: Hello All,
: I picked up a piece of basswood yesterday and it was really cheap.
: How would this work as paddle material? I thought I would use it
: for the loom and center section of a greenland paddle and maybe
: cedar for the blades. I would cut the basswood center section in
: two and maybe insert some cedar in the center sort of creating a
: laminate. Thoughts apreciated.
: Dave

Hi Dave,
I've used "miles" of basswood as a woodcarving material and love it because it machines so well and is a bit softer than western white pine, one of my other woodcarving favorites. I have noticed that the hardness and strength of basswood varies greatly from piece to piece, though it is usually lightweight and dimensionally stable. For comparison's sake, I'd say it is slightly heavier than the western red cedar we get here in Montana, it flexes less than cedar and I'd choose cedar for the loom and paddle spine for that reason. That said, treat yourself to the feel of a well-sharpened and honed tool going through basswood. (I have had several pieces of basswood that were shop left-overs from a prosthetics factory in the days when wooden legs really were wooden, I assume due to the machinability of the wood.)
Cheers!
Dan