Hi, I'm planning on trying to make my own carbon fiber paddle and was wondering about how many layers and what weight/thread count is advisable for the shaft. Also if I use kevlar or a hybrid on for the blades can I get away with it just being a couple if layers thick? right now I'm mostly trying for something to use in PnP situations so its not the end of things if it brakes. Thanks in advance for any opinions.

Fiberglast.com has woven tubes made from kevlar, carbon, and fiberglass. I'm looking at doing the same thing. Any ideas on how to mold the blades?

I'm basically guessing my way through the process. I saw the woven tubes but I've decided pull pour foam molds for the core and just wrap the fabric around that. Also I'm guessing the carbon shafts are atleast three fabric layers thick anyways. Right now I'm working on finishing the fiberglass mold for that process. For the blades I intend to do something like this rollordrown.com/kayak/paddle.html

But I'll probably sand a form out of foam or soft wood to lay the fabric on for drying so it has form I'm looking for. I'm basically designing the foam core to look like the wood shaft that is in this example.

FYI
these are the best fabric prices i've found for small amounts. They even have 4oz zylon for $35 a yard
stores.shop.ebay.com.my/cjcompositestechnology__W0QQ_armrsZ1

layering carbon weave over a foam blank for a paddle blade is not a very good way to make the blade. It will be aquite a thick blade when you are finished and not wel bonded to the blank.

Will you vacuum bag it or pressure cure it?

The way I would go about this is to take a mould i plaster of paris from an existing paddle.
Lay the cloth up into the mould to desired thickness, carefully wetting each layer of cloth before applying the next. Then assemble your mould preferably with screws and bake at constant temp of 40C for 3 days.

remove and trim the edges.

if you can make an aluminium mould, even better.

The method you are proposing will not make a strong balde at all and you may as well use glass fibre

Sounds like you are wasting time, money (lots!) and a lot of carbon/kevlar material here.

Why would you build a paddle from scratch? If it is a new design, start with a wooden one. Lots easier to shape and try. If things work out and you have your perfect shape, start making a mold (plaster of paris, polyester or even aluminium) and build a prototype. I would buy shafts. Chances are you will fail to produce a decent strong and lighweight shaft, let alone for those 50 - 70 euro's a new shaft (carbon or carbon kevlar) will cost you.

Have a look at the Jimistyx blades: www.rivrstyx.com/ (Good quality) Wood is strong, very strong. And a lot warmer in cold times than aluminium or even carbon.

You can always mix different construction techniques, the one in the page you found looks promising. Simply soaking some fabric and wrapping it around a shape won't produce anything worthwhile I am afraid.

Thanks for the advice. it would be well be worth it to try making blades first and attaching them to an airplane grade spruce shaft. It would be a a good half step for me. I've been messing around with hallow shaft basswood paddles which is finally going okay. As for other concerns, this is obviously a waste of time, money, and materials. Tragically these themes have come to define my very being. Changing now will only cause an identity crises.

Surly07 wrote:As for other concerns, this is obviously a waste of time, money, and materials. Tragically these themes have come to define my very being. Changing now will only cause an identity crises.

Erm, I dunno but have you ever heard of the term "pollution"? I know you're trying to sound cool but you are in fact wasting materials people could actually put to good use and which do not grow on trees.

Don't get me wrong, it is perfectly fine to mess around with resin and fabrics but why don't you learn how to properly do this sort of thing first? Learn about working with resin and fabrics, how they actually work etc.

Granted, it is my own opinion but I think paddlers should set an example by being responsible and not wasting stuff. Because this way, in the end you will have a lousy paddle that is probably unsafe to use on a river (and you will probably not use it).

If you learn how to work with resin etc. it is a lot more fun and you can actually make/fix/modify gear to suit your personal needs. I myself am a gear tinkerer but I try to keep loss of materials to a minimum by using the appropriate materials for what I am trying to do. And if it is better/easier/cheaper to buy parts I do just that.

But then again, I am not very cool and just an old fart who has been paddling for most of his life

carbon fibre tubing is actually quite readily available from companies like Courtaulds, Easton, carbonfibretubes.co.uk and many many more. Pointless reinventing the wheel since tooling costs for making a tube are quite high. You'll require a mandrel or more cheaply a polyurethane foam shaft over which you can wrap the cloth.
Most tubes are filament wound but a woven cloth layup is possible but there is a lot of material in there doing nothing so it's really a waste.

save for the sh*ts and giggles of this project, I don;t really see the point of it unless you're wanting to get to a level where you can build a small sideline business.

Off the shelf parts will probably be cheaper, less hassle.


As for wrapping wood shafts and blades.....why? wood has such a beautiful grain and feel. why would anyone want to cover that in carbon fibre. It's like taking a solid wood guitar and wrapping it in veneer...

Just remember, a decent carbon paddle blade with adequate stiffness will require a pressure mould of sorts to achieve a usable finished product.