: Don,

: Would using less varnish in early coats allow the mixture to penetrate
: deeper?

I want to say yes - given that there is enough material added to the surface to keep it going in. It will take significantly longer to dry, which allows it to penetrate deeper. Soaking does the same thing, and works well. The varnish adds more solids, which makes it dry a little faster and gives a harder surface.

: I'm building a pair of norsaqs right now, and used 50:50 linseed oil and
: turpentine, and was hoping that mixture would penetrate deeply, and then
: I'll add a bit of varnish for toughness.

: I'm going to finish the second one with epoxy and varnish to compare the two
: for durability. I'm thinking a coat of epoxy thinned with acetone for
: penetration, then straight epoxy, then several coats of varnish. Final
: coat hit with steel wool to kill the gloss.

Ive done that on a couple of paddles, it also works well but IMHO is a PITA. It gives a nice hard and durable finish, but not quite as good a grip as oiled.

: If nothing else, it will be interesting!!

: Shawn