said:


> On the topic of sinking after adding counter balance - how dumb would it be to put the expandable spray insulation foam or even a pool noodle inside for additional buoyancy?


That (noodle) is exactly my plan!

I ordered 1lb scuba weights (2 weights per oar) from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XENTJW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1









and sections of 1.5" noodles to fill the remaining space in the oar, also from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D6BMZXR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My intentions are to slide the weights all the way to the handle and then cut the sections of noodle tight so that when I put the blades on it helps push the weights tight to the handle so there is no movement. The weights were delivered today fit in the shaft perfectly. The noodles should be here next week. I'll cut/fit them next week and then return and report.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

IDriverRunner said:


> That (noodle) is exactly my plan!
> 
> I ordered 1lb scuba weights (2 weights per oar) from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XENTJW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
> 
> ...


Other than more weight/reduced buoyancy which you already know about, I don't see a downside. Full send!


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## IDriverRunner (Aug 18, 2015)

MT4Runner said:


> Other than more weight/reduced buoyancy which you already know about, I don't see a downside. Full send!


True. Also, another upside is that this method is 100% reversible if I end up not liking it. Nothing is permanently modified/attached/glued.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

IDriverRunner said:


> True. Also, another upside is that this method is 100% reversible if I end up not liking it. Nothing is permanently modified/attached/glued.


I think I mentioned it earlier in the thread, but IMHO most factory counterbalanced oars are TOO heavy. You have less likelihood of sinking an oar with 1# weight than 3# weight...especially when you're keeping the water out of the shaft. Your idea's a winner.


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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

Rightoarleft said:


> I think everybody agrees the caveat of counterbalanced oars is how they float (or rather, don't float) when liberated.
> 
> The solution is obvious, use a weight with a specific gravity of 1. Sure you can tape water bottles to the shaft to achieve this goal... and also win a ***** boater award.
> 
> ...


DIY square tops. Oak floats.

They look cumbersome to the eye but they don't get in the way of anything where I have them placed.

I also added pipe insulation down the length of each shaft.


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## Rightoarleft (Feb 5, 2021)

cupido76 said:


> DIY square tops. Oak floats.
> 
> They look cumbersome to the eye but they don't get in the way of anything where I have them placed.


This is doing weird things in my head. Part of me loves that you actually did this. The other part of me thinks it looks ridiculous. 

I dig DIY and even more so original ideas. I'm a woodworker/shop guy. I come from a long history of DIY rafting gear, much of it experimental. I know a thing or two about looking ridiculous. Darn right I'd rock those blocks.


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

They aren't just blocks. They're a moving coaster for your beverage.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

cupido76 said:


> DIY square tops. Oak floats.
> 
> They look cumbersome to the eye but they don't get in the way of anything where I have them placed.
> 
> ...


Wrap those things with some hemp or tarred line and make 'em look all nautical an shit!


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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

MT4Runner said:


> Wrap those things with some hemp or tarred line and make 'em look all nautical an shit!
> View attachment 65315


Not a bad idea. Maybe I should just get some straps that look like that line for my attachment method.


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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

yesimapirate said:


> They aren't just blocks. They're a moving coaster for your beverage.


I should have encorporated a flask into the design!


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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

Rightoarleft said:


> This is doing weird things in my head. Part of me loves that you actually did this. The other part of me thinks it looks ridiculous.
> 
> I dig DIY and even more so original ideas. I'm a woodworker/shop guy. I come from a long history of DIY rafting gear, much of it experimental. I know a thing or two about looking ridiculous. Darn right I'd rock those blocks.


I'm a function over looks kind of guy... my gear is mostly old and cobbled together but that suits me just fine. [emoji38]


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## IDriverRunner (Aug 18, 2015)

(continuing off of my first post in this thread: DIY oar counterbalancing)

The noodles were delivered today!
With the foam plug removed, 2lbs of scuba weights slid down to the handle, I cut to fit and slid in the sections of the noodles.










The noodles weren't as tight as fit as the original foam plug, so I put the foam plug back in the oar shaft as well to help keep it was water tight as an original oar.










Finally, I capped it off with the oar blade. There is zero movement of the weights inside the shaft. I managed to keep the look of an OEM oar, but added weight to the handle areas at a fraction of the cost of replacement handles or external weights. I am very pleased with the outcome of this DIY project.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Do you want a cookie?

Well you're not getting a damn cookie!



