Once I was pleased with the shape and feel of the paddle it was time to move to the final stage - sanding and applying a finishing/sealing coat.
The sanding is straightforward. All of the shaping was done my hand so this step is really just to make the shaft and grip smooth and comfortable to hold. I used a random orbital sander across the entire surface moving up in the grits: 60, 80, 120. Then I wet the surface with water to raise the grain. It also revealed the color and texture of what it will ultimately look like. And let me just say - Oh. La. La.
I then took a sheet of 180 grit, wrapped it around paddle shaft, and, well, stroked it until smooth. I repeated with 220 grit.
At this point the paddle was nothing short of silky.
To seal and protect the wood I like to use a marine varnish. However, it does take away a little bit of the wood feel. There should be a warmth in the palms when holding a canoe paddle. Therefore the grip gets taped off while the blade and shaft get varnished. Then I removed the tape and applied three coats of Linseed oil.
I executed all of this while in conference calls. Hell of a way to spend a day. Making canoe paddles in the sun on the deck while still getting paid. There was a point I forgot to mute and a colleague chimed in with “is someone sharpening a knife right now?”. No Mike, I am not sharpening a knife. I am using a knife. I sharpened it before this meeting. And I will again after this meeting. Besides. It is a far less distracting than the dozens of kids wailing away in everyone else’s background, Mike.
I doubt this will be the last quarantine paddle I make.
