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Re: Greenland Style Paddle, what's the best wood ?
By:Jay Babina
Date: 5/18/2001, 9:25 am
In Response To: Greenland Style Paddle, what's the best wood ? (Matthew)

First time builders get really obsessive over this. After you build 25 or so, you'll use anythig you get your hands on. I make a lot with regular, cheap, Home Depot pine. I buy the lightest 1 x 4 x 8 for about $3.80. and do a lamination to build up thickness using a dirfferent color wood like dark cedar or redwood. using epoxy or polyurethane glue. I coat mine with eopxy.

I have made them out of fir, cedar and unknown wood found in dumpsters. No paddle is ever going to rot unless you leave it submerged for a few years. They will absorb water and get heavy so coating them with a linseed oil / thinner mix is good. Or the hard finishes. (to your taste) Weight is probably most important. Super light woods you need a close grain for strength. But my pine paddles are strong and light and cost so little to make.

Messages In This Thread

Greenland Style Paddle, what's the best wood ?
Matthew -- 5/16/2001, 11:37 am
Great tool for Greenland paddle
Jay Babina -- 5/18/2001, 4:25 pm
Re: Great tool for Greenland paddle
Greg Stamer -- 5/18/2001, 7:42 pm
Re: Great tool for Greenland paddle
Ron Weatherman -- 5/20/2001, 10:24 pm
Re: Great tool for Greenland paddle
Greg Stamer -- 5/20/2001, 11:31 pm
Re: Great tool for Greenland paddle
Ron Weatherman -- 5/21/2001, 8:03 am
Re: Greenland Style Paddle, what's the best wood ?
Jay Babina -- 5/18/2001, 9:25 am
Re:what's the best wood: The cheapest
Shawn Baker -- 5/18/2001, 12:29 pm
Re:what's the best wood: The cheapest
Greg Stamer -- 5/20/2001, 11:09 am
Question on cedar
Jay Babina -- 5/21/2001, 9:28 am
Blazing Paddles!
Greg Stamer -- 5/21/2001, 10:13 am
Re: cavemen wood working technique
Tony -- 5/21/2001, 12:43 pm
Re:what's the best wood: Inexpensive
Shawn Baker -- 5/20/2001, 11:38 pm
Re:what's the best wood: Inexpensive
Ken Sutherland -- 5/24/2001, 1:29 am
Re:I like this answer
Jim -- 5/18/2001, 10:16 am
Re:I like this answer
Brian Nystrom -- 5/18/2001, 12:10 pm
Re:I like this answer
Jim -- 5/18/2001, 1:28 pm
Re: Greenland Style Paddle, what's the best wood ?
Greg Stamer -- 5/16/2001, 3:11 pm
Re: Greenland Style Paddle, what's the best wood ?
Randy Knauff -- 5/16/2001, 8:27 pm
Re: Greenland Style Paddle, what's the best wood ?
Greg Stamer -- 5/16/2001, 10:13 pm
Re: Greenland Style Paddle, what's the best wood ?
Randy Knauff -- 5/17/2001, 2:05 am
Re: Greenland Style Paddle, what's the best wood ?
Greg Stamer -- 5/17/2001, 9:49 am
Re: Greenland Style Paddle, what's the best wood ?
peter czerpak -- 5/17/2001, 8:09 am
I use western red cedar
Brian Nystrom -- 5/16/2001, 2:01 pm
Re: Greenland Style Paddle, what's the best wood ?
Shawn Baker -- 5/16/2001, 12:03 pm