Repairing a Wooden Canoe Paddle

[Scots_Charles_River]

This paddle has had a hard life, shaft split twice.

First split was stupidly using it on WW on the Mighty TEITH, trying to side surf a wave, doing a deep support stroke to hold the boat in the surf, I hit a hidden rock. That split was up near the handle, it was scarf jointed easily as it was a clean split, with PVA, put lots on as it sucks into the wood. Then it was sealed with a coat of clear epoxy, using the epoxy as a varnish.

That repair lasted a year then the second split about half way down, was me again stupidly, doing a strenuous pry and where the shaft was levering off the gunnell, snap So at least the resin and tape has made the shaft wear point on the gunnell, stronger than it was before !

So I wrapped it in fine fibreglass tape then stippled resin in, until the tape went clear. Make sure you mix more resin than you need as otherwise you will just about finish painting on the resin and it's about to set hard when you run out of resin !

Another tip is to lay polybags around and below the work areas, also you can hold or use Polyplroplene sheet. As the resin does not bond with PP, as you can see below.


Step 1 - Work Area

Polybags as they don't bond with the resin. Outside as it was a wee bit of wind and full ventilation, otherwise you get high.
Ambient temp was about 20degs, on cool days a hairdryer helps setting of the resin.

Step 2- Glass tape wrap

I mixed a small amount of resin with a lot of hardener first and put a thin layer of this on the shaft as a quick setting glue to hold the tape in place first.I wrapped the tape tightly around the split area and join I had used a high hardener to resin mix, as a wood glue, although this set in 3-4mins, and beyond about 50mm.

You can see the tape at the bottom has been glued in place, it's the end of the wrap, as described above.

I stippled the resin in slowly building up layers as the tape sucks in the resin until it's saturated, this is when the tape goes clear.

Resin - you can see the solid set resin that was left over, it popped out easily form the '99p for six plastic picnic poundshop glass' as it's 'PP' of polypropelene.

 

[scoops_uk]

Did you use the "Fastglas" resin pictured? If you did that's a polyester resin rather than an epoxy resin. I mention this only because you also refer to a 'high hardener to resin mix'. Changing the quantity a little is OK with polyester resins but will result in a weaker cure if done with epoxy resins which should be mixed exactly as per manufacturer guidance.

Hope the repair lasts well for you

Scoops

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Aye, it's just Fastglass, polyester. Reduced to a fiver in a local ironmongers. I mentioned putting more hardener than normal in the mix just to get it tacky quickly.

I used epoxy basically as a glue and varnish before, which worked. But Epoxy is so expensive. I don't know how much folk use when they make strip canoes but they must spend more on epoxy than wood !

The paddle got water ingress the first split, it was in the river, so no matter how much you dry wood it is always weaker without that seal. It's not a cedar shaft so......

 

[scoops_uk]

I don't know how much folk use when they make strip canoes but they must spend more on epoxy than wood !

The strip plank boats I've been involved in making, open canoes, sailing canoes and small (<16ft) open boats have typically used the best part of a 30kg drum during the build which comes in at around £300. Using vacuum infusion get's the amount needed and the weight down a bit but you're right, it is a significant cost.

Scoops

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Some schools, not mine I'm afraid, use Vaccuum bag presses. Normally for laminating up small chairs etc. Really cool bit of kit. The bag is expensive but some tech teachers have used old vaccum cleaners etc.

 

[scoops_uk]

Here's a vacuum infusion job I was involved in on a canoe yawl, was interesting to set up although getting it airtight so the vacuum would hold took a bit of patience!

Scoops

 

[Dreadhead]

never seen that stuff before looks magic and a quick way to repair a broken limb

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Smaller vaccuum bags are really cool, it's a bit magic when you see the plywood shaping to the moulds.

 

[hog]

I know nothing about repair work on paddles but could you put a couple of brass pins through the crack (same as putting pins on a knife handle) then apply the bandage .

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Ideally no pins as that breaks the grain structure. As long as the glue bonds along the length of the scarf it will be stronger than the original wood as it sucks into the wood. More expensive paddles have laminated shafts to make them stronger but they can lose flex which gives comfort.

PS it is not clear from the photos but the shaft was in 3 separate pieces before I repaired it.