Wood Paddle Finish Question

Thank you
Thank you all for such great discussion. We will soon be finishing this project and you all have offered such great insight!

I finished a GP with Polyurathane.
it sure looks beautiful, but it has never been in the water so I can’t comment on it’s durability.



I would not use Epoxy. You’ll be sanding till dooms day!

Varnish it.
I just use gloss spar varnish on paddles because it is very easy to maintain. Also varnish sheds water faster, looks better than an oiled paddle. Remember this is just my opinion and subject to heavy scrutiny buy the experts. I don’t recommend oil on a paddle blade because it is harder to see damage that won’t become evident until the wood starts to turn black from water infiltration.



As of late I found a can of Cabot’s spar varnish that seems to work very nicely but takes 2 days to fully dry. Very nice two coat shine on hardwood.






Sorry Shellac is not a varnish.
Bynstrom gives the correct definitions as regards the naming of surface coatings & their classifications.

Like it or not, things have definitions
Just as lacquer and enamel are not the same type of finish, neither are shellac and varnish. Whether you agree with the accepted definition is irrelevant, it is what it is.

Definitions. OK.

– Last Updated: Aug-11-08 3:59 PM EST –

ok.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary:

"1. A viscid liquid, consisting of a solution of resinous matter in an oil or a volatile liquid, laid on work with a brush, or otherwise. When applied the varnish soon dries, either by evaporation or chemical action, and the resinous part forms thus a smooth, hard surface, with a beautiful gloss, capable of resisting, to a greater or less degree, the influences of air and moisture.

Note: According to the sorts of solvents employed, the ordinary kinds of varnish are divided into three classes: spirit, turpentine, and oil varnishes. --Encyc. Brit"


Which would make shellac a spirit varnish.

Or:

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)

1. a preparation consisting of resinous matter, as copal or lac, dissolved in an oil (oil varnish) or in alcohol (spirit varnish) or other volatile liquid. When applied to the surface of wood, metal, etc., it dries and leaves a hard, more or less glossy, usually transparent coating.

Or you can search Wikipedia for "varnish" and find shellac listed.



****ETA: I want to add that all this posturing over what "varnish" really is just illustrates my point that the original MR link is ambiguous and incomplete.

interesting
I reststed putting any Poly or (varnisha) on my GP’s I do usually give them a coat of Danish oil at first. My favorite paddle (WRC) doesn’t have any finish at all on it, just never got around to it, and it is fine after three years of year round paddling. It has developed a “patina” in the shoulder area though, just from the oils on my hands.

Personal preferences in finishes
Whether one likes shiny paddles or not is a personal preference and I much prefer the satin finish of oil or oil/varnish blends. I also find the feel to be far superior to the slick, plastic feel of varnish. Satin varnish provides a similar appearance, but is quickly polishes and becomes slick where you grip the paddle.



Unlike varnish, oils or oil/varnish blend finishes breathe, so you don’t have to worry about moisture getting trapped under them. Consequently, repairing every nick or ding is not a major concern, nor a necessity. When repairs are necessary, you simply do a light sanding and wipe on a coat or two of finish and it’s as good as new.

Interesting…
…as that’s completely at odds with the accepted definition in woodworking circles, which is bases on the performance characteristics of the finish. Varnish and shellac are not the same type of finish any more than varnish and epoxy are. Frankly, I’m much more inclined to accept the definition of an industry that uses finishes than I am one from a dictionary, as it’s the performance of the finish that defines its suitability for a particular use.



Regardless, shellac is a lousy paddle finish, as it’s adversely affected by water. Varnish, oil finishes and epoxy are not.

Agreed, but…
…any drying oil/resin ‘finish’ is forming a film on the surface of the wood. The notion that oil finishes like Watco penetrate farther into the surface of wood than ‘varnish’ has been shown to be false. Also, all one-part varnishes, even polyurethane, ‘breathes’ to some extent, allowing the wood to reach equilibrium with the environment. Even so, thicker films, especially polyurethanes, seem to offer better protection from constant immersion. If you like the matte look, you can always ‘rub out’ a shiny finish with steel wool or a Scotchbrite pad once it’s fully cured. Some claim that a thin oil finish or even no finish at all won’t promote blisters, but I use paddles varnished and not and have noticed no real difference.

I’ve been using
reclaimed oil from the local McDonald’s deep fryer.



It adds a warm, golden patina to the wood, is easily touched up when needed, is free, and brings back fond memories of a simpler time when used on a sunny day.





Jim


Good luck in bear country. nm

I am in "woodworking circles"
and my point was never that shellac is generally referred to as varnish, generally ppl call shellac shellac. Nor would I ever, EVER recommend it as a paddle finish for soooo many reasons. In fact in professional and probably serious amateur woodworking circles you won’t find someone talking finishes and just say “I varnished it.” You’ll hear exactly what they used because everyone knows ‘varnish’ is a very broad term.



The original point and the one I want to keep stressed was simply that a FAQ like Mad River’s where they talk about “varnish” is virtually useless, because it can mean so many things.

oil-based marine varnish
Use any good oil-based marine (spar) varnish. Use a tack cloth after final sanding and before first coat. Apply three coats being sure to wait the correct amount of time between. And between each coat scuff with very fine grained sandpaper and clean the paddle with tack cloth before applying the next coat. Your daughter will get good use from her paddle with this method and it’s not rocket science. If you prefer rocket science then consider adding some resin to the tip of the blade.

And so, the Great Finish Debate
of 2008 dies not with a bang, but a whimper.



Stay tuned for the Great Finish Debate, 2009 edition.















Is it remotely possible that ANY finish (exterior oil, spar varnish, polyurethane varnish, tung oil, corn oil, whale oil) will …GASP…work acceptably as long as…AS LONG AS…it is maintained?







Or has the Creator, in Her Infinite Wisdom given us all of these choices just to keep us debating around the campfire?





Jim

What’s the frequency, Jim…

– Last Updated: Aug-13-08 9:53 AM EST –

...that you would recommend reapplication of ear wax/hiking sock oil emulsion and at what temperature? Assuming, of course, 19 hrs./day of use 32% of which is in salt. Oh, yeah, my paddles are all made of laminated balsa wood and lignum vitae (I like the balance of light weight and rot resistance).

Ear wax!?!?!
Are you crazy? That would attract ear mites! Ear wax is NOT a suitable treatment for wood paddles!!!

















Ooopsie. Looks like the 2009 Edition is starting early. My bad.



Jim

Damnation!
Now I’m gonna have to wash it all off with my special aromatic bleach/ammonia degreasing solution!

Also attracts raccoons and bears

Nose oil finish
I once used nose oil to bring out the figure of exotic wood used on a jack knife handle. Worked fine but I haven’t replicated the experiment on any other projects. Best to try on small projects unless you have a large proboscis or an excessively oily one.



Would take a few years to finish a paddle with nose oil, especially if three coats are planned. However, we could completely finish a paddle in four days at Raystown, considering all the large oily noses there. Just pass it around at the campfires.



Dave