Try using hot glue when attaching your paddle board handle to the shaft instead of epoxy. When the great sport of SUP, stand up paddle boarding, started and carbon fiber and fiberglass paddleboard paddles were coming more common, the traditional way of affixing the sup handle to the shaft was with two part epoxy. Now using epoxy is a tried and true method, the only problem is this way becomes permanent. In the case where you would like to shorten your paddle as your skills progress for example, well you're out of luck. Or in the case if you happen to damage just the handle portion of your paddle and it needs replacing, again you're out of luck if you had used epoxy. In order to remove a handle from a paddleboard paddle after using epoxy, you must cut the handle off, usually loosing several inches off the shaft and loose the ability to re-use the handle after it's off.
Here at North 2 Boards, we have been using hot glue with great success over the years. We like to use ACE brand "Hot Melt" sticks. They are a little be more expensive compared with standard craft type sticks, but are worth the investment in our opinion. I think a pack of 6 runs around $5-$6 at your local ACE hardware store. Similarly contractors grade or construction grade sticks will do the trick as well. After making your cut on the shaft, we like to use a standard 12" hacksaw with 32 tooth fine blade, simply heat up the shaft of the handle and top of the shaft with a hair dryer or heat gun. Then generously add a bunch of globs of the hot melt glue onto the shaft of the handle before you put it into your paddle shaft. Line up the handle to the blade so it is facing the correct direction and make sure it's lined up nice and straight. I then take a piece of scrape paper and wipe around the area where the glue has spilled out onto the shaft, you can then heat this area up again with a couple quick blast from your heat gun and again wipe around the shaft so that it is nice and neat. Set the paddle aside for about a half hour and you're off to the races!
Down the road if you ever want to shorten your paddle or replace the handle, simply heat the joined areas of the handle and shaft with your heat gun or hair dryer and pull and remove. Cut shaft shorter, remove as much old glue as you can and repeat the process.
Give it a shot, or contact us for more tips on how to. info@north2boards.com
