> Oh, another question I forgot to include in my previous post. I want to
> build a paddle. The lumberyard has 2x6 Western Red Cedar for .99 a foot.
> Is this good wood for paddles?

It should be.

> What about the price?

That would be about $8 for an 8 foot long board, from which you could get 2 paddles if you are careful with the cutting, or 1 greenland style paddle.

If you can find the wood for 10 cents a foot cheaper it might cost you more in gasoline to go get it than you would save on the difference in price. This price is reasonable, stick with it, buy a nice piece of wood and get to working on it.

> What should I look
> for in a piece of wood?

It would be nice if the grain ran close to straight along the length of the board. There should be very few knots, and those few should be very small. Keep an idea in your head of what you will be doing to the board to convert it into a paddle. If you plan to carve the paddle ( greenland style) from this board, then you can get along with even massive knots, if they are in areas that will be removed.

> Thanks for all the great advice.

Goodluck with your projects.

Paul G. Jacobson