RE: [Paddlewise] wooden Frame renovation

Hi Pavel Palkenicz, and other listers:

I'm new to this list, been lurking for a while, thought I'd put my two 
cents in to give you something to think about.

I would not use the epoxy to finish the frame, it is thought but brittle 
and not very durable as a finish on a wood substrate.  It would likely 
yellow and crack sooner than a more flexible finish.  I would not even use 
the polyurethane finishes, though durable they too will crack eventually. 
 A good grade of marine varnish, with a linseed oil base, would be much 
longer lasting.  And it can be chemically stripped without damaging the 
wood when it comes time to remove it (not possible with the epoxy, it would 
have to be mechanically removed, and the first layer of wood with it). 
 Even an oil based varnish would be more durable than the epoxy in this 
application, the advantage with the marine varnish (often sold as "spar 
varnish") is that it has UV inhibitors.  Not really as much an issue with a 
kayak since it normally is stored indoors and the exposure to the sun is 
only during actual use.

I think there is a misunderstanding about natural oil finishes, there is a 
notion that the synthetic finishes (epoxy, polyurethane, etc.) are more 
durable and this is not necessarily the case.  The poly- finishes are 
harder, good for floors and table tops, but they will yellow, shrink and 
crack with age, and they are impossible to remove without damaging the 
underlying material.

Natural oil finishes will last longer (except in high wear areas, like on 
floors) and will eventually yellow and become chemically unstable.  That is 
they get all gummy and soft, though that makes it that much easier to 
chemically strip with risking damaging the wood.

For floors, and table tops, and other areas of high wear, polyurethane are 
great.  But for antique furniture, art work, all of my wood kayak frames (I 
build skin on frame kayaks), I use linseed oil based finishes.  My favorite 
finish in Minwax "Antique Oil Finish" it yields a much nicer luster to the 
wood than you can ever get with a poly finish and economically priced.  For 
the kayak frames, paddles and coaming I use Man-o-War Spar Varnish, though 
there are others I'm sure that will work fine.

Hope this helps.

Peter


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