A Bonus!

 As mentioned at the very start of this project, I have been collecting a lot of research and information regarding wooden boat restoration, but in addition to this, I have also been collecting a lot of information on techniques and skills that I am able to apply to woodworking beyond this wooden boat. Although this demonstrates me getting a little sidetracked (kinda sorta not really), I am sharing my attempt at restoring a canoe paddle using knowledge I have acquired during this whole boat restoration experience.

This video showcases the paddle before and after half of the restoration. After seeing that the crack still showed, I decided to sand it again, apply epoxy to fill the crack and strengthen the paddle over all. Lastly, fiberglass was also added to the bottom of the paddle for one last layer of strength before the varnish will be applied. Below You will also find a list of what was done to it.

 

Steps for the Restoration:

1. Scrape (using heat gun and scraper) and sand entire surface of paddle with a coarse grit sandpaper until entire surface is raw and fuzzy feeling (60/80 grit)
2. Increase the grit level and sand the entire surface of the paddle finishing it with at lest 150 fine grit paper
3. Inspect how serious the crack in the paddle is in order to determine what structural restoration needs to be done to it. After inspection, the crack needed to be filled with wood filler and epoxy, the end of the base was also coated in epoxy in order to strengthen it.
4. the area of the crack was sanded to reduce the seam of where it was filled to the best of my abilities
   
5. Wipe down the entire surface of the paddle with acetone/alcohol to collect as many impurities off of the surface to prepare it for staining and paint.
6. Tape off the edges where you want the painted areas to end (you do not need to paint it, this is only if you like the look of paint)
7. Paint the areas you desire with at least three coats of paint.
8. Stain the rest of the surface of the paddle (one coat)
9. Once stain and paint have dried, the paddle is ready for varnish.
10. Apply a 50/50 varnish/varnish thinner mix for your first coat
11. Let it dry and then apply a couple more layers until you have reached the glossy surface you desire.
12. Get out on the water and test it out!
13. Extra Step: If you are paddling in shallow rocky areas, and you expect to bump your paddle a lot, you can epoxy fiberglass to the bottom edge of your paddle before the varnishing stage. The texture of the fiberglass will disappear after you apply the several coats of varnish.

 Until next time,

Cpt. John signing off (not a real captain, but really proud of that paddle!)