C-Forum

So here's the story. This summer I noticed some small cracks in the shaft of my Werner Bandit (glass version, wood T-grip). I got a replacement paddle, and stuck the other one away until yesterday. Since the cracks weren't too bad, I figured 3 layers of s-glass over them would be a good patch, I could at least use it as a spare. So I did that.

Problem is, I forgot (or at least neglected) the fact that there's a decent amount of water in the shaft. So now I'm wondering if I can somehow get the t-grip off and drain it. Maybe heat it up with a heat gun and twist it off? Any other suggestions for gettting the water out???

Jeremy

I don't have the answer but was wondering the same thing. I got a two piece carbon one recently but I can't stand the new plastic grips. Is there some way to get it off so I can make a new one?

Wood

RodeoClown wrote:So here's the story. This summer I noticed some small cracks in the shaft of my Werner Bandit (glass version, wood T-grip). I got a replacement paddle, and stuck the other one away until yesterday. Since the cracks weren't too bad, I figured 3 layers of s-glass over them would be a good patch, I could at least use it as a spare. So I did that.

Problem is, I forgot (or at least neglected) the fact that there's a decent amount of water in the shaft. So now I'm wondering if I can somehow get the t-grip off and drain it. Maybe heat it up with a heat gun and twist it off? Any other suggestions for gettting the water out???

Jeremy

drill a 3/8 hole from the top of the grip into the shaft. turn upside down to drain. fill hole with epoxy.

Well, I suppose you could always resort to cutting the t-grip off, letting the shaft dry out, and then reattaching it. It would shorten the paddle about an inch or so. But I'm sure there's a better way to do it out there.

Nate

driftwood wrote:I don't have the answer but was wondering the same thing. I got a two piece carbon one recently but I can't stand the new plastic grips. Is there some way to get it off so I can make a new one?

Wood

if you don't care about saving the old one ... i would think you could just cut it off and get the rest of the material out of the shaftwith a drill and file.
...or leave it in there, the wood grips i've seen are female.

I do believe heating it will loosen the T-grip. worth a shot. Most companies use the same black adhesive to attach them. I have had to drill and put a pin in my Aquabound after leaving it it the truck on an extrenely hot day and the T-grip got twisted. I used a heatgun to heat it up and the grip slid out with a little bit of effort. as far as draining it, the hole in the end of the T-grip sounds like the best idea. I usually just reattach them witha brass pin, that way when( not if) I break a paddle, I can change the grip out since I like to make my own custom grips.

Speaking of the heat gun there Squeaky, that wouldn't happen to be my heat gun would it?

I thought of the idea of drilling down through the grip about 3 minutes after I posted last night. I'll give it a shot today...

So that worked pretty well. For anyone else who ever needs to do this, You need a loooooong drill bit. I think there might also be a foam plug or something similar below the t-grip- I ended up having to go in with a piece of wire coat hanger to get through whatever was in there.

There also seems to be a little bit of water trapped down by the blade. I think there's some sort of plug in there as well... I'm not worried about it, since I got most of the water out of it.

Unfortunately, I sanded down the spot I repaired, and realized I had a big air bubble right under where the crack was. So I sanded it off and tried again. I figure I'll let the paddle dry out while that's curing, and then squirt some epoxy into the hole in the t-grip, put a piece of tape over it, and turn it upside down so the epoxy runs down to the end....

wish me luck

You could contact a couple of paddle companies and see what they recommend.

If you use heat (either a heat gun or boiling water), be careful because the shaft is glass and heat can effect the shaft. Twisting is a common motion for removal.

I love the drain hole idea in the top of the grip (bear in mind that, of cause, it is better to keep the water out in the first place and that if it gets in then it can also get out the same way it got in).

good luck

The problem I had was that it got in through a few small cracks in the shaft over the course of a couple weeks. I decided to repair the cracks, but forgot to try to get the water out first. I figured over the course of a few months of not using the paddle, it would have dried out inside, but actually it was just frozen inside- so no sloshing to remind me. so sealed up cracks meant no way for the water to get out- but also no more water getting in.

Maybe I can put a drainplug in the end of it, so if I get more water in....

mshelton wrote:Speaking of the heat gun there Squeaky, that wouldn't happen to be my heat gun would it?

Nope. Ask Tommy.

I have used a heat gone to remove a tgrip- but I was able to turn it about an eighth of an inch -which is the reason I reglued it- I worked it back and forth heated and repeated- not sure if it was the right way or not but it worked

Larry Horne wrote:

RodeoClown wrote:So here's the story. This summer I noticed some small cracks in the shaft of my Werner Bandit (glass version, wood T-grip). I got a replacement paddle, and stuck the other one away until yesterday. Since the cracks weren't too bad, I figured 3 layers of s-glass over them would be a good patch, I could at least use it as a spare. So I did that.

Problem is, I forgot (or at least neglected) the fact that there's a decent amount of water in the shaft. So now I'm wondering if I can somehow get the t-grip off and drain it. Maybe heat it up with a heat gun and twist it off? Any other suggestions for gettting the water out???

Jeremy

drill a 3/8 hole from the top of the grip into the shaft. turn upside down to drain. fill hole with epoxy.

I am not sure if drilling a 3/8" hole through the grip of a Werner T-grip is a good idea. The diameter of the thinnest point where the dowel fits into the <t piece is qquite small, as far as I remember from mine (the T-grip actually broke in that area), and I am quite sure that if one drilled a 3/8" hole through it it would be almost instant failure.

martin a.k.a. the great gonzo!