Please need help as just wonder how to go about removing a fixed/permanently bonded blade from a Naish LE wave paddle (or any other similar quality carbon paddle shaft) as bond looks really secure and perfect, I know some blades can be removed etc. but can any permanent blade be removed (without damaging the paddle shaft etc??:-)

Is there something wrong with blade or shaft as this may help with advice on removal.

Just look at the many tutorials to remove a handle. Heat till the glue soften.

But it is trickier to remove a blade rather than the handle, because the glue in the blade is behind more carbon, so it is harder to soften the glue without also softening the shaft or the blade. Try to be very gentle and not twist very hard.

Disclaimer: I never touched a Naish paddle, and I only removed blades on two Gong paddles, one with success, the other destroying it, whereas I had no issue removing many handles.
I know the Gong support prefer to just cut the shaft and grind away the rest of it from inside the blade, as they think it is less risky.
But a good respiratory filter is mandatory. Carbon fiber dust destroys lungs.

Yeah its quite a simple process. I have removed blades/handles from shafts on several occasions without any hassles.

Use a heat gun and aim it at the blade and shaft insertion point. Don't come too close to the paddle as you can soften and melt the carbon.

Heat the shaft on the glue join as you rotate the paddle in front of the glue gun. DO NOT leave the heat gun aiming at one spot. Keep the gun back 8/10 inches from the join.Rotate your paddle around the heat gun similar to a rotisserie.
I then twist the blade and paddle in opposite directions gently to break the glue seal, then pull the 2 apart. Use gloves as the area will be hot to touch. Take your time and don't rush as some paddles are glued better than others. Don't force or twist the shaft with too much power.

From my experience the more stiffer shafts are better to remove without any twisting in the blade problems occurring.

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wazza66 said..
Yeah its quite a simple process. I have removed blades/handles from shafts on several occasions without any hassles.

Use a heat gun and aim it at the blade and shaft insertion point. Don't come too close to the paddle as you can soften and melt the carbon.

Heat the shaft on the glue join as you rotate the paddle in front of the glue gun. DO NOT leave the heat gun aiming at one spot. Keep the gun back 8/10 inches from the join.Rotate your paddle around the heat gun similar to a rotisserie.
I then twist the blade and paddle in opposite directions gently to break the glue seal, then pull the 2 apart. Use gloves as the area will be hot to touch. Take your time and don't rush as some paddles are glued better than others. Don't force or twist the shaft with too much power.

From my experience the more stiffer shafts are better to remove without any twisting in the blade problems occurring.

Yeah it looks like a pretty tight fit & I tried to heat up a bit (with a hair dryer) but it does nothing, also there is nothing wrong with the Blade or shaft (just want to fix another identical existing paddle with the spare part:-)

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wazza66 said..
Yeah its quite a simple process. I have removed blades/handles from shafts on several occasions without any hassles.

Use a heat gun and aim it at the blade and shaft insertion point. Don't come too close to the paddle as you can soften and melt the carbon.

Heat the shaft on the glue join as you rotate the paddle in front of the glue gun. DO NOT leave the heat gun aiming at one spot. Keep the gun back 8/10 inches from the join.Rotate your paddle around the heat gun similar to a rotisserie.
I then twist the blade and paddle in opposite directions gently to break the glue seal, then pull the 2 apart. Use gloves as the area will be hot to touch. Take your time and don't rush as some paddles are glued better than others. Don't force or twist the shaft with too much power.

From my experience the more stiffer shafts are better to remove without any twisting in the blade problems occurring.

Hey ok wazza where can I get a "heat gun" etc?:-)

Borrow from a mate or Bunnings.

I would not recommend using a heat gun and if you do be very careful not to get the carbon too hot.. You can easily destroy it..

If you cut the shaft off a couple of inches above the blade.. and put it in a pot of boiling water with the blade sticking up so you are boiling just the shaft and the bit that's in the blade..

Then put a pipe wrench or multi grips on the shaft and twist after it has boiled for a few minutes.. I've had success using this method and doing it this way insures that you don't get the carbon too hot..

If you do the heat gun thing a hair dryer will often be just as good as a heat gun..

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DavidJohn said..
I would not recommend using a heat gun and if you do be very careful not to get the carbon too hot.. You can easily destroy it..

If you cut the shaft off a couple of inches above the blade.. and put it in a pot of boiling water with the blade sticking up so you are boiling just the shaft and the bit that's in the blade..

Then put a pipe wrench or multi grips on the shaft and twist after it has boiled for a few minutes.. I've had success using this method and doing it this way insures that you don't get the carbon too hot..

If you do the heat gun thing a hair dryer will often be just as good as a heat gun..

Ok thanks sounds interesting so I might try that method first, also a Hairdryer is really not hot enough:-)

The hair dryer works for the handle, or even just boiling water, because if you have glued the handle yourself you have probably used 5 minute epoxy glue, which softens easily with heat.

But the blade is more tricky, as it is inside more carbon layers, and the blade/shaft junction is more reinforced as it is the place having the most stress. And as it is glued at the factory, it may have used better epoxy, and maybe also heat-cured, which raises a lot the temperature at which it can be softened. And the higher the temperature, the greater the risk of also destroying the shaft.

So a simple hair dryer wont work for the blade.

You can get a temperature controlled heat gun and they are worth every penny ( even though they are not that expensive) . If you are a SUPer , it is one of the best tools you can buy. It allows you to set the temp so it will soften the glue but not damage the carbon matrix.
To check what temp to use, get a sacrificial glue stick ( for the gun) and raise the temp until it melts after about 10 secs application. That should be the right temp to separate it if it is gluegun glued. If it is epoxied you have to cut the paddle off and carefully remove the reaminder mechanically.
This is the one I use: www.productreview.com.au/listings/bosch-phg-630-dce-heat-gun#reviews
Other brands but make sure the temp has a readout and adjustable in 10 or 20deg increments.

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gregjet said..
If it is epoxied you have to cut the paddle off

No, it definitively works also for epoxy resins and glue.
I have done it many times.

The only exception would be if the epoxy used to glue the handle had been cured at a high temperature, but I doubt it, as it would be pain to do with the expansion of hot air from a closed space inside the shaft.