Refinishing Carbon Fiber

[Swamp Fly 0]

I have a carbon fiber shafted kayak paddle that needs to be refinished.  It leaves my hands itchy whenever I use it.  I was thinking that after a light sanding to knock down the CF fuzz to apply some spar varnish. Is there a better option?

Swamp

[Poopdeck 0]

https://www.cliffcanoe.com/post/carbon-fiber-paddle-care
 

can’t vouch for it.

[mikechell 0]

I would recommend a good two part epoxy finish.  It'll be completely waterproof, smooth as glass and the carbon fiber will be covered completely.

It's a good way to seal off and protect anything.  But, it does need to be rotated constantly while setting up, or it will drip.  If done well, two part epoxy leaves a beautiful, durable finish.

[cphubert 0]

27 minutes ago, mikechell said:

good two part epoxy finish

The absolute way to refinish. use caution and gloves sanding carbon fiber, if you get a splinter from carbon, it will be almost impossible for you to remove as it breaks when you try to pull it. I have had a few when I was working, less than a pleasant experience. 

[Steeldrifter 0]

Just now, cphubert said:

use caution and gloves sanding carbon fiber, if you get a splinter from carbon, it will be almost impossible for you to remove as it breaks when you try to pull it.

Heed that advice! I can speak from experience on that one. Few years back I built a chassis from scratch for one of my RC trucks out of carbon fiber, and while cutting the CF sheet got a sliver from it in my finger. Drove me nuts for a couple weeks till it finally stopped bothering me.

[mikechell 0]

"Their bones are reinforced with naturally occurring carbon fiber."  Quaritch, during his orientation speech.

I wonder if they itch internally?

[cphubert 0]

not science fiction Carbon Fiber Biocompatibility for Implants - PMC (nih.gov)

[Swamp Fly 0]

Looks like I need to re-evaluate using an epoxy finish, I just did a quick search and it looks looks like UV inhibitors are pretty standard these days.  Last time I looked they weren't.

 

Carbon fiber splinters are not fun, that is why I need to re-finish.  The last couple of outings have left me with itchy on the verge of burning hands.  It has gotten bad enough that I remembered I need to do something about it while I am not on the water.  At home I usually just use the tape trick to get rid of that sort of thing but that doesn't work out on the water with wet hands even if I were to have tape with me.

 

Thanks

[flytire 0]

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

For years now I've been using graphite blanks for all of my rodcrafting - and using them in saltwater means I do a lot of replacing guides and re-finishing rods (usually between the three and five year mark for the guides  -but they're in hard commercial use so I take it in stride).  One particular brand of rod  blank has a tendency for the finish to go bad around the same time (I think of it as "sunburn" where the finish on the these inexpensive blanks begins to flake a bit towards the tip... Willing to experiment,  I decided to re-do one rod - with the finish removed - then sanded smooth and no finish at all... The rod is then re-wrapped with new guides, the thread wraps are FlexCoated  and after it all cures out properly... the unpainted blank is simply waxed thoroughly and polished off.  I've liked the results enough that I've been doing that same process on every re-wrap for my own rods.... If I'm re-doing a rod for someone else the rod blank will get finished but I've dispensed with that for my own gear and the only additional maintenance is to occasionally (every year or so) re-wax the unpainted surface...  and not one splinter to contend with... One or two of my heavier rods have been re-wrapped using this process at least three times over the years and are still in service...

 

The hard part in the re-working process is always stripping off the old finish (and here's a few items that might aid someone doing a paddle....).  My first step after removing the guides (using a single edge razor and trying not to mark the blank at all...) is to use that same worn blade to very carefully scrape away the existing finish - using the un-sharpened side of the blade - not the edge... This is time consuming work but well worth doing if you want a good surface to work with.  Once the blank is finish free I do a wet sanding routine to smooth it out and wet-sanding (using 3M Wet or Dry paper) is the only way to go if you want to avoid splinters and get good results.  I usually start with 220 grit, then 320, then 400 using a quarter sheet of paper, folded in thirds, wetted down in a small bowl of water and work from large diameter towards the much smaller tip end instead of going from small up to large... My sanding hand does not touch the blank - only the sand paper re-wetting it frequently so it's never dry.  When I'm satisfied the surface it smooth along the entire surface the rod is hosed off and allowed to dry before the new guides are wrapped in place..  All of my wet sanding takes place out of doors since it's a bit messy... 

Funny thing, I can remember years ago when British rod makers began calling their graphite rods "carbon fiber" - and of course charging more... Yes, the best most permanent finish for that paddle will be two part epoxy - and you can't go wrong with Awlgrip, Alexseal, Amerflynt, etc.  If there's a boat building or re-finishing outfit nearby it's not a stretch to find one and find out if they're willing to add your small part of one of their paint runs...  If it were me, knowing my paddle would take some abuse (understatement) I'd simply spray paint it with Krylon (for plastic surfaces) and know that touching it up occasionally would be very easy.  That's what we do with both fiberglass, graphite (carbon fiber), and hybrid (a mix of glass and graphite) pushpoles.  The big enemy of any of these materials is always UV from the sun rays - so we've learned to keep them covered (indoors if possible) when not in actual use (the same goes for anything in fiberglass or carbon fiber like your boat or fly rod.. Keep it out of the sun when not in use... Fishing rods, pushpoles and paddles have no sun protection and over time UV rays will cause the chemical bonds to deteriorate and the surface begin to de-laminate... resulting in splinters... 'nuff said...  One other minor point, working with any kind of fiberglass, carbon fiber, etc.  I'd avoid any heating if possible since heat will weaken those kinds of composites.... no matter how nice it is that heat will soften old finishes and make them much easier to remove... 

 

 

[Swamp Fly 0]

Thanks Bob.  I just received a 16oz epoxy kit.  Supposedly it has 2x UV protection, yeah right thank you marketing dept for making stuff up again.  I plan on hitting the shaft with some 320 and 400 grit paper and then using the epoxy almost as a wipe on finish.  I don't need strength just UV protection and while I don't want it to look horrible, spending effort on a pretty finish is a waste here.  I suspect the previous owner left it outside under a tree together with the canoe for years.  I will at the very least store the paddle under the canoe.  If this works out I may treat a fiberglass pushpole I own this way too.  I'll add some light-ish colored pigment to the epoxy for that..I don't like black pushpoles, they looks great but get hot enough here that I just about drop them when in full sun.  I have to dunk them in the water to cool them down.  In fact I may do the same to this paddle after it is apparent that the finish is working out.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Any pole can get hot in your hands under hard sun conditions…  no matter what color it is.  Many years ago I learned to simply swap ends and keep poling to wet down the surface and cool it off.. I reserve dunking for my hat in July or August ( and encourage my angler to do the same when I can see they’re beginning to wilt on slick calm days).   Shake that hat to lose as much water as possible then back on your head for instant relief… 

After only using a pushpole for years and years, two years ago I broke down and got my first trolling motor to be able to keep guiding… but I’m still poling when we’re sight fishing…