i've got an older cracked warner i've been thinking about trying to fix. any advice on how to repair a cracked paddle blade?
thanks!
werner paddle repair
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oc1paddlr
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good question!
my bandit is wearing down on the on side (as usual) but recently shows delam all along the bottem edge, about quarter or less inch depending on the light and how dry the blade is. i'm sure i'm not alone. also, do the carbon blades do this..have not seen it on my buddie's paddles and that would be worth the extra bucks.
paddlr
red boat ready
red boat ready
oops, where is the crack, and how big?
OC1, there are three possible reasons why Werner glass paddles might appear more likely to delaminate at the tip than their carbon paddles.
1. You can't see through carbon. Delamination may have occurred, but not be visible except when looking down at the tip.
2. Glass is tougher than carbon. When carbon delaminates, it may flake off, while the toughness of glass may keep individual layers from flaking off. Remember that toughness is not the same as stiffness. Carbon is stiffer.
3. It is possible (but not likely in my view) that carbon and the resin hold together better.
I don't have Werner paddles. In my view, paddles should have a tip insert made of aluminum or some other tough substance. What is on the end of these Werner paddles to protect them from smashing blows to the tip of the paddle?
OC1, there are three possible reasons why Werner glass paddles might appear more likely to delaminate at the tip than their carbon paddles.
1. You can't see through carbon. Delamination may have occurred, but not be visible except when looking down at the tip.
2. Glass is tougher than carbon. When carbon delaminates, it may flake off, while the toughness of glass may keep individual layers from flaking off. Remember that toughness is not the same as stiffness. Carbon is stiffer.
3. It is possible (but not likely in my view) that carbon and the resin hold together better.
I don't have Werner paddles. In my view, paddles should have a tip insert made of aluminum or some other tough substance. What is on the end of these Werner paddles to protect them from smashing blows to the tip of the paddle?
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oopsiflipped
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oc1paddlr
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oops
i ment blackburn, and yes they have a metal insert. oopsflip, sounds like it got wedged in a crack in the rocks. i broke a nice wooden dagger paddle that way. i had it repaired, but never really trusted it as a main paddle
paddlr
red boat ready
red boat ready
Cracked across the blade, about 1/3 from the bottom...... Is it completely broken off, or just cracked?
If just cracked, then the usual repair methods would apply. Dish out the crack, tapering back from the crack. (On thin blades this obviously cannot be done to as great a degree.)
Get some 6 ounce E-glass (or S-glass if readily available). Cut three concentric patches for each side of the paddle, the largest one about 2" larger than the crack on the sides and ends, the next maybe 1.5" larger, and the smallest about 3/4" larger. All should be bias-cut, so that there are twice as many fibers crossing the crack.
Make sure the paddle blade is stable in the correct position. It will be best to do one side at a time. Mix up some West or equivalent epoxy.
Glass on the largest patch FIRST, then the next largest, and then the smallest, centered right over the crack. You can press the glass layers together by putting some polyethelene plastic or some food wrap over the cloth and applying gentle pressure with a piece of foam and a board. (Helps to rehearse such things in advance.)
Let the first side set and clean it up. Flip the blade over, clean the surface around the crack, and apply the three bias-cut pieces as you did for the first side.
After everything has cured for a day, CAUTIOUSLY test the stiffness of the blade. If it is tending to bend at the crack, you can decide whether to add cloth, or just throw it at my head.
I suggested glass cloth rather than carbon, because you can see into the glass laminate while you are wetting it out, so you know whether you're doing a good job. Carbon would make for a much lighter repair, but my experience is that, while very stiff, carbon is more likely to snap at the crack. Kevlar would be the least likely to snap, but is stretchier than is desirable here.
Now, would I go to all that trouble? Probably not, but I did once do a perfect repair on a Clement laminated spruce blade that had snapped right across. The thickness of the spruce allowed my to taper the wood and do a kind of scarf joint. Then I glassed it. It is harder with a thin glass blade like a Werner to do the tapering needed so that, after glassing, the blade does not bend right at the crack and then crack the repair cloth.
If just cracked, then the usual repair methods would apply. Dish out the crack, tapering back from the crack. (On thin blades this obviously cannot be done to as great a degree.)
Get some 6 ounce E-glass (or S-glass if readily available). Cut three concentric patches for each side of the paddle, the largest one about 2" larger than the crack on the sides and ends, the next maybe 1.5" larger, and the smallest about 3/4" larger. All should be bias-cut, so that there are twice as many fibers crossing the crack.
Make sure the paddle blade is stable in the correct position. It will be best to do one side at a time. Mix up some West or equivalent epoxy.
Glass on the largest patch FIRST, then the next largest, and then the smallest, centered right over the crack. You can press the glass layers together by putting some polyethelene plastic or some food wrap over the cloth and applying gentle pressure with a piece of foam and a board. (Helps to rehearse such things in advance.)
Let the first side set and clean it up. Flip the blade over, clean the surface around the crack, and apply the three bias-cut pieces as you did for the first side.
After everything has cured for a day, CAUTIOUSLY test the stiffness of the blade. If it is tending to bend at the crack, you can decide whether to add cloth, or just throw it at my head.
I suggested glass cloth rather than carbon, because you can see into the glass laminate while you are wetting it out, so you know whether you're doing a good job. Carbon would make for a much lighter repair, but my experience is that, while very stiff, carbon is more likely to snap at the crack. Kevlar would be the least likely to snap, but is stretchier than is desirable here.
Now, would I go to all that trouble? Probably not, but I did once do a perfect repair on a Clement laminated spruce blade that had snapped right across. The thickness of the spruce allowed my to taper the wood and do a kind of scarf joint. Then I glassed it. It is harder with a thin glass blade like a Werner to do the tapering needed so that, after glassing, the blade does not bend right at the crack and then crack the repair cloth.