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This information is for when using a paddle blade which has a spigot sized for
a thin shaft, but you are using a thicker shaft.
Essentially the main difference here is that you need
to pack the spigot of the blade enough that it fills the gap between itself
and the inside of the shaft.
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There are three ways to do this. Listed in worst
order first:-
- Just use more adhesive/glue.
While this could be
viewed as the easiest, the problem with this method is that there is
little certainty that the blade will be mounted centrally and more
importantly straight into the shaft.
- Use extra layers of adhesive/glue.
These layers would be
allowed to dry and may require some additional sanding down which
ensures an even built up thickness, as well as to provide a good key for
the next layer to bond to it.
- Use some kind of packing material, usually a
unidirectional material (looks kind of like string or spaghetti) such
as Glass, Carbon or Kevlar strand.
This is the method we
recommend and as such is described here in greater detail:- |
PHOTO OF GLASS, KEVLAR and
CARBON STRAND - coming soon !!!
What you need:-
Quick-Set Epoxy Adhesive*, Spreading stick, Mixing board
(sheet of paper), Packing Strand (Glass, Kevlar, Carbon), PVC tape (2 x 15cm
lengths 20mm wide), Tissue.
*Note, I only use quick set epoxy for a number of
reasons:-
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Usually I don't have more time
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It's strong enough
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It wont normally melt even on the hottest days
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It's easier if you ever need to take the blades out
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it saves having to find a place to rest the paddle
without fear of it being disturbed for 24 hours
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The Method:-
The adhesive is should be an epoxy type and is normally
a two part mix which either comes in two separate tubes or may look like a
double syringe. It’s almost always a mix ratio of 1 part Resin to 1 part
Hardener and is very tolerant if you are not very exact in quantities.
Normally the tubes are different colours and the gel-liquids within may well
also be different colours (hardener most likely yellow). The double syringe
tube is pretty much idiot proof complete with a cap which can only go back
on one way. For single tubes it’s essential to put the correct cap on each
tube as you use it or you’ll never get a second chance to get them the wrong
way around.
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| PHOTO OF SINGLE TUBES |
PHOTO OF SINGLE TUBES |
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You will need to work on the quantities yourself here,
but as a guide, for a single end, run the adhesive out in a straight
line about 3cm long for each of the tubes. Mix them together so it goes
an opaque colour. This should take about 20 seconds. |
The working life of the quickset epoxy adhesive does
vary – particularly with ambient temperature, but you should have at least 5
minutes working life.
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Spread a little inside the shaft. |
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It’s usually best to start with the Right hand blade if
you are making them for a right handed paddler. This way, you can fit the
index grip right after the adhesive has dried.
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Spread some of the adhesive around the entire spigot. |
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Take a length of the material strand and spiral wrap it
around the spigot from the end of the spigot up towards the blade. You
kind of need to guess just how much you will need depending upon the
thickness of the strand and the amount of gap you need to fill. |
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Too little and it wont provide enough packing. Too much
and you wont be able to push the blade in to the shaft.
Remember, if you try an amount which you think is not
enough, then you can try it and if you need to add some more then that’s
easy enough. It’s a lot messier to take some off though !
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Spread a little more adhesive over the material strand
to it’s completely covered. |
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Slowly insert the spigot (with the blade above the
shaft, inserting in a downward direction. The Blade should be rotated
slowly in the same direction as the spiral so it doesn’t just unwrap
itself. |
It’s not unusual (or a problem) for some of the
Unidirectional material to be pushed to the blade end of the spigot. This
will in fact help (so long as it’s not too much) to fill the gap between the
end of the shaft and the neck of the blade.
With the last remaining 5mm of spigot to enter the
shaft ensure the unidirectional material is fully wrapped around the spigot
with a minimal amount of adhesive.
Push the blade firmly into the shaft, again removing
any excess adhesive.
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Use one length of the PVC tape to tape over the end of
the shaft. Don’t pull too tight and be aware that the tape wont stick
too well over the epoxy. This tape is only being used as a temporary
cover. You only need to wrap the tape around once.
Allow this end to cure / dry before doing anything else. |
| Of course it always helps to have another pair of hands. |
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