Paddle finish question.

I made a GP for my grandson that he loves. He’s very concerned about it getting beat up so I covered the blades with a layer of GFlex that I applied by hand.
Needless to say , the epoxy is not very even. I expected it to lay down evenly but it didn’t.
If you move it in the light, you (I) can see the uneven areas.
Do I keep my mouth shut and let him just enjoy it or sand or scrape and refinish it?
He likes it enough as is to hang it on the wall of his room.

If he uses it you will have to refinish it eventually. Mine is overdue.

Good point. Actually a great point . I’m going to ask a friend who is very good at it to burn some designs in it for Christmas after it gets cold.

He needs a spare paddle. Burning a design in an epoxy covered paddle? You will be better to make him another paddle for Christmas and before putting any finish on it , have your friend burn the design. That way you don’t have to take the paddle away from him to do the design. Since neither is a laminated paddle reconsider your finish for the 2nd paddle.

Have you tried using peel-ply when applying the g/flex?

I have not used Peel Ply. I’ve read about it .

I’ve never used GFlex, but in my coaming and skeg box repair documented here not long ago I got pretty familiar with “standard” epoxy. Why did you choose the GFlex as opposed to the standard stuff? Is the GFlex pre-thickened? I’m thinking that applying thin epoxy (slightly warming it helps if ambient temperature is cool) in multiple layers (which you can sand between if needed) would yield better results. Perhaps the GFlex would actually be more flexible, but as other have mentioned you can’t expect the finish to last long on these things when they’re actually being used. In some ways I regret coating mine in spar varnish, but the dark stain I used really brings out the contrasting grain pattern and the varnish gives it an unmistakable glossy shine. I did sand the areas around the shoulders with 600 grit because my hands were slipping off occasionally. The sanding fixed the problem.

If I were to do it again I think I’d use epoxy. But not that I think about it, considerations would have to be made to use a product that’s UV stable too. Maybe for the expected lifespan of the finish it wouldn’t be a big deal though.

Sorry… rambling on as I think about it.

I used GFlex because I already have it. The epoxy I used to build boats was much better at coating surfaces.
With a palm sander, the epoxy can be gone very quickly. If there is any wood burning it will be done on just wood.

The problem with any film finish like epoxy or varnish is that it’s going to crack and water will get trapped under it, which will discolor the paddle and encourage rot, especially if it’s used in fresh water. By all means epoxy coat the tips and if need be, put hardwood edges on the blades for extra protection, but I think you’re going to find that epoxy on the entire paddle is a pain to maintain.

Since I covered the entire blade, I’m thinking I’ll sand the epoxy off except for the edges. This paddle won’t get any heavy use. The kid is in college, working, and is sniffing perfume at every opportunity .
I used Tung oil on the loom.

That sounds like a good plan.