I'll give you a river beer or a hot cup of coffee, your choice!
Well done, thanks for contributing a worthwhile DIY how-to!


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## Rightoarleft (Feb 5, 2021)

cupido76 said:


> I'm a function over looks kind of guy... my gear is mostly old and cobbled together but that suits me just fine. [emoji38]


I like the nautical look idea but I was actually thinking leather fringe like what you find on a buckskin jacket. Not sure leather is the best material, it gets stiff when it dries. I think rayon would work, it's very limp, would have good "flow" when you row. Put some little brass bells on the fringe and you can tinkle too!


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## yesimapirate (Oct 18, 2010)

Rightoarleft said:


> I like the nautical look idea but I was actually thinking leather fringe like what you find on a buckskin jacket. Not sure leather is the best material, it gets stiff when it dries. I think rayon would work, it's very limp, would have good "flow" when you row. Put some little brass bells on the fringe and you can tinkle too!


I'm picturing leather motorcycle handlebar fringe.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Don't wanna be "that guy" but that looks a bit sketchy lol. I know there's allways a risk but my dad allways said,"you can't allways beat the odds but you can allways lesson them." That's some medieval shite right there just asking for a "partial" lol. 


Google Image Result for https://media.tenor.com/heduG-aL2vEAAAAM/dentist-teeth.gif


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## Lscotese (Apr 29, 2017)

IDriverRunner said:


> I





IDriverRunner said:


> (continuing off of my first post in this thread: DIY oar counterbalancing)
> 
> The noodles were delivered today!
> With the foam plug removed, 2lbs of scuba weights slid down to the handle, I cut to fit and slid in the sections of the noodles.
> ...


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## Lscotese (Apr 29, 2017)

Lead isn't hard to melt, you could form it to fit well into your oars. Melt it with a torch - pour it into a paper towel tube buried in wet sand. I used Steel Bar, dropped it into the handle end, and added copious amount of gorilla glue. Worked great.


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## IDriverRunner (Aug 18, 2015)

Lscotese said:


> Lead isn't hard to melt, you could form it to fit well into your oars. Melt it with a torch - pour it into a paper towel tube buried in wet sand. I used Steel Bar, dropped it into the handle end, and added copious amount of gorilla glue. Worked great.


That's definitely one way to do it! Haha maybe I'm just too lazy to want to melt down lead and use copious amounts of glue. Once the materials were on hand, my method took just a minute or two per oar from start to finish. Remove blade, remove foam plug, slide weights in, cut noodle to fit (plus a little extra) and slide in, insert original foam plug, insert blade compressing the foam and noodle into the weight. Then drink beer.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Pinchecharlie said:


> Don't wanna be "that guy" but that looks a bit sketchy lol. I know there's allways a risk but my dad allways said,"you can't allways beat the odds but you can allways lesson them." That's some medieval shite right there just asking for a "partial" lol.
> 
> 
> Google Image Result for https://media.tenor.com/heduG-aL2vEAAAAM/dentist-teeth.gif


What??

both the wood block and the internal scuba weight/pool noodle are good DIY solutions.


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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

MT4Runner said:


> What??
> 
> both the wood block and the internal scuba weight/pool noodle are good DIY solutions.


Yeah I was trying to figure out what could possibly be "sketchy" here. [emoji848]


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Big giant wood mallets flinging around? Sorry I know it works and all but jesus you'll be Gallagher out there lol!! I know its a long shot but if it does happen it's gonna suck. No offense intended !!! It just looks scary , iam sure it's no more dangerous than a normal oar. The other set up with weight and noodle is super fly and should be the go to. Sorry man guess accidents happen more often than others!!


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## Rightoarleft (Feb 5, 2021)

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I did not come here tonight to make you laugh! I came here to sell you something! And I want ya to pay particular attention, because The Amazing Master Tool Corporation, a subsidiary of Fly By Night Industries, has entrusted who? -- *me!* -- to show *you!* -- the handiest and the dandiest rafting tool you've ever seen, and don't ya wanna know how it works! First you take an ordinary oar! You place the ordinary oar in between the patented weights! Then you have tool that is *not* a slicer, *not* a dicer, *not* a chopper in a hopper! What in the hell can it possibly be? *SLEDGE-O-MATIC! *Sledge-O-Matic will teach the dumbest dog to play dead, it puts the cat out all night, and it keeps the neighbors' kids in their own damn yards. Hey, what do you expect from a culture that *drives* on *parkways* and *parks* on *driveways*?"

