You can also use threads from the excess Fiberglass cloth to roll you own rope (or strand) then use that.

Ron

> In his book on strip built canoes, Gil Gilpatrick shows how he reinforces
> canoe paddles by using a piece of nylon rope around the edge. He mentions
> poling his canoes in shallow water, sO I guess he is getting a lot of
> abuse on those blades. The nylon seems to satisfy him.

> Polyester fabric wets out similarly to fiberglass, and polyester ropes are
> also commonly available at hardware stores.

> Fiberglass fabrics are treated to make them suitable for use with the
> varous resins, nylon and polyester ropes probably aren't, but they are
> cheap and readily available. ( you can buy nylon rope at my local hardware
> store by the foot) so an experiment with an ounce of resin and a foot of
> rope should set you back less than a dollar.

> Hope this helps.

> Paul G. Jacobson