So, does turpentine penetrate better? Or do you use it because it evaporates faster? Or is there another reason to use it over paint thinner?

: Yes, I find the once a week/month/year adage is pretty close to the truth.
: Eventually you can oil the paddles only every year or so, more for
: appearance than anything else.

: Ace hardware carries "Pure Gum Turpentine", which is the good
: stuff. Keep in mind that although it does smell good and is a
: "natural" product, the fumes are said to be quite harmful. For
: oiling, my first coat is an equal mix of boiled linseed oil, linseed oil
: varnish (Zspar -- optional - I sometimes use it for just the very first
: coat to act as a sealer), and gum turpentine. Let the first coat soak in
: overnight. For subsequent oilings I use 50/50 oil and turps and gradually
: reduce the amount of turps until finally only oil is used. After the first
: coat, the oil must be removed before it dries or it can turn into a gummy
: mess. There are numerous other recipes and the exactness of the
: proportions is not very critical.

: I find oiling the paddles to be a pleasant task. Be warned that many boiled
: linseed oils contain toxic heavy metal driers and you should not rub in
: the oil with your bare hand. I use a naturally polymerized linseed oil
: (from woodcraft) that doesn't require this precaution, but is rather
: expensive.

: Greg Stamer