Paddle Repair
Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6822
Printed Date: 28 Apr 2024 at 6:37am
Topic: Paddle Repair
Posted By: arnobarno
Subject: Paddle Repair
Date Posted: 27 May 2008 at 9:51pm
An unrelated posting in the lost throw bag discussion reminded me that I wanted to post this.
When Deborah and I traveled with our paddles last December, the airlines managed to snap our paddle shafts (see photo). They replaced the paddles (which is great) but I'm wondering if there is anyway to salvage anything out of what is left. For the record, the
paddles are bent shaft carbon fiber. One of the shafts is a small
diameter shaft and the other is a normal diameter shaft.
I've spoken to Werner and they can build a new half for the broken side of the
paddle. Unfortunately they are unable to remove the blades without destroying them
in the process and the overall repair is rather expensive.
I'm guessing that someone on the forum has a better (different?) idea or can salvage something for a take-apart or some other use, who knows. Anyway, I'm open to ideas or deals. PM me about deals or post if you have ideas you want to share.
-------------
arn9schaeffer@gmail.com (remove 9 for my real email address)
|
Replies:
Posted By: huckin harms
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 8:40am
|
Cripes, that's two crazy broken shafts. Yikes, how in the world did that happen? Were you using paddle bags? Was "fragile" posted? Did the airlines reimburse you full cost for each paddle? Until now, I've never seen (fortunately!) Werners all busted up. Yowsers! Hopefully this happened after you got to use em on the trip.
|
Posted By: arnobarno
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 8:50am
Yes, they were in a paddle (ski) bag and were padded.
We've hypothesized that they actually arrived just fine and somebody put them on the belt crosswise and they got wedged and then snapped. I say that because when we were waiting for the paddles on the oversize belt, the belt started, stopped, started a minute or two later, stopped, started a few minutes later and our paddles were first out with the bag folded in half. But, really, we have no way of knowing what happened.
Of course, it happened on the way out, not on the return leg of the trip, so, no, we had no use of the paddles and Deborah, especially, was not too happy with her substitute paddle. The funny thing (not to us, though) is that someone else on our trip
just taped the ends of their blades with cardboard - no case, no
fragile, no nothing. No problem.
We've since purchased a hard case which makes this virtually impossible.
-------------
arn9schaeffer@gmail.com (remove 9 for my real email address)
|
Posted By: justin
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 9:02am
|
I'm wondering wether or not you could find some dowel to put int he shaft and turn it into a lego type connection and then go over that with some fiberglass. I don't know just an idea.
|
Posted By: Yotes
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 9:15am
|
Depending on where the break is I might be interested in one of the pieces to make a C-1 paddle with.
|
Posted By: arnobarno
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 9:33am
Here is some more information:
Small shaft paddle - was 191 cm - break is roughly 75 cm from outside edge of right blade.
Regular shaft paddle - was 197 cm - break is roughly 65 cm from outside edge of right blade.
Both paddles were R30 offset paddles though that probably doesn't matter in any calculations at this point!
Blades are Sherpa Carbon blades.
-------------
arn9schaeffer@gmail.com (remove 9 for my real email address)
|
Posted By: STLboater
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 10:07am
I've always wondered about fiting a piece of PVC where the break is. Have one piece slide inside the break, and then a smaller diameter piece to slide inside the PVC for a stronger re-inforcement. You might end up with a paddle as strong as an AT!
-------------
Kayak Academy Whitewater Instructor
|
Posted By: erikSANDSTROM
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 2:38pm
Arn, I suspect that they got piled unevenly between baggage on the luggage trailers. I have had a surfboard liberated of all rocker by TWA. As for the repair: I attempted to fix a paddle that snapped in the center. It worked OK but I see that under stress the fiberglass weakens. I now use it for non-whitewater applications only. I would say, due to the messiness of the fiberglassing process and the unreliability of the repair, to scrub that repair mission. If you want to know more about my awesome repair process, let me know. Fixing blades is w/i reason, but I would say repairing shafts is not. Missed you guys at the ball!
-------------
This river don't go to Aintry. You done taken a wrong turn.
|
Posted By: arnobarno
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 3:47pm
Thanks for your thoughts, Erik. I suspected that we were in salvage mode more than anything and was hoping someone more creative than me had some ideas. Ryan - PM me if you want to follow up more on possible C-1 usage if it could work for you.
arn
-------------
arn9schaeffer@gmail.com (remove 9 for my real email address)
|
Posted By: Yotes
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 4:15pm
|
It looks like it broke on the wrong side for me to use it for C-1.
|
Posted By: huckin harms
Date Posted: 28 May 2008 at 7:17pm
|
Doh, that's crazy. Guess it matters HOW the paddles get on the conveyor belt. Good to know the airlines covered the damage.
|
|