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| 1. Prepare the oar by jigging, so that the
blade is vertical and the bottom surface is facing up.
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| 2. Apply about 7 inches of masking tape to the top surface
of the oar shaft.This will be used as a guide for your
marking and drilling. |
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| 3. Using a level to help you, make a line lengthwise.This
line will mark the absolute top of the cylinder. |
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| 4. Now that the axis is marked, measure in 12.7 cm (5”)
and 14.75 cm (5.8”) from the end of the oar. This
will give you two marks 2.05 cm (0.8”) apart.These
marks should line up with the holes on the clamping plate. |
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| 5. Using the smallest available drill bit (5/32”
works well) drill a pilot hole at the marks. Using a small
bit for the pilot hole helps prevent walking of the drill
bit during drilling. Next, bore the hole slightly larger
with a sharp bit and light pressure. Finally, use a 1/4”
bit to bore the hole to size. Again, be careful to use
a sharp bit and light pressure to prevent damage of the
carbonfiber. |
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| 6. Fit the shim into the oar shaft by rolling it along
its longer axis, then inserting it until the edge of the
shim is flush with the end of the oar. Also, make sure
the gap in the shim is opposite the bolt-holes. If using
two shims, insert the thicker shim inside the thinner
one. |
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| 7. Next, re-drill the bolt-holes through the shim material,
and install the mounting hardware and backing plate. |
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8. Insert the BalancePoint handle into the shaft. If the
handle is loose, use different thickness shims to achieve
proper fit. (for Croker oars start with one clear shim and
one yellow shim, for Dreher oars use two white shims) |
| 9. Finally, set the correct length of the oar and tighten the
clamping screws. Be careful not to over-tighten the screws,
as the oar shaft can be damaged. |
