Getting two section paddles apart- saltwater corrosion -H..

External Since: Sep 11, 2004 Posts: 2

I borrowed my daughter's kayak which has paddles that come apart that I
didn't take apart and rinse after going into salt water. Now I can't get one
apart. Some corrosion inside. They are aluminum tubes that slide into each
other that are corroded.

Any ideas on some type of spray lubricant or other type of spray that I
could spray inside to see if that would help?

Also, I can't use much heat because paddles covered with plastic type
coating, but I am wondering if a hair dryer my help.

External Since: Sep 02, 2003 Posts: 281

"Rick and Frances Cansler" <rcans2.RemoveThis@kalama.com> wrote in message
news:67KdnRWB6ctymt7cRVn-vw@scnresearch.com...
> I borrowed my daughter's kayak which has paddles that come apart that I
> didn't take apart and rinse after going into salt water. Now I can't get
one
> apart. Some corrosion inside. They are aluminum tubes that slide into
each
> other that are corroded.
>
> Any ideas on some type of spray lubricant or other type of spray that I
> could spray inside to see if that would help?
>
>
>
> Also, I can't use much heat because paddles covered with plastic type
> coating, but I am wondering if a hair dryer my help.
>
>

Hmmm, a hair dryer cant hurt, but I think Aluminum doesn't expand much in
heat, so I wouldn't hope for much. If you DO use the hairdryer, first try to
cool off the tubes by packing ice around them, then quickly heat it so the
inside one stays cool, the outside one heats.

Or try using some WD40 right in the seam, then get a friend and each of you
pull apart. Not from separate sides: each of you hold a hand on each side of
the paddle (as if you were pulling alone) and pull. That works much better.
Even three people can pull.

Before you use the WD40, though, try leaving it in the bathtub for 10
minutes. There might just be salt condensed in the seam, which freshwater
will dissolve out.

good luck

--riverman