: Ive tried that, and felt that the epoxy which squeezed out into the core took
: up as much weight as the cedar removed, so I didnt feel like it was worth
: the trouble. I suppose polyurethane would be lighter. Did you coat the
: inner surfaces where they are exposed to air?

No. I didn't do anything to the inner surfaces: the "covers" were planed, the cut surfaces a bit rougher.

I did try and use as little epoxy as possible and spread it thin and even. Since very little was squeezed onto the outside, I feel the same must be the case on the inside. Did you use very thick epoxy for some reason?

After posting the last I thought about the weight and came to the conclusion that even with the epoxy the paddle now is a good 10% lighter than it would be solid, probably 15%. This would be about 100 grams or a drop from say 950 to 850 grams.

the hollow really is rather large: 1,5cms vs. a wall strength of 1,2 and covers of 0,8cms max. And it extends into the blades about 15cms or the same that my grip covers in "combat position".

I've seen some "lightened" paddles on the websites of builders on this BBS and some had simply holes drilled at ridiculously far apart. If one starts making hollows one must "go the whole hog" as even one hole already makes for a weak spot: having many more makes no further difference. This may not be obvious.

So, Don, GO THE WHOLE HOG! - The worst that can happen is you'll break it at R2K2, and so what? You can always blame it on my bad advice !