NYCkayaker seeking advice on fuzzy paddle

[Joy Hecht]

Hi all,

My unfinished cedar Greenland paddle has decided that water sets its teeth
on edge.  The edges of the blades got a bit banged (on non-recessed fittings
on my deck), and now they are fuzzing madly whenever I paddle, and bits
falling off.

What's the best way to stop this?  I assume I need to start by letting it
dry well, then sand it to get rid of the rough edges.  And then finish it
with something?  I talked to someone at West Marine who said I should use a
fairly thin epoxy, one that would soak into the wood and then dry very
solid.  But he didn't have one to sell me, and suggested I try Lowes or Home
Depot.  He also seemed to think that a product designed to touch up rot
spots on wooden boats might be good for this purpose - I'm not sure if
that's an epoxy as well.

I figured I'd ask you folks first.  Is this the right strategy?  And if so,
is there a specific kind of epoxy to use?  The guy at West Marine said one
coat was fine; is that so?  I haven't varnished the paddle, because I don't
want it to be slippery; is epoxy slippery?  Do I have to put anything over
the epoxy?  

And how long should I let it dry before I can use it again?  

All advice will be most appreciated!




Joy Hecht

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