Assemble the paddle

Length

The first decision you have to make – after you have bought the paddle – is what length it is going to have.

The best way to find out is to try paddles of different lengths. You might be able to borrow paddles from other rowers, other wise you have to shorten your new paddle bit by bit.

Remember: you can always make it shorter– it is difficult to extend it.

• Assemble the blades and the handle; put them in the Paddlemeasurer and measurer the length exactly.

• Cut the surplus length of the handle with a small-toothed saw. Make a right-angled cut and clean the cut with fine-grained sandpaper.

Method of assembling the paddle

Warm-glue:

• Will give you a steady paddle that is easy to adjust, and to separate.

• You have to use a “glue-gun” which melts the glue by heating, and a electric air heater.

                               

  Glue-gun                                                         Electric air heater

• Put the glue on both the handle and the blade; use an amount that fills up the space between the handle and the blade. Allow the air heater to heat all the glue, before assembling the handle and the blade.
  Wipe of excess glue while pressing some of it in the joint between the stick and the blade, thus creating a waterproof sealing.

• Assemble the other blade in the same way. Place it in the Paddlemeasurer, and adjust the feathering to the desired angle – before the glue gets cold.

• If you want to adjust it later, you simply warm up the assembly with the air-heater, put the paddle in the Paddlemeasurer, and twist the blade to the new angle.
  There are different opinions about how heat resistant the paddles are. Heat it up slowly, and make sure that the heat is evenly distributed –eventually use hot water instead.

Tape:

• Will supply you with a quite steady paddle, which is ”easy” to separate. The method doesn't demand any equipment, just a partner – or two.

• Wrap tape round the handle; make a layer thick enough to fill the space between the blade and the handle. It takes two men to squeeze the parts together.

• The other blade is assembled in the same way, and the paddle is placed in the Paddlemeasurer, and the twist is adjusted.

• Wrap tape round the outside as well, but notice that it is the tape on the inside, which holds the parts together. By using a black and flexible tape on the outside, you can make the assembling nice and hardly visible.

Epoxy: 

• Will supply you with a steady paddle – if it is carried out correct.
  
• The epoxy will flow until it is stiff, place the paddle in a upright position – with the blade upside – then the epoxy will flow to the place where it make use. Close the gab between the stick and the blade with tape.
  
• Only glue one blade at the time!!
  
• The method leaves no possibility for disassembling the paddle later. Therefore it is impossible to adjust the length or the twist, or to replace a blade.
  
• There is one way to adjust later. You have to cut through the handle on the middle, and place a 20 cm junction inside. Buy the junction where you bought the paddle – it has to fit the inside diameter of the stick.
  The method can only be used once!!