: I've cracked my favorite paddle. It is the first paddle that I made, a
: greenland style. I kept trimming it down, thinner and thinner. I got it as
: light as a carbon fiber paddle, I haven't weighed it, just comared it to
: other paddles.

: I was wondering if it would be worth trying to fix. It is made from laminated
: red cedar (3 pieces). It has 3 1" long cracks about 1/4" apart,
: accross the center lamination of the blade, about a foot from the loom.
: I'm thinking of glassing the blades, I would sand them thoroughly and
: clean it with a strong solvent. I used linseed oil, turpentine, and
: kerosene to lightly coat it, but that was some time ago.

: Would I be able to get it cleaned up enough for glassing? Would the glass
: strengthen it enough?

: I do plan on making another just like it, but not as thin. This one would
: become a spare, as I like the feel of raw wood, not fiberglass or epoxy,
: on my paddle. Or should I just hang it on the wall?

: Mike

Hey Mike

Sounds like you'd have a tough time with all that oil in the wood. If the cracks are fresh, done after the oil, then why not try shooting some epoxy into the cracks? Possibly your oil coating hasn't gotten all the way down into that area. If you don't trust that paddle enough to keep it as your primary, I would certainly think twice about useing it as a back up. I would want a guaranteed back up in case of dire conditions that may cause you to break or lose your #1. Besides, there is probably something you wanted to do to improve it a little more, and nows the time. Go for the new paddle.

Rehd