Any harm to a carbon paddle if I boil it?

[Dusk Patrol]

Q: WTH?
A: I've agreed to try to remove a handle from a neighbor's paddle. I'm assuming its epoxied on. With what kind I have no idea. I've read Zoners' attempts at using boiling water to loosen. This not being my paddle I want to first check with others' experience. I know carbon itself is heat resistant beyond 212 degrees, but the resins? Any experience of others appreciated.   

[DavidJohn]

I’ve done this a few times without any problems.

I think it safer than a heat gun.

[Bean]

DJ, I believe you introduced the zone to the boiling water method.

I would go as far as to say that if it does not come loose at a boil (212 F), it is probably not going to come off with a heat gun (without damage) anyway.  Hopefully it was glued or epoxied with a 5 min epoxy and it will pop right off for you.

[Dusk Patrol]

Thanks guys. That's good enough for me to make the attempt.

[Bean]

If nothing else, your neighbor will end up with a very clean handle

[Area 10]

I’ve boiled a couple that have been glued on with 5 min epoxy (Araldite). It didn’t do anything at all, despite being in there for about 30 mins in total (I kept pulling them out to see if the glue had loosened - it hadn’t).

But it’s worked for other people. The handles had acquired a patina, so were no longer all nice and shiny. But otherwise they seemed fine, and when I finally took pliers to the shaft to try to pull it off, they seemed as strong as ever (btw this didn’t work either, so I just bought new handles instead!).

I’m guessing that different brands of glue - and maybe even the same brand in different countries - have different properties. A friend of mine managed to get his handle off with a heat gun and he’d used a different 5 min epoxy, and only a tiny amount of it. Different handles have different fixtures too.

So it’s probably worth a try, depending on what the handle is made of.

[Bean]

Yes, anything more that a couple minutes in the boil will only serve to dry our the epoxy.  But, at that point, at least you know heat ain't gonna do it (and you order up a new handle).

[Dusk Patrol]

The goal is to shorten it for him. So the realistic way to look at it is that its useless as is, so might as well try.  Cutting it off and using a new handle will not be the end of the world. But I'll report as to the boiling attempt. 

[Califoilia]

Yeah, depending on how much shorter he wants it, but if you're going to cut below where the handle insert ends...I'd just cut it off, and see if you can cut down the length of the shaft with a Dremel wheel slowly, and careful just to the handle, and see if you can then pry/break the shaft parts away from the handle.

If you are able to get any or all of it off, a little sanding of the handle will probably be necessary to clean up some leftover epoxy, but might just be worth a try (or fun experiment if you have the time) since it sounds as though you've resigned yourself to buying a new handle anyway...whaddya got to lose? =)

[LBsup]

The goal is to shorten it for him. So the realistic way to look at it is that its useless as is, so might as well try.  Cutting it off and using a new handle will not be the end of the world. But I'll report as to the boiling attempt.

I attempted to do just that with the Werner Rip stick.  My reason was due to the Paddle handle taking in water.  I used the boiling water technique and had no luck removing the handle.  I was successful removing the handle using boiling water on a Kialoa Paddle.

[TallDude]

The goal is to shorten it for him. So the realistic way to look at it is that its useless as is, so might as well try.  Cutting it off and using a new handle will not be the end of the world. But I'll report as to the boiling attempt.

you can slice, peel and sand. Similar to this method... Works fine. Quick too.  wouldn't have the patience to try to boil it off.
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