> I have wanted to do a fabric layer in my glass paddle blades, but I
> haven't found a fabric that looks good on a wood paddle shaft with a wood
> boat AND is brightly colored.

Go through your collection of neck ties. You are bound to find one with bright colors and a pattern that you liked at one time, but which you no longer wish to wear to formal occasions. Rip open the seam on the back of the tie and steam or iron the thing flat. You should be able to find enougn material to put a stripe across a paddle blad, if not cover it completely.

The rep stripes of the regimental colors, the old school tie, or the clan's tartan would be good choices, too.

I am assuming that this cloth is not being used structurally, but just for decoration, and that any fiberglass cloth would be under it. That way, if the decorative fabric did not have a good bond, it would be sitting on top of the structural fiberglass, and not affect THAT bond with the wood.

If you want to have your decorative fabric UNDER a layer of fiberglass, perhaps for ding resistance, then this should be an addtional piece of glass cloth, and it can probably be a very lightweight cloth, too.

Boy Scouts might wish to mount their canoeing merit badge to their paddle, for example.

Hope this helps.

Paul G. Jacobson