This is a quick video of a repair I did on my broken paddle shaft from the weekend.

Thanks Rob.. Great vid.

DJ

Good vid.

Here's a tip for people with new paddles. Keep the offcuts, that carbon tube from the end of the shaft is like gold for repairs.

The Ferrule method as shown by Piros is the only way to fix shafts, a piece of carbon tube saves weight and work.

I saved the end of my c4 paddle for 4 years, it recently snapped at where the blade connects to the shaft, to my delight the end was a perfect fit to go inside the blade end and also inside of the blade after using a hole saw to clear it out. Fit together nicely and the blade after glassing with carbon feels no heavier. Did not weight it though.

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CMC said...

Good vid.

Here's a tip for people with new paddles. Keep the offcuts, that carbon tube from the end of the shaft is like gold for repairs.

The Ferrule method as shown by Piros is the only way to fix shafts, a piece of carbon tube saves weight and work.

I saved the end of my c4 paddle for 4 years, it recently snapped at where the blade connects to the shaft, to my delight the end was a perfect fit to go inside the blade end and also inside of the blade after using a hole saw to clear it out. Fit together nicely and the blade after glassing with carbon feels no heavier. Did not weight it though.

Good call Chris , I'll do try that on my other broken shaft...looks like I've got a serial red thumber

Very good vid, will file that one

maybe stating the obvious but it's a good idea to wear some breathing protection while you're sanding/grinding that gear.

and serial green thumber

Thanks Piros very useful tips.

I've been putting off fixing one, but no surf today, I know what to do and have all the gear so no more excuses left.

Might be a bit cold for optimum curing though, mmm wonder what's on TV?

Bill

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CMC said...

Good vid.

Here's a tip for people with new paddles. Keep the offcuts, that carbon tube from the end of the shaft is like gold for repairs.

The Ferrule method as shown by Piros is the only way to fix shafts, a piece of carbon tube saves weight and work.

I saved the end of my c4 paddle for 4 years, it recently snapped at where the blade connects to the shaft, to my delight the end was a perfect fit to go inside the blade end and also inside of the blade after using a hole saw to clear it out. Fit together nicely and the blade after glassing with carbon feels no heavier. Did not weight it though.

Nice work Rob, plenty of good tips in there.

Good call, CMC! The off-cuts from most tapered shafted paddles like KIALOA make great ferrels for almost any paddle. Most shops who sell KIALOA hang on to off-cuts for this reason.

I have also found that you can also use off-cuts of the same diameter carbon shaft if you angle grind one cut down the length of the off-cut. It should then squeeze inside the shaft you wish to repair. Most shops have off-cuts.
Then just follow Robs tips for a perfect repair!

do u think i can repair my kiaola shaka'pu - (oval tube) using this method ?

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WINDY MILLER said...

do u think i can repair my kiaola shaka'pu - (oval tube) using this method ?

Definetly just put the ali tube in a vice before you spilt it to get the oval shape or give it a few taps with a hammer Don't use anything with Kevlar in the repair , kevlar is a bitch to sand it just furs up.

C'mon Billy get to it lol. I hope that is my paddle you are fixing.......

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termite said...

and serial green thumber

Thanks Piros very useful tips.

I've been putting off fixing one, but no surf today, I know what to do and have all the gear so no more excuses left.

Might be a bit cold for optimum curing though, mmm wonder what's on TV?

Bill

Oh and great vid Robbie and good idea CMC. This is the stuff I like no negative crap.

Good work Piros . just a reminder to anyone doing this themselves that Epoxy resin is best and also Epoxy glue (the shafts are made with Epoxy resin but nothing really sticks to aluminuim which is why his holes and heavily abraded makes sense) Also a piece of heat shrink tube could be used instead of peel ply to give a better finish and the jury is out whether to lay largest piece of fibre down first or last

edited to say peel ply comes in many colours , and the clothing trade calls it polysheen.

good work rob....much better than the option of either rubish or outrigger paddle. IMO cutting the tube on an angle or straight will still create a stress riser where it ends. The difference between where the tube is and not is definite. Maybe cutting the tube a 45 degree both side to form a fish mouth (like if you were coping the tube to fit anther tube at right angles) would help...you would have to line up the points of the tube with the front and back of the shaft so it then progressivly loads. What would be nice would be a longer tube with smaller wall thickness at ends and bigger in middle. Regarding the glass. I would have thought that doing the different widths be no advantage unless you are wrapping well outside the end of the tube? Also doing each wrap 1 at a time and feather sanding the ends would help. basicly what all this is trying to do is get the forces, shocks, to transition or flow through the shaft, rather than peak at a new point, ie break just after the tube/glass wrap.

Latman, would there not be a etching agent available for aluminum? I see guys using stuff on pvc so polyurethane and expoxy will bond....companies like loctite etc would have something I would have thought....being that both aluiminum and epoxy have been around along time and in the same fields.