Making my own Paddle Workshop Part 2 – Done Woodworking

     So another 4 hour session last weekend at the Evergreen Ranch with Bruce Smith resulted in an almost finished canoe paddle that certainly exceeded my expectations.  We worked on the transitions and handles and fine tuned the profiles, thinning out areas that needed it, and sanded it progressively with 60 grit, 120 grit, and 180 grit sandpaper, and even steel wool.  I must say that my paddle looks really amazing, and this is even before I finish it or oil it.  And normally I am not even one to say this.  I am bothered by even slight blemishes, and my expectations going into this paddle making session was that I would end up with something that would look at least somewhat home made.  But this does not, it looks very professional.  My cherry wood has some beautiful coloring to it, streaks of heart wood and sap wood with some decorative blemishes in it.  I suppose my surprise is heightened by the fact that I have not used a real crafted canoe paddle before.  I am used to the $30 thick, soft wood rental special paddles with a layer of crappy, chipping off varnish on it and frayed paddle tips from past abuse, likely made in China, not one made out of quality hardwood that someone has spent 10+ hours crafting.

     I thinned the blade as much as I would feel comfortable with – it is flexible yet reasonably strong.   I wanted it light enough for long paddling days while tripping.  I just need to take care in shallow areas and when the canoe is grounded not to hit things with it or push off the bottom much, although some of that is inevitable when paddling small rivers and shallow areas.

       First is whether to stain it or not.  I do like the natural oiled wood look, but at the same time a darker color that still shows the grain would look great as well.  Then there comes the oil or finish.  Seems like everywhere you look there’s different recommendations for finishes, although the general consensus is Tung oil and/or varnish is a good protector for paddles.  Linseed oil was also recommended, but this yellows with age, whereas Tung oil does not.  Tung oil comes from the seed of a tropical tree.   But when you start looking into Tung oil, it is also very confusing, some are polymerized Tung oil (treated for better drying), some are natural 100% both of which are hard to get, I would need to get them from lee Valley or some specialty store.  The ones at hardware stores labeled ‘Tung Oil finish’  aren’t really Tung oil, they are a  mixture of oils and solvents with varnish and may not even contain Tung oil.  There’s also sealers too, which I don’t really know the purpose of, that you apply before the Tung oil itself.  Then there’s spar varnishes for marine use which may not necessarily be what you think either since the formulas have changed much recently due to volatile organic chemical limitations.  Sheesh, seems like I need a degree in chemical engineering just to figure out what finish to get.

Now I just need to decide on how to finish it, which seems like a daunting task in itself.

     Then there’s the application method.  I hear mixing oil with a solvent like Turpentine to thin it, and letting it stand upright in a bucket of it will have it wick throughout the material.  Then you can gradually apply thicker coats of oil in between drying and sanding.  Some coat the lower blade portion with varnish and leave the handle just oiled as this would create less blisters.  Some would just leave the whole thing oiled and that’s it.  Some people mix an oil with varnish and solvents to create a custom blend with a combination of properties.

     Bruce Smith recommends finishing with a boiled linseed oil. thinned with mineral spirits.  The applications start thin (higher spirit to oil ratio) to penetrate the wood to the inside, and get gradually thicker, about 9 applications worth over the course of a week.  After researching, I understand linseed oil gets yellower with age, whereas Tung oil does not, so I think I will opt for the tung oil and finish it this way.  Unfortunately I have to get some from Lee Valley, since I have no idea who has it around here, certainly the standard hardware stores don't carry real Tung oil.