If you get it, you know. If you don't know, I'm sorry.


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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

Pinchecharlie said:


> Big giant wood mallets flinging around? Sorry I know it works and all but jesus you'll be Gallagher out there lol!! I know its a long shot but if it does happen it's gonna suck. No offense intended !!! It just looks scary , iam sure it's no more dangerous than a normal oar. The other set up with weight and noodle is super fly and should be the go to. Sorry man guess accidents happen more often than others!!


You know that weight on the end of an oar is going to cause the same damage if it's inside or outside of the oar, right?


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

cupido76 said:


> You know that weight on the end of an oar is going to cause the same damage if it's inside or outside of the oar, right?



Which of course brings into question the whole concept of adding weight to the end of an oar. We are at 60 posts and no one has explained why.


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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

Rich said:


> Which of course brings into question the whole concept of adding weight to the end of an oar. We are at 60 posts and no one has explained why.


There are a lot of reasons why but if you're not sold I won't try to sell you.

I've taken an oar to the face due to lazy downstream oar management but I doubt a counterbalance would alter the effect of a stiff jab like that.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Yeah I figured it would hurt to get hit with a heavy stick. It's just alot bigger now is all. No biggie iam sure it'll be fine and accomplishes what my 1000k square tops do for ten bucks. My bad!! Iam just trolling cause iam bored sorry!!


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## Susswein (Aug 24, 2020)

How do you remove the foam plug from cataract shafts?


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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

I'd also like to know how to remove the cork or plastic plus from a carlisle oar, if anyone knows?


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

The cool grip manufacturer guy has a video on it. Basically a screw in a broom stick(or?) . Stick it in turn in screw and pull out. Seems like it could go bad but he just pulls it right out. He has video of different oars too.


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## IDriverRunner (Aug 18, 2015)

Susswein said:


> How do you remove the foam plug from cataract shafts?


I found a way to get my plugs out in a very simple manner, and took just a few seconds per plug.. I have a bunch of 24" insulation support wires already on hand because they come in handy all the time. 
I just bent the tip of one.









My foam plugs were just beyond the oar blade so I didn't have to reach in too far.









Then I just push the insulation support into the foam with one hand, and push down from the oar blade button hole on the shaft. A little wiggle, and then gently pull the insulation wire with the foam plug out of the shaft.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Nice!!


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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

Pinchecharlie said:


> The cool grip manufacturer guy has a video on it. Basically a screw in a broom stick(or?) . Stick it in turn in screw and pull out. Seems like it could go bad but he just pulls it right out. He has video of different oars too.


Do you have a link you can share? My googling isn't finding it.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)




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## cupido76 (May 22, 2009)

^^^ thanks for that.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Gotta eat my delicious humble pie! I was talking shite and offended at least one of you and the river gods. I popped my down stream oar at the entrance to the crux rapid on my Saturday run and had a real un fun ride through the rapid. I had trouble all day cause iam scrawny and weak and I took off my counter weights and I kept letting the oars dive to deep. Operator error for sure and inexperience and lack of fitness and heavy ass oars and delicious humble pie yum!! Oh great and forgiving river gods forgive my jackassness and allow me safe passage...


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

mind the downstream oar!!

Gallatin?


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

No kitchen sink lol


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Gallatins at 1185 ! Bear trap 1800 Saturday. Gonna be early I think?


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

MF Flathead hit 10,800 yesterday. Boom!


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Juicy or washed out? That's alot of water


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Next to super low crystal clear flows, it's just about my favorite flow. Super juicy. Big hole in Jaws, and ginormous wavetrains everywhere.
Kind of like the Gally at 5k-6k.

At high (near peak) 16k-20k flows, it's pretty much a blown out freight train ride.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Sweet!! Giver the onion!!


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## kayakingphotog (May 25, 2007)

IDriverRunner said:


> (continuing off of my first post in this thread: DIY oar counterbalancing)
> 
> The noodles were delivered today!
> With the foam plug removed, 2lbs of scuba weights slid down to the handle, I cut to fit and slid in the sections of the noodles.
> ...


Hey IdriveRunner. I just removed the foam plug from one of my new 8.5 Cataract Oars and am planning on following your DIY counterbalance idea. Did you find that 2lbs was sufficient for each oar? The 8.5' Catatract Oars could not be purchased w/counterbances so am super stoked to try this.


