: Penetration is an illusion. I have yet to find any finish that penetrates
: more than a few thousandths of an inch into the wood, except on end grain,
: where just about anything will penetrate pretty deeply.

: You can achieve the same thing by simply mixing varnish and tung oil ~50:50.
: It produces the same look and feel of an oil-only finish, but it's much
: more durable. Cheaper, too.

Hi Brian,

I've got a couple test pieces here somewhere, I'll have to find them and bandsaw them to see what the penetration is (or isn't ).

Mostly trying to find a reasonably durable finish that's easily taught to very inexperienced paddlers for GP classes. Mixing your own finish wouldn't bother me in the least, would though I suspect bother inexperienced people more.

Bill H.