[Paddlewise] Varnish and Oil for Paddles, etc.

I just completed a Greenland stick,and gave it several coats of boiled
linseed oil and thinner.  I let it cure in a warm spot for a week or 10
days, but it still all washed out the first time I used it.  I have had
awesome success with this mixture on tool handles, but I am not happy with
the way it works on cedar.  Looks great, but doesn't work well.  Perhaps it
works better on hickory, as it it can soak into the open pores better.   

I am going to varnish it.  To heck with tradition, I want a paddle that
doesn't weigh more at the end of the trip than it did at the beginning.  I
have had fine success with varnish on canoe paddles.  Lots of miles, no
blisters, no extra weight.

Speaking of varnish:  Be careful to choose a varnish that is compatible with
your climate.  I tried using a product to varnish my Pygmy Coho, and
discovered they weren't kidding when they recommend a minimum of 25 deg. C
for application.  It took days to cure to the point where it wasn't tacky,
let alone hard enough to sand and recoat.  I acquired another can, with a
recomendation of 10 deg. minimum, and had no further problems.  The varnish
which wouldn't set up was an American product, so I imagine it works
wonderfully well in California or Florida, where the Canadian varnish I
found to work would probably be curing in the can. 

Rob.     

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