On 24-Jul-2003, stevej wrote:

I have built paddles and oars from scratch and have finished with
both polyurethane and marine spar varnish. In my opinion either are
fine. The choice comes down mabey to personal preference.

Also consider a good oil finish. Varnishes and polyurethanes create
a hard smooth surface that is, in some folks opinion, a blister starter.
As well, the hard surface, if dinged, creates a water entry point that
starts wood discolouration and possibly rot.

Oil finishes result in the paddle feeling like wood. I find that with a bit
of surface roughness in the wood (fine sanding but not necessarily
wiping out all the grain) the paddle allows for good grip and a nice
feel even with wet or sun-screen-covered hands. Blisters are less
common in my experience.

I use tung oil, others linseed etc. There's a good book on paddle
making by Graham Warren and David Gidmark called "Canoe
Paddles" (ISBN 1-55209-525-8) that discusses paddle finishing
quite well. Worth a look if you're going to take this stuff remotely
seriously.

Mike