Have a Carbon 2-piece paddle and I've noticed the shaft getting kind of hard to pull apart. Is there a recommended lube to use on the shaft to make it easier.. A friend mentioned graphite lube. I'm wondering if there is anything more off-the-shelf to use rather than spending $$$ just for the shaft.
Jay
Chap Stick
I had that problem on a paddle trip and one of the ladies with me gave me her Chap Stick to rub on the shaft. Worked.
But now I make it a point to check the shafts before each trip and, if needed, rub a little WD-40 on them.
SYOW
Cal
I use the silicone
gel that I put on my spark plug boots so that they come off easily. You can find in in most any automotive shop its called silicone boot release. Usually comes in a small tube.
Watch out for grit
Chapstick will attract lots of grit and might make the problem worse. Sorry, but I don’t have an answer to your question other than making sure both ends are really clean, especially after lunch break before you put your paddle back together.
Lyn
Agree, keep them clean
and dry and they should be fine. Lubercants will attrack dirt and that will result in more wear on the shaft and a looser joint over time.
Graphite
Only use dry graphite powder. You can get a small tube at the hardward store in the locks and keys section.
~wetzool
Silicone Spray lubricant
I was advised years ago to use only silicone spray as a lubricant. Graphite or teflon should work as well. Any lube with bulk will eventually attrack grit making things worse. I spray the male end and insert into the female end to spread the lubricant around. Never have had a problem with paddles sticking together
Keep your ferrule’s clean by rinsing in fresh water and checking for grit with your finger. There’s no reason for a paddle ferrule to get tight over time (just the opposite actually). Most people that have trouble fail to keep the grit out of their ferrules. Also, store your splits unassembled to avoid problems.
face the answer
For expensive fly fishing rods we were told by guides to use the grease off your forehead and along side your nose to lube the rod ferrules. Not kidding! We’ve done the same with our Branches paddles and it always works fine. Just use your index finger to collect what you can and wipe on the parts.Some commercial lubes can soften some plastics while face grease is totally safe. But if you have no face grease (lucky you!) try a little 303. We’ve used it too and it cleans and leaves a slight bit of slippery behind to help free up those sticky paddles.
Believe it or not
the literature from ONNO paddles reccomends using axle greese. It works great but does attract sand.
I used ‘Mr.Clean Magic Eraser’ to clean
the ends. Doesn’t scratch the ferrules and cleans off grit. Then I rub 303 on male end and rub until there’s no residue. So far, so good.
Glad to hear
ONNO isn’t smothering their paddles with NOSE grease!
Bore Butter
It is bio-friendly and works great. Actually it is food grade lube. You can find it at any shop that sells muzzle-loaders.
Thanks everyone!
I’ve got some good ideas. I like the sound of a dry-silicone based lube first so as not to attract grit. I’ll see if that works well and then I can try the others. I also have silicone lube too already.
Jay
stay away from
WD-40. It’s a horrible lubricant and attracts a ton of dirt. I wouldn’t use it on a paddle.
Try using a dry wax lubricant. You can find small bottles at bike shops. Apply it to the shafts, let dry and buff ALL of it off. It will look like there is none left on the shaft, but believe me, when you put them back together, you’ll notice the difference. Plus, it won’t attract any sand or dirt.
I’d stay away from the grease and any petroleum based lube.
I’m going to go the
other way. And say 600 grit sandpaper wrap it around the ferrel and and give it a LIGHT sanding. Just a LITTLE at a time to you get it were you want it. And then hit it with some lube of choice.
Good Journey’s
Shawn