C-Forum

Anybody in the southeast do repairs on paddles? Specifically, replacing a mushrooming aluminum insert in a carbon blade (on a wooden shaft) - it's one of Maxwell's sticks. I've another that I already did this on, but it's starting to separate as well (due to my workmanship, no doubt).

Splitting blades tend to be a loosing proposition. That said, the best with composites I've yet seen is Eric "Butter" Hurd, one of the racers living in Charlotte training at the US National Whitewater Center.

Scott:

If you can't find anyone good at dealing with this problem and you don't mind the damage to the paddle's aesthetics, sometimes rivets are just the ticket for a delaminating aluminum tip. The process of securing the rivet actually forces the delaminating layers together.

First clean any debris out from between the layers. If you want, you can even use a brush to spread a thin layer of epoxy between the layers before riveting. One rivet about half an inch in from each corner of the tip is probably sufficient. It's best to use copper or aluminum rivets with a low profile. The kind that you flatten with a ballpeen hammer after inserting them into the drill hole usually present the lowest profile. In a pinch you might be able to use pop rivets, but you'd need to carefully flatten the expansion side with a ballpeen hammer in order to lower the profile and I don't think the repair would be as secure.

One caveat: the rivet will protrude a little on both sides of the blade, altering its clean lines somewhat. Also, you'll have a paddle that looks like an old school Norse paddle, which had such rivets direct from the manufacturer and which often sported this type of quick and dirty repair after hard use.

John

Is Bailey Johnson still around, maybe he could repair it?

Speaking of which, if he is still around, does anyone have a telephone # for him? I've got a Clinch River paddle that could use some TLC from him.

Mitchell Paddles repairs mine and my pals paddles... nice work, affordable, quick turnaround.

I think Smerda has taken Bailey Johnson captive as an exclusive paddle supplier.

Bailey told me that aluminum inserts were best at resisting wear, but might delaminate for reasons unknown to him. My Clinch River with an aluminum insert has not delaminated under several years of moderately hard use.

He said that phenolic tips rarely or never delaminated but wore more, and this has been my experience with my other paddle.

Does anyone know if cyanoacrylic or "super glue" stands up to water with time? The aluminum tip in my Mitchell has delaminated a bit, and it would be much easier to get super glue to flow in there (before riveting) than West epoxy.

But these are pretty paddles! I'll post pictures of them later. Replacing the aluminum with dynel was suggested by the guy who made them (Maxwell Johnston) as that shouldn't mushroom like the aluminum does. On the first paddle, I used nylon cord instead - that worked for a year or so. The second one is newer and I hadn't gotten around to messing it up yet, though I did buy the dynel. This is the kind of thing that would probably be a quick job for someone not cursed with the ability to make a mess out of things everytime they touch resin. Plus, I think my resin is no good anymore...

Most do not like the idea of taking anything abrasive to their paddle, but to keep the insert from delaminating the paddle, it is imperative you keep the overlying composite ground back, so the aluminum is protruding slightly all the time. I simply use a dremel with a sandpaper wheel on it.

I think that the superglue would be an okay temperary solution, however, wouldn't trust it for super long. I mean I use the stuff for blisters, and to keep fingernails on. but then I am from montana... I would try to stick with the west systems, just use more filler, or let it sit in the sun for like 6 minutes beffore use so that it is already thicker, and therefore would be more of a viscious/easier to use substance, than when freshly made, however, your window of use is smaller, but it works dandy...
cheers
-isaac

My suggestion is become a better boater or quit paddleing runs near zero. Aluminum is a poor marry for wood. They have drastically different compression and elastic rates ( delamination). The aluminum also is a very soft material and doesn,t deal well when you use your paddle to pole off rocks ( mushrooming). There are many other hard materials to use like stainless, carbonfiber, plastic, hard woods. My favorite solution is to just not make contact with rocks as often or get a composit blade . Wood is for paddleing with style and grace. I have a vikeing and a hand made wooden stick. I have also made my own sticks includeing a C-1 squirt stick which never touched a rock and is as perfect as the day i finished it. It is completely wood with no insert. JIM

jim gross wrote:My suggestion is become a better boater or quit paddleing runs near zero. Aluminum is a poor marry for wood. They have drastically different compression and elastic rates ( delamination). The aluminum also is a very soft material and doesn,t deal well when you use your paddle to pole off rocks ( mushrooming). There are many other hard materials to use like stainless, carbonfiber, plastic, hard woods. My favorite solution is to just not make contact with rocks as often or get a composit blade . Wood is for paddleing with style and grace. I have a vikeing and a hand made wooden stick. I have also made my own sticks includeing a C-1 squirt stick which never touched a rock and is as perfect as the day i finished it. It is completely wood with no insert. JIM

Ouch! that's actually what I thought I was doing! Becoming a better paddler, that is. If I give up runs near zero, I cut out about 80% of my paddling!

I have a Perception and a Norse that are in the bin, but relegated to guiding rafts or loaning out. The wooden sticks are holding up a lot better than they would have when I started. In fact my Grey Owl with some sort of resin looking edging is holding up very well. Not arguing about aluminum being a bad mate to wood - it's why I'm trying to replace it... As for the blades, they are carbon over a wood core. I'll post pics this evening - it will save some typing.

As an old timer once said "glass boats and wooden paddles will make a real paddler of you".

jim gross wrote:My suggestion is become a better boater or quit paddleing runs near zero....My favorite solution is to just not make contact with rocks as often or get a composit blade.

Still, pushing off the sides is fast, necessary for gaining the extra tenth that may make a difference. Mitchell sticks hold up better than anything else out there, but still require a little help to keep the aluminum tip poking out so it does not delaminate.

A good solution to resetting the tip is to lay down either peel-ply or simply plastic over the blade with some resin and fabric if needed, then overlay this with two pieces of foam with plywood, covering a much larger area than the actual blade. Then drill holes in the plywood and place screws in to compress the blade. Let this cure until hard and grind off excess material to expose the tip of the blade again.

I can't take credit for this method. Scott McClesky came up with this idea, and it works marvelously. I've seen four paddles he has fixed with amazing results this way.

Guys , always remember to cover your epoxy with a good marine sparr varnish. it will cut down on uv degredation and is an easier touch up on a worn shaft than epoxy. JIM

I've often wondered how that truck bed liner stuff might work. It's pretty hard and abrasion resistant.

Yeah guys this here,s ma LINEX paddle. I gots me some LINEX blades , shaft and TEE grip. Nuthin can hurt this sucka. JIM