: I'm building a skin on frame kayak from Brink's book. I'm wondering what to coat the frame with to keep moisture (ie rot) under control. The book suggests using linseed oil, but I live in Seattle, and will probably have to keep the boat outdoors. Would epoxy be a better choice for a protective coating?

: -Ross Murray

Hi Ross,

I use epoxy as a normal sealer but, since I like to do my own testing, I took a piece of douglas fir and painted half of it with linseed oil (boiled linseed oil) in a 50% mixture with turpentine. After 4 years exposure to rain and shine (call it sun, I live in Rome, Italy) the wood is unchecked and when sprinkled with water still retaining a water repellant attitude. Linseed oil also smells beatifully. The one thing you should do is: buy good quality stuff, mix it with decreasing amounts of turpentine in at least three coats and let it soak in the wood. Never use linseed oil that has been left in an open can for too long or it will never dry (not after years).