Heat sensitive glue for grips?

[gumpus]

Anyone know of a readily available glue that loosens with heat? I'm about to shorten a couple paddles and add symmetric grips to a couple others (pic shows my new Bending Branches symmetric grips) and it would be nice to use a glue that loosens with heat like Zaveral/GRB versus the permanent glue used by Bending Branches. If I want to change length again in the future (as Ivshrink) or if I destroy a paddle and want to recover the grip a heat-sensitive glue would be best.

 

[saltandsky]

I have a few SUP paddles from Kenalu and they use regular hot melt glue for the joints. I have reconfigured things several times using a heat gun and more hot melt glue. Been using their paddles for four or five years without any issues. They have a video on assembling paddles on their web site. https://kenalu.com/pages/assemble-your-paddle

I have also used five minute epoxy on a canoe paddle that I took back apart with judicious use of a heat gun and patience. In my opinion, hot melt glue is the way to go.

Hope this helps,
Tom B

 

[Sweetfancymoses]

Loctite red. It is a thread locker. Not sure if it would work for your application.

 

[gumpus]

THANK YOU guys! I'll use hot glue, I can't believe I couldn't even think of hot glue. I'm glad I didn't rush it and use epoxy. That's a nice video too. It's been a long time since I've shortened a carbon fiber paddle and I followed the same steps but I was mostly making it up so it's comforting to watch the video. Thanks again.

 

[Mason]

Another option might be rubber cement, easily softened with heat. I'd think epoxy would be a bear to get hot enough to break the bond in wood. I've replaced carbon Zav paddles, and it took a lot more heat than I expected. Hot glue might be the ticket.

 

[Alan Gage]

I like the hot glue idea too.

I've taken grips off a half a dozen Zav paddles. Only one (the first and oldest) did the grip come of relatively easily with heat. The rest I thought something was going to break.

Alan

 

[Chip]

Epoxy is heat sensitive. Heat-resistant epoxy is available, but epoxy generally softens around 200F.

Like Alan, I've shortened a Zav. I used heat to loosen it and put it back on with fresh epoxy.

 

[gumpus]

Thanks again for the feedback everyone. I never would have thought of rubber cement (or red locktite) either. On the Bending Branches paddle I want to shorten I learned that their shafts are tapered at the grip end so the new symmetric grips are a loose fit so I need a stiff glue to take up the slack. They told me that their glue just gets stronger with heat so I have to cut off at least 2.5 inches to remove the old grip and get back to hollow shaft. I may not insert the new grip all the way...to help fine-tune the length.

I've also shortened Zavs in the past and I think only one grip came off easily. I bought a heat gun which should work better than a candle. I'd like to put a symmetric grip on one of the Zav's that I shortened in the past so I'll learn whether the epoxy I used softens with heat.

I can't find our hot glue gun so will look around a little more before buying another.

I'm pretty geeked about fine-tuning a few paddles to (hopefully) get paddles I will use without investing in more paddles. Will share some pics when I have results.

 

[scoutergriz]

go to an archery shop and get a couple of sticks of arrow nock adhesive, it's a hot melt but takes more heat and is stronger than the retail stuff, I melt it with an alcohol lamp.

 

[DaveO]

Gumpus, I've had the same kind of thought to improve the grips on various paddles. I assume your picture is of grips you cut or removed off existing BB paddles. If not, can they be special ordered from BB?

 

[gumpus]

Epoxy is hwsseat sensitive. Heat-resistant epoxy is available, but epoxy generally softens around 200F.

Like Alan, I've shortened a Zav. I used heat to loosen it and put it back on with fresh epoxy.

This was good to know today. With my new heat gun I was able to remove a grip from an older Zaveral that I had previously shortened and re-epoxied and I had assumed that the epoxy was permanent.

 

[gumpus]

go to an archery shop and get a couple of sticks of arrow nock adhesive, it's a hot melt but takes more heat and is stronger than the retail stuff, I melt it with an alcohol lamp.

I used the nock adhesive in the 80's so when I saw your post I visited the new local archery shop and got some. They asked me if I wanted blue (for carbon fiber arrows) or higher temp yellow for aluminum so we went with blue and it worked perfectly. It was also easy to redo when I put one handle on backwards. Thanks for posting.

 

[gumpus]

Gumpus, I've had the same kind of thought to improve the grips on various paddles. I assume your picture is of grips you cut or removed off existing BB paddles. If not, can they be special ordered from BB?

Dave. Bending Branches sold them to me for $30 each which I thought was perfectly fair. It's not a catalog item so they just decided on the price when I asked to buy a grip. FYI the stub in the handle is 2.5 inches long and since they taper their shafts the grip may be a bit loose if you stick them into a Zaveral shaft for example, but a little glue takes up the slack.

The grip is the one used on their current Sunburst. I have a previous gen 56" Sunburst XL that fits me perfectly and inherited a 56" Sunburst with smaller blade and I want to shorten the smaller bladed Sunburst and add a symmetric grip.

 

[gumpus]

So here are some results. I've put a lot of miles on 56" straight shaft paddles with short blades. On far left is a now 54 5/8 " straight Zav with rare symmetric blade...with new symmetric grip. I gave this paddle to a friend many years ago and recently got it back when he stopped paddling. In the middle is a now 55 1/8 inch straight Zav just shortened from 56. On right is a 56" straight Black Bart Troublemaker for reference. I'm looking forward to using the updated paddles over the next few days.

 

[kona]

Great work. Drooling over your paddles. Thanks for showing!

 

[DaveO]

Thanks for the info. I agree, $30 is fair for the grip. BB should put them on the website. We can't be the only ones thinking this way. Cheers.