: I was wondering about using Redwood and tung oil. I like the idea of using
: Redwood and I have a hickory walking stick I made 10 years ago and
: finished with tung oil that has held up well, but it is slick where my
: hand grips it most of the time and I thought I read somewhere, that you
: don't want a slick paddle.

John,

Some folks use redwood with good success but it is too brittle for my taste. Western red cedar is as brittle a wood as I use for a solid paddle. If you really want strength then go to Douglas Fir. Sitka spruce is excellent if available in your area. The adage in Greenland about the strength of the paddle is that it should support your weight if used as a chin-up bar, but then they don't normally carry a spare.

I use cheap boiled linseed oil to finish the paddle. For the first coat I will mix equal parts of pure-gum turpentine, linseed-oil and linseed-oil varnish (acts as a sealer) and apply with steel wool. Leave this coat to dry overnight. For subsequent coats I will use only linseed-oil and turps, with less and less turps until only the oil is used. After the first coat remove the oil before it dries and dispose of the rag.

The oil will cure to a beautiful satin finish. One big advantage of the oil finish is that small dings and dents in the paddle will swell and heal themselves. Yes, this sounds like science fiction, you'll just have to wait and see....

The old English (furniture) adage is that you oil once a day for the first week, once a month for the first year, once a year thereafter. This sounds like alot of work but it isn't a precison operation like varnishing, it takes only a few minutes and I find it pleasant.

On the other hand, finish is entirely optional. Most of the paddles in Greenland are left with tool marks and are not sanded to allow a positive grip. If appearance is a big concern I find that even an unfinished paddle looks the same as a varnished one when wet, and I have not had trouble with the paddles gaining weight from soaking up water, as is commonly feared. I don't sand any finer than with 100 grit. You don't want the paddle too slick.

Greg Stamer
Orlando, Florida