: Found what I was looking for. Kurt's page:
: http://mysite.verizon.net/NGC704/greenlandpaddle/

Yeah Clayton, so there! pfltpfltpflt...!

Heh, seriously, those are all great sites. When I saw your post my first reaction was to endorse Ross Leidy's, since it is his lamination scheme I use pretty much exclusively for my GP's. I add basswood tips to mine for decoration, is the only difference I make.

In lots of ways laminated blanks are easier to carve than monolithic blanks because the lamination demarcations turn into guide lines as you work, makes it easy to match sides and faces for symmetry as you progress. You can also use lots more wood pieces you already have on hand, or can more easily obtain what you need, since all the pieces lend strength to each other. No need to hunt for the elusive superbly clear board. Waste is minimized too because you only add what you need to the blank. What's not to love?

I use Titebond II for the glue-up, but recommend you use whatever you feel most comfortable with. I coat the finished paddle with epoxy, then quickly wipe it off with a rag while still wet. I may repeat if it looks like it needs it. I don't want the paddle to end up too slick, or it won't be "grippy" in actual use; I also skip varnish for the same reason. I add 4 oz fiberglass strips to the ends to toughen up the tips, then fill and sand to get a level surface, then do the epoxy-and-wipe for the final "finish", which is basically a nice looking semi-gloss, or satin. UV protection isn't a concern since paddles don't stay exposed enough to be a problem -- I keep mine in a paddle bag that was originally meant to be a snow ski and pole tote. As we amateur telescope like to saysay: "everything secretly wishes it were something else."

I'm pretty sold on my GP's because they simply give me less problems than anything else I have ever owned, made, or used, bar none.