Mounting oars

John Michne

Recovering stripper
In a guideboat, the oars are pinned to plates which are mounted with pins that fit in the oarlock. I have a new set of oarlocks, and a pin is used through one side plate, then through the oar loom, and into the opposite side plate, capturing the oar. In the new set, these pins are a loose fit through the side plates. Either the side plates or the oar must be a tight fit with the capturing pin. Should this pin be a tight fit in the plates and loose through the oar, or loose in the plates and tight in the oar?
 
Hey John, I would say that you want the pin to pivot in the lock because the brass is harder then the Oar it's self. If it pivots in the Oar the wood would wear out faster in my opinion.
 
On all the guideboat oarlocks I've mounted (same source for castings) the pin has fit smoothly through the side plates but not too loose. I counter sink the hole in the plates just a little (do this by hand using a larger drill bit) then I pean the ends of the pin into this countersunk depression, light tap-tap-taps with a ball pean hammer spreading the end of the pin to fill the countersink and forming a nice bead.

As far as what swivels on what, I'm not sure it really matters that much - there really isn't much force being applied to the pin at any point in the rowing stroke and the swivel is only a few degrees -I'd guess 10 or so the wear is minimal. My oldest (lightest and softest) oars - eastern white spruce - have the highest milage and there was no sign of the pin enlarging the hole.
 
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