: But am I really asking for trouble if I were to build a canoe paddle from a
: single piece of wood? Obviosly lots of people seem to do it, but is there
: a fairly significant risk of crackig & warpage?

No, you are not asking for trouble in building from one solid piece of wood. What you are asking for is heartache.

Canoe paddles are made tough so they can be abused and still get you home. They are used in all sorts of ways other than splashing water toward the stern so the boat moves forward. They hit bottom in shallow creeks and near shore. You jam them in the muck to steady your boat when boarding at the beach. You use them as poles and prybars to push the boat off of snags, and as fenders to keep the dock, or another boat, from scratching the finish on your hull. And then, if they survive a day on the water, you find they are the nearest flat surface to use when cleaning your fish. (Of course you'll use the side that you didn't paint that map of your trip on. Don't want the fillet knife to slip and gouge out the route home ) A paddle can serve as a mast or spar for a small sail, a splint for a broken leg, or a crutch.

I suggest you worry about breaking the thing, and then, if it merely warps or cracks you'll still be very happy that at least it is intact!

Don't get into the mindset that you are only going to make *one* paddle. Make many. You can make some from laminates, make some of veneer, or carve them from a single 2x6. You can make varying grip shapes and experiment with hollow handles, longer shafts, wider blades, or long and narrow blades, or make some with blades set at an angle to the shaft. Each will be different and some will be better than others -- but don't get too attached to any one paddle or you'll miss the thrill of trying new ones.

However, after cautioning you, there are a few tips for all of the above that will help them to last longer. Warping is accelerated by moisture and heat. Keep the paddle out of direct when you can, store it so its own weight won't cause it to sag and bend, coat it with a waterproofing material ( 2 coats of epoxy resin is a great wood sealer, but if you use an oil finish, keep up the maintenance on the paddle with regular applications of oil.)

You can reduce cracking by reinforcing the tip of the blade. There are various ways to do this. One method I've seen at the store calls for a slot cut through the tip. That is then then filled with a reinforcing material: a wood splint, glass fiber filled resin, or perhaps a piece of brass. Another idea is to cover the blade with a layer of glass cloth and some epoxy resin. Not only does this add strength it gives the impression of a very thick varnish finish.

Gil Gilpatrick suggests covering the edge of the paddle blade with a thin nylon rope that is saturated with epoxy resin. He also suggests making and carrying a pole so you can push your boat in shallow water without beating up the end of the paddle. He puts a brass ring around the bottom ends of his poles so they last longer.

Hope this helps. Probably more options here than you can use.