Picking up from the other paddle thread...
I bent the aluminum shaft on my Norse (Bob Foote)paddle. It's busted and now sawed off.
I'm tempted to re-fit the blade onto a new shaft (even though it is heavy). But I'm not sure of my options.
The blade is built around the tubing. So, I've got a blade with a hole into it for a shaft. But what can I fit/fix into the aluminum shaft-hole?
Some advice from a paddle dealer here was that I put down a 3.5" of aluminum tubing that also sticks up about 3.5", and then fit a new shaft over this dowel/connector piece. I think could have this machined (and glued?) at a tubing supplier for about $50.
Can wood, fiberglass or anything else be fixed to aluminum? Although a light shaft may make the swing wieght of this blade seem funny. Any ideas on my options (other than the obvious of tossing this bomber old blade and putting $50 towards a real paddle)?
What if I put in wood dowel into the aluminum blade-tube, then fixed a fiberglass shaft over the wood? What if I just put a wood shaft into the aluminum tube? Any ways of making this work? Does something like 3m epoxy not stick to aluminum?
Thanks, Pat.
A thought…
When I built the sliding seat for my canoe, I needed a way to connect the cross aluminum pieces of the of the seat to the aluminum tubes that it was going to slide on, and I used kevlar cloth with epoxy.
It worked like a charm and is very strong.
In your case it will take a lot of sanding to make it look good, but it should work.
Cheers,
JackL
Go with the wood dowel…
Do one side at a time. Clean and rough up the inside of aluminum. Liberally coat inside of shaft and dowel ( taped at 1/2 way point) with slightly thicker than ketchup epoxy and insert with a 1/4 twist. Clean excess thickened resin and let cure. Do second side. Dowel should be 3-4" inside each half.
Wood dowel
I refeathered a fiberglass shaft WW paddle using a wood dowel epoxyed in place. About 4" in each end of the shaft. Held up fine all summer.
I actually carved the dowel out of block (need to get a lathe one of these days). I used Maple because I had it, and its strong. Wasn’t perfectly round, which I think is an advantage, because it gives the epoxy someplace to go when the dowel is inserted.
You Animal!
We used to use Norse paddles to chop through strainers…
You will have a weak spot (stress riser) at teh aluminum/wood joint. Be aware of that, and maybe relegate it to spare status.
Jim
PS: I assume it was a canoe paddle.
I understand …
I understand the need to fix/repair an item you’ve had/used for a long time; which may have a “few more miles left in it”.
I can’t understand the need to continue to use a repaired paddle on whitewater. I’d never really trust the repair, and I sure wouldn’t want to have to be reaching for my spare, at the “wrong time & the wrong place”!
If repaired, I’d relegate it to being used as a spare only. If you already have a spare; I’d apply repair cost to the cost of a new paddle.
BOB
thanks
Good advice, all. But I think the best from theBob! The paddle will never again be a full-service ww paddle, and I don’t even need it - I think I’ve bought 3 paddles since then!
I’ll try to resist fixing it, but I doubt I can leave that blade just lying there.
P.