OK, I admit it. Sometimes I am a ham-fist with my paddles. I put a couple of dings in the shaft of my GP during one particularly inelegant landing on a slimy concrete ramp.
So, I am starting to think about repairs. I don’t want to go the epoxy route if I can help it, and was wondering if anyone has tried wood flour and Gorilla Glue? I should state that the dings are more cosmetic than structural, so the mixture would be more of a filler than anything.
Jim
How big are we talking?
If they are small dings you may want to gover the area with a damp paper towel and then apply a hot clothes iron, this will often steam the dents back out, at least far enough to sand the remainder easily out.
Filler
I haven’t tried Gorilla glue with sawdust as a filler, and my guess is it would give less than satisfactory results. Polyurethane glue has to be held firmly together to bind. If applied to an open area I think it will just foam up and not really cure with any strength or bind as a watertight covering.
On the other hand sawdust mixed into epoxy resin does work well for patching gouges in wood and is easily sanded smooth and finished.
Steam it…
– Last Updated: Jun-01-05 2:45 PM EST –
One thing I learned refinishing antique furniture, picture frames etc....
Clear the area around the ding of the surface finish, and apply steam to the ding...the wood will swell, removing a large percentage(if not the whole) of the ding; (prop the paddle up over a tea kettle full of boiling water for 15 to 30 minutes)...then refinish.
(This is what I get when I'm called away by work...I started this post before the steaming was first discussed... DOH!..a good idea bears repeating though...!)
Yep
Forgot to mention that I had already steamed the dents - Worked very well, hence the need for “cosmetic” repairs only.
Didn’t think about Gorilla glue’s swelling. I could have a royal mess on my hands. Considering the minor nature if the dings, I might try a quality Devcon or 3-M 2 part epoxy with wood flour. I cannot justify buying West System components, as I would waste most of the contents.
Jim
Go for the small kit West System…
5 minute epoxys…
Better than the regular hardware store versions + they come in real nice squeeze bottles.