I'd varnish the blades and oil the shaft. Protecting the edges with 3
coats of epoxy or polyester resin is a good idea. Epxoy can be purchased
in small twin tubes as "household adhesive" at your local discount
hardware department for under $5. Otherwise it's pricey. Polyester can be
bought in pints or half pints in the body repair section of you local
discount auto parts department. The last I bought ws a quart for $14. Next
best would be to put extra layers of polyurethane plastic varnish along the
edges.

Varnish will keep water, which can add weigth, from soaking into the
blades better, and the oil will keep the shaft "textured" which helps
prevent blisters which a smooth varnish can cause. If you decide to
varnish the shaft use a non-gloss finish or lightly sand after the varnish
has dried for 3 days or more. A traditional oil is 1/2 linseed and 1/2
volatile solvent, kerosene in the old days but any paint thinner will do.
The solvent helps the oil penetrate the wood grain and then it evaporates
off, just like it does in oil based pints and varnishes. Linseed oil is
the oil used in oil paints and its cheaper than paint. Kerosene was used
to kill any fungus in the wood which could cause rot on wooden boats,
maybe paint thinner does too but it's not an issue with a kayak shaft
which gets plenty of ventilation.

It would be interesting to weigh the paddle at various times during the
season to see if it is absorbing moisture and gaining weight.

" ) writes:
I have just about completed carving my Greenland style paddle. I am trying
to decide if I should varnish it or not. Any suggestions?

Kristopher




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