Broke my plastic Kialoa paddle and want to put a new paddle on the shaft and adjustable handle.
Started by making a spine core with the sweep and scooped end. Shape is cut in 3/4" foam and glassed.
Select to expand quoteDrew the shape if the blade on the glass on one half of the core
Cut out the shape with a utility knife. Glass cuts easy with epoxy still not fully cured.
Trimmed away some foam.
Put the 2 halves together and transfer the shape to the other core halh
Other shape cut
Both halves ready to temporarily join together to shape the rest of the foam
Hard to see, but a few drops of 5 min epoxy on 1 half
Two halves clamped together
Starting to shape the spine. End will insert into shaft.
More Shaping
You can see the sweep and scooped end
Final shape of the core
The two cores split apart
Some carbon fiber braid samples I had. The finer weave will go on each core with the coarser weave braid going over the both cores
All the materials, also some uni carbon for top and bottom of spine
Bagging materials, time to mix epoxy.
One coat of epoxy on cores, braid over each core. The braid pulls out and tightens to the contour of the foam. Carbon tow wrapped around both cores to make it easy to insert into outer braid. Uni carbon will go on cores at shaft end, top and bottom.
One coat of epoxy on core assembly and inserted into outer braid. Again pulled out ti fit contour and wrapped in carbon tow. This was coated in epoxy and vacuum bagged.
Spine in vacuum bag with peel ply and bleeder.
Bag sucked down.
Center section of spine is flat, weighed it down to keep spine straight
Spine out of vacuum bag
Blade cores cut slightly large
Power face of core is nearly flush with spine
Backside of blade.
Shaped power face. Back side will get shaped later
Power face ready for skin
middle: 5.7 oz biax carbon
Left: thick mylar film. Will be used to create gloss surface, removed after bagging
Carbon is laidup with epoxy on waxed mylar sheet
Core and carbon/mylar aligned
In vacuum bag, power face up. Back face is not shaped yet and is still flat.
I put this flat face on blocking and weigh down the blade for cure.
Out of the bag. Bag leaked a bit, not good vacuum. A few dry spots but nice glossy surface.
Back side
Paddle outline cut into foam
Excess foam removed
Remaining foam feathered down to edges
Carbon reinforcement to thicken the edges.
Upper ply of carbon with mylar on flatter section of blade
Final bagging
Out of bag, nice surface
Back side, epoxy from the front laminate squeezed around to the other side. Will need to sand.
Paddle outlined onto new blade
Paddle outline
Edges cut away with a coping saw
Back side fully sanded
Front side fully sanded
Test fit into shaft
Epoxy and heavy filler
Applied to inside of shaft and blade stub end
Squeeze out
Cleaned up. Blade and shaft aligned and left to set
I was afraid I damaged the inside of the shaft when I drilled out the old plastic paddle so I wrapped it in carbon
Finished paddle
Went out surfing last night with the new blade. Blade is stiffer than the old one. Paddle works fine.
Not perfect but made with stuff I had lying around. Strength is probably overkill, but it works. Could be made with glass.
Saved myself $150-$200 for a new paddle
