Kenalu paddle question

[Caribsurf]

thanks Bill helpful advice... I'll give my paddles the torque test before I go to the trouble of re gluing them. 

I still remember testing your Ke Nalu prototype paddle 4 years ago during the CCBC..I have been a believer ever since.

[LM]

Just had a product info/assembly class on the Ke Nalu's with the staff at Paddle and Putt at St Simon's Island, Ga today (doing the same with the staff at Sunrise Surf Shop Jax Beach tomorrow)... The staff seemed amazed at the versatility and options of the component-based Ke Nalu's...
 Here's the main things to remember when assembling the paddles: Use a descent heat-gun (much faster than a hair dryer); Work slow and rotate the part/parts as NOT to overheat; When pressing parts together, make sure to insert slowly while twisting parts clockwise/counter-clockwise and make sure parts seat together COMPLETELY; Let parts cool to room temp BEFORE reheating to shave off the ring of excess glue (I use a 1 inch thin-bladed, metal putty knife to clean off the ring); Place a few wraps of a good grade electrical tape (3M 33+) to tidy up the joint...
 If you DO have an issue later on with water intrusion or loosening of the blade or handle, reheat and undo the parts. Clean out as much of the old (contaminated) glue as possible then use this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I1QA4G/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1406677935&sr

 This is the best hot-glue I've found for re-installing a blade or handle. It's a high-temp, high melt-point glue (I think its around 400F or higher) and has a very high adhesion factor with plastics and composites...                              Paddle on,     JD

Great advice overall JD but the 400 degree glue you mentioned scares me a bit if you ever want to reheat to remove a part, 400 degrees is pretty hot & I'd be worried about overheating the composites. The stuff we sell on our site http://kenalu.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=3&products_id=52 is great & formulated for use with composites with a 180 degree softening point (all the specs for it are listed on the site). I've never had a problem with it but I swap my stuff around a lot also so nothing really sits for too long. Following what you've mentioned & just making sure to get the glue spread around evenly inside the shaft should keep you from having any trouble. I do have one paddle that I've had since our beginning that's never been re-glued & it's still fine. it's had a lot of use in the past but doesn't get much now, it's mostly a "loaner" but the glue is 3 years old & still holding strong

[jdmotes]

No worries, Lane... I've never had a problem with this stuff nor taking parts apart after using. It just takes a few seconds of heating to soften - so they probably overstated their temp rating... You can relax now - vbg...