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## IDriverRunner (Aug 18, 2015)

kayakingphotog said:


> Hey IdriveRunner. I just removed the foam plug from one of my new 8.5 Cataract Oars and am planning on following your DIY counterbalance idea. Did you find that 2lbs was sufficient for each oar? The 8.5' Catatract Oars could not be purchased w/counterbances so am super stoked to try his.


To be honest I have not had a chance to use them in the water yet. 2lbs does seem sufficient from the time I spent swinging them around in my garage though. You can always start with 2lbs and add another bag if it's not enough.


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## kayakingphotog (May 25, 2007)

IDriverRunner said:


> To be honest I have not had a chance to use them in the water yet. 2lbs does seem sufficient from the time I spent swinging them around in my garage though. You can always start with 2lbs and add another bag if it's not enough.


Fantastic. Will let you know how it turns out.


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## coult45 (May 14, 2020)

trying out the pool toy / scuba weight method here. I ordered one 2lb scuba weight per oar. And of course, they didn’t fit inside my 8.5’ cataract oar shafts. So I took to my vacuum sealer and double bagged the lead weights into a cylindrical shape. These allowed me to fit the 2lb in each oar. I then used the pool toy foam off Amazon (which was, as stated previously, a touch smaller than the actual diameter of the shaft) to fill the rest of the oar shaft space and keep the weights pushed to the handle end.

i attached a picture of my super fancy foam plug retrieval method after my failed attempt to use my household vacuum to remove the shaft plugs.

hopefully out of the water tomorrow to test. The 2lbs doesn’t seem like a ton different in the garage, but I had a different set of oars last season that had some built in balance and my current set up felt like it was diving a ton. I was not as attune to minding my downstream oar and was constantly tagging rocks so far this season Hoping this will help balance it out a bit.


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## LRBBCO (Aug 6, 2018)

Jumping back in here to share a few takeaways from my recent project that was greatly assisted by this thread. I purchased a new counterbalanced 10' cat oar and and used smelted lead to weight a near-new non-balanced oar.
The new cats only come with the thumb notch grip so I bought a new one to put on the diy oar. Main takeaway: The new cats have a handle that is 0.5" shorter than the old ones and the grips do not fit nicely. My 10' oar is actually 9' 11.5". I was able to stretch the grip on (with a bit of epoxy in the interior) and hold it until set using a paracord wrap and vices. It was a bit of a pain that could have been prevented by hacking 0.5" off the old handle. Which I would have done had I not just recently filled the damn thing with smelted fishing weights. Cataracts website gives the dimensions of the grip, but who think to check? As they're marketed as replacement grips and the oars are still called 10'...
Factory counterbalance for a 10' cat is 4 lbs. Looking into the shaft of the new oar, it appears that lead is the method cataract uses for their factory counterbalance. I smelted 3.9 lbs of lead, poured directly into the handle (sitting in an ice bath) and achieved the last bit of weight with an epoxy cap just to be sure the lead never migrates. I needed to add a foil extension to get all the lead into the handle. There was no evidence the hot lead damaged the plastic. Another bit of epoxy to secure the handle back into the oar.
I used foam pipe insulation with greatfoam in the middle to make a tight plug for the old oar.
Getting the old handle out took a minute. As I don't have a 1 3/8" rod laying around, I used a socket with that OD and an old trailer axel shaft as a slide hammer. Went quick once I thought of the socket.
I have magnum blades and believe that with any lighter blade 4 lbs would be too much weight. At the end of the beer, the oar is identical in feel to the new one and works swell... Even with the 0.5" difference. 
And now the wife is jumping at the opportunity to row the boat through a headwind.


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## weekendalpinist (Jul 16, 2012)

I once drilled out the ends of my wood oars and slid 1" lead bar in through the handle with a little epoxy. The further out on the oar that the weight is located, the more effective, so having the weight in the handle is optimal. For 3 lb weights, the lead bars were about 9" long. The oars are 9'9" with large blades and are great to row with that weight. And they float (tips up!).


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Just remember: Losing an ounce off the blade is like adding 2 ounces to the handle.


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## unclebat (Mar 2, 2021)

MT4Runner said:


> Just remember: Losing an ounce off the blade is like adding 2 ounces to the handle.


if you use the sleeves you can slide them in seconds with a screwdriver, so switching sticks or blades, it`s really easy to adjust or change. the pick-up and swing weight is heaven when you get them where you like it. the cost seems low when the options are big ($.02)


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