: Hi-

: A friend gave me some Basswood. I made a Greenland style paddle with it. A
: bit heavy, but nice.
: I usually finish paddles with linseed oil. Would this be appropriate for this
: wood, or would it be neccessary to seal the wood with urethane, or epoxy?
: Maybe varnish?
: Is basswood rot resistant, and would this matter with a paddle? (i.e.-is it a
: good boatbuilding wood?)

: Any help would be appreciated.

Jack
Basswood isn't even close to rot resistant but used frequently in paddles. I recommend using a penitrating finish of some sort- varnish-oil ect. Reason is that when you scratch your paddle you want water protection trough out the wood- epoxy or poly-u don't penetrate as deep and you risk water damage with deeper scratches. All that said, I love the stuff- very easy to work and good strength to weight ratio. My yak is primarily basswood with mahoghanny accents.
Cheers
Rick