> Why is it that many builders first apply a coat of epoxy on double
> paddles prior to applying varnish? What is the purpose of the epoxy
> coat? I can understand using epoxy with fibreglass to reinforce the
> paddle blade, but using epoxy as a sealer for the blades and the shaft
> doesn't make much sense to me. Wouldn't just a good marine spar varnish
> do the trick? It all depends on the finish required. If one looks at the practices of professional finishers you will find that they apply 8 to 12 coats of varnish with sanding in between. Only after so many coats do the pits in the wood surface get filled up and then the finish is like a mirror.

I tried the epoxy filling trick on the paddle I built only so that if the varnish got a crack or a defect the wood would not absorb water and the varnish peel as the water migrated under the finish. A side effect of this process is that a mirror finish can be achieved in only one coat of varnish. Keep in mind that only one coat of varnish does not provide much UV protection so beware of long exposure to sunlight.