At the Delmarva Paddler's Retreat, someone mentioned that a graphite paddle could be hand-made by making a Greenland stick out of either balsa wood or foam, then coating it with graphite. [This gives the impression that heat is not needed.] Question: Where do you find graphite in a liquid form, such it can be applied like a paint or a resin? If I can get a particular product name, I should be able to contact the manufacturer to find out how to work with it. Niels *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 11:07 PM 1/11/02 -0500, Niels Kistrup wrote: >At the Delmarva Paddler's Retreat, someone mentioned that a graphite paddle >could be hand-made by making a Greenland stick out of either balsa wood or >foam, then coating it with graphite. [This gives the impression that heat is >not needed.] > > >Question: Where do you find graphite in a liquid form, such it can be applied >like a paint or a resin? If I can get a particular product name, I should be >able to contact the manufacturer to find out how to work with it. I am just guessing here but I can't imagine liquifying graphite fiber. The more likely procedure would involve carving the paddle out of balso or some other soft wood, laying on graphite fiber cloth over the wood and filling in the weave with epoxy resin. It would be fairly easy to do if one constructed the paddle leaving the balsa blank inside. It would also be possible to coat the balsa blank with mold release or thin plastic and layup one side at a time and then put them together without a wood core. Seems like a lot of work. BTW, Ross Liedy has done quite a bit of work with carbon fiber cloth for cockpit combings. He could probably provide a source for graphite cloth (check out his website to get his email address at http://ross.secant.com). Look at the section on building the Outer Island and you'll find a link which shows how he contructed the cockpit combing using carbon fiber cloth. BTW, I just finished getting the forms all attached and aligned for the Outer Island I'm building last night. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I know who you're talking about. His name is Bill Whitcomb. I have tried his paddle, and it is super light. Makes a cedar paddle feel heavy. He doesn't use liquid carbon, he uses linear carbon fiber, and epoxies it onto the core material, much like fiberglass. You could also use woven carbon fiber cloth, too. What you can do, though is mix graphite powder into the epoxy coat that goes on top of everything to make the entire paddle one color. It also adds some abrasion resistance. Might also give the visual impression that the carbon was a liquid. It makes for a light, strong paddle. Wayne -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ Wayne Smith wsmith16_at_snet.net Check out my sea kayaking & homebrewing page: http://pages.cthome.net/wsmith16/home.html *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Wayne Smith provided me with the name of the guy that I (probably) talked to at DPR; Bill Whitcomb. I'll contact him first & see how things go. For all I know, I might be getting in over my head. (Putting computers is one thing, playing with sharp tools & potentially allergenic substances (epoxies) is another matter. <g>) Thanks for your help, Ross will be '2nd opinion' man. Niels > At 11:07 PM 1/11/02 -0500, Niels Kistrup wrote: > >At the Delmarva Paddler's Retreat, someone mentioned that a graphite paddle > >could be hand-made by making a Greenland stick out of either balsa wood or > >foam, then coating it with graphite. [This gives the impression that heat is > >not needed.] > > > > > >Question: Where do you find graphite in a liquid form, such it can be > applied > >like a paint or a resin? If I can get a particular product name, I should be > >able to contact the manufacturer to find out how to work with it. > > I am just guessing here but I can't imagine liquifying graphite fiber. The > more likely procedure would involve carving the paddle out of balso or some > other soft wood, laying on graphite fiber cloth over the wood and filling > in the weave with epoxy resin. It would be fairly easy to do if one > constructed the paddle leaving the balsa blank inside. It would also be > possible to coat the balsa blank with mold release or thin plastic and > layup one side at a time and then put them together without a wood core. > Seems like a lot of work. BTW, Ross Liedy has done quite a bit of work > with carbon fiber cloth for cockpit combings. He could probably provide a > source for graphite cloth (check out his website to get his email address > at http://ross.secant.com). Look at the section on building the Outer > Island and you'll find a link which shows how he contructed the cockpit > combing using carbon fiber cloth. BTW, I just finished getting the forms > all attached and aligned for the Outer Island I'm building last night. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
John & Wayne seem to agree with you. Plus, graphite cloth makes more sense, based on what little I know about kevlar & fiberglass. Niels > I think you'd be looking for a graphite fiber cloth rather than a liquid form > of graphite. It is formed more like fiberglass with a cloth coated with > resin rather than applied like a paint. > > Search around on the net, there are numerous suppliers of graphite fiber > cloth. > > Glenn > > On Friday 11 January 2002 11:07 pm, you wrote: > > At the Delmarva Paddler's Retreat, someone mentioned that a graphite paddle > > could be hand-made by making a Greenland stick out of either balsa wood or > > foam, then coating it with graphite. [This gives the impression that heat > > is not needed.] > > > > Question: Where do you find graphite in a liquid form, such it can be > > applied like a paint or a resin? If I can get a particular product name, I > > should be able to contact the manufacturer to find out how to work with it. > > > > Niels *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I have Bill's E-mail address, so I give him a shout. Superior Kayak makes a graphite paddle, but I was told that the shape is wrong & the shaft is too thick. Niels > I know who you're talking about. His name is Bill Whitcomb. I have tried > his paddle, and it is super light. Makes a cedar paddle feel heavy. > > He doesn't use liquid carbon, he uses linear carbon fiber, and epoxies it > onto the core material, much like fiberglass. You could also use woven > carbon fiber cloth, too. What you can do, though is mix graphite powder > into the epoxy coat that goes on top of everything to make the entire > paddle one color. It also adds some abrasion resistance. Might also give > the visual impression that the carbon was a liquid. > > It makes for a light, strong paddle. > > Wayne *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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