> I glued up the shaft stock (spruce) on Monday per Nick's paddle plans in
> the book and am about to plane the 1/16" off the surfaces. Got a
> 4" planer I'm going to run them through. Considering that the epoxy
> is relatively green still in my 50 degree basement, should I wait for the
> epoxy to cure longer or is it okay to run it through now? While I am
> anxious to complete the paddle (hey, the temp. is finally in the 60s here
> in Cinti today), I don't want to ruin some fine edges on my planer blades,
> either by gumming them up or dulling them with hardened epoxy. Thanks.
> Paul C.

The small amount of area covered by a glue joint is unlikely to affect your planer -- no matter whether the resin is green or totally cured. The hardened sap in an old knot is a lot tougher to plane through, anyhow. BUT if the resin is not set up enough, it may not have enough strength to hold the pieces together while they are being machined. A apddle is a rather small item. Why not bring it into a warmer area for a day or two, or heat it with a hirdryer for a few hours today and tomorrow, and hten work on the paddle the day after that.

You aren't planning to go through some layers of fiberglass cloth though, are you? the glass cloth is tougher on fine edges than just planing wood. Thats why you don't use your good scissors for cutting fiberglass cloth.