Liberalism's goal is to create a nation of parasites!

[Plane]

That is the very reason I am making a pair of Oars for myself.
The craftsmanship on cheap oars ($70 each) is poor , better oars are high and freight contributes a lot.

Boat oars?
Oh I was thinking something much larger.
I think if you could find the exact pre-made box or have a box made for your oars,
then UPS or Fed Ex Ground shouldn't be high enough to be a deal killer.
Buy some oars from Bass Pro Shop, see how they box & ship them...cost of shipping ect
Then return them and say you didnt like them.
Or keep them so you can go to a box supply or box maker and tell them "this is what I want"
Then start selling them on e-bay.....
Hell I need some oars...I'll buy some!
BTW... just curious....who is your target audience/customer?
Like high end small vessel sailboat owners?

This answer required some thought.

  I want to make a no nonsense oar, including all of the features that make it a good tool, reasonable attention to quality of materials and workmanship, a few features that are good for its appearance but nothing that is merely decorative.

    The high end is covered , you can get some oars made of aircraft grade spruce inlaid with purpleheart or oars made of carbon fiber if you want the ultimate. I don't expect to find much open on the ultra side.
    Poorly made oars are plentifull and not worth the price demanded , but for putting a pair on a motor boat as an emergency backup that might never be used perhaps they have a justified market.

I have been a sailor and I am the son of one. I know that a well balanced oar in a gracefull boat is a Joy, much as riding a bicycle the right length of oar puts leverage on your side and allows a practiced oarsman to move fantastic loads and speeds with pure Manpower.
  I live near a lake and I need an enjoyable exercise, I couldn't find satisfaction in the oars availible , except in the build your own sort. An oar the wrong size is frustrating , an oar too heavy or too fragile even moreso.

I guess the market I want is myself , but how many are like this?

Paddling canoes and Kyacks is quite popular , there is even a fad going on with paddling surfboards, perhaps some of these people will graduate to rowboats, if they learn that they can move more mass, and faster that way. Rowing is perfect exercise and is as practical for moving on water as bycycles are for moving on land.

This is something I gotta learn if this idea is going to grow, but first things first , right now I am making jigs that will allow me to make repeatable cuts on a table saw. The more I can approach the final shape with simple cuts the less time it will take to make each one, so I want to make a few jigs and waste a bit of wood in development right now, perhaps also learn somthing about marketing before I get ready for production.


http://www.shawandtenney.com/wooden-rowing-oars.htm
This company is something like what I have in mind , but I can't afford them.
My product will definately have good features , but I hope to undersell these guys, so not quite so much .

[Xavier_Onassis]

I would think that some sort of reinforced fiberglass would be the ideal thing to make an oar with. If it is molded, the cost is much lower. If it is lightweight, it would be cheaper to ship. If you could make it in pieces that are joined together, you could ship it more easily.
 Fiberglass will not get waterlogged: it will not rot. Perhaps there are even better resins (ie plastics) that would be even better That was good advice that the Dustin Hoffman character got in The Graduate: "Plastics!".

[sirs]

Indeed.  I've always referenced how Power is far more dangerous than $$$$.  While the left tries to keep the focus on "greed" $'s, as if that's the evil, they keep pushing more and more policy that gives them more and more power to dictate how you will live your life, what you will eat, how much money you will make, yada, blah, etc.  And with that kind of Power comes the far more dangerous evil

CASE IN POINT......NY, AND MAYOR BLOOMBERG'S ASANINE PUSH THAT GOVERNMENT DICTATE HOW MUCH AND WHAT YOU CAN DRINK NOW.  Started with Cigarettes, now its onto this.  Let's not stop there, we need government to mandate smaller spoons, forks, and plates.  Watchout Buffet restaurants, you're next

[kimba1]

interesting

I think we hit on the flaw of online businesses. for items that maybe indemand in only very specific locations ,but production is too far for the shipping cost to be worth it. ex. boat oar

I think thats why very local newspaper may survive over a too general news service.  the ads can be localized to better suit a small business and a good deal more affordable.

I`m trying start a small one that yeilds 5k a year and thats actually quite a challenge.

[Christians4LessGvt]

the ads can be localized to better suit a small business and a good deal more affordable.

many on-line ads are not only "localized" they are personalized
i've noticed if i seach e-bay, Google, ect...for say "boats"
i start seeing on-line ads on the outer edges of my screen for boats
i think big local newspapers are doomed
but you could be right.....small town newspapers may work

[Plane]

I would think that some sort of reinforced fiberglass would be the ideal thing to make an oar with. If it is molded, the cost is much lower. If it is lightweight, it would be cheaper to ship. If you could make it in pieces that are joined together, you could ship it more easily.
 Fiberglass will not get waterlogged: it will not rot. Perhaps there are even better resins (ie plastics) that would be even better That was good advice that the Dustin Hoffman character got in The Graduate: "Plastics!".

   That is done , and some of the most advanced oars are made this way including with carbon and arimid fibers.

     But I have a wood shop and I believe that I can make a good one with lower materiel cost from wood.

    It will rot soon when it is not properly cared for, but can last a century with proper care.

     But the main thing that prevents me from considering a plastic oar production is the smell of styrene, ugh!
     I can let someone elese make that money.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Zero maintenance is better than proper maintenance. On the other hand, a product that can rot or break will need replacing.

Is there a way that a wooden oar could be made in such a way that it consists of shorter pieces than can be easily assembled? Is an Ikea Oar possible? It would make shipping easier.


It sound like you are a skilled hobbyist, but selling oars is a lot more work than just making oars.

Cowboys no doubt found working on the range far more pleasant than manning the feedlots. Feedlots stink.

[kimba1]

that would probly require a more expensive kind of wood to be sturdy enough for assembly.likely too costly to try

[Plane]

  Take down oars are on the market, mostly they are metal, but a fiber reinforced plastic oar could also be sectional.

   I want a wood product mostly because I have wood working equipment and that is what I would enjoy and want myself.

    I wonder if I am ignoring the wants of the potential customer?

    I am still designing the jigs that would make production reasonably fast, how can I learn what the customer wants before I invest a lot of time ?

     My origional plan is to make a few and see how fast they sell, but I am open to suggestions if someone knows how to learn ahead of the experiment.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Perhaps a wooden oar is more pleasant to use, so long as it did not involve splinters.

I would say you should make a dozen or so and see if you can sell them on craigslist, or perhaps to members of a canoeing or other sort of boat or fishing club.

I would try to think up a classy brand name as well, and a logo you could brand your oars with.

The way to make a bundle is mass production with really cheap raw materials. It is almost certain that it is not likely to be fun.

There was something I saw on PBS about some guy who makes authentic hand made canoes and sells them for several thousand each. He only makes a dozen or so a year, but he really enjoys it.

The same seems to be true of guitars and other musical instruments. I do not think that Stradivarius died a wealthy man, even though he should have.

[kimba1]

I know a kid who made a great light saber fight video, he now sell handmade lightsabers on ebay. he`s not getting rich from it but does get a decent income from it. Quality doesn`t always equal buig money.

I tried to start a sugar pork business and still can`t figure out how to avoid risking quality to get a higher production.

the taste really changes if done in higher yeilds

[Xavier_Onassis]

Quality probably does not mean big money for most beginning businesses. It takes time to develop a workable mass production scheme.

[kimba1]

Sometimes it just doesn't work. I tried many brands of sugar cured pork. Only one taste good and that one closed down four years ago.