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How to fit a grip to your paddle (ZRE carbon palm grip)
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This process is easy to undertake - don’t rush it and make sure you are setting the right size. It applies to fitting a carbon palm grip to a ZRE SUP, dragon or canoe paddle. It does not apply to Merlin paddles - due to the special due required for Merlin paddles we do not recommend you adjust these yourself. Any problems with fitting a grip just drop us an email for advice.
Materials
- Glue - we recommend Devcon epoxy - 2 part resin/hardener which sets in 5 minutes
- Something to mix the epoxy on - clean piece of card for example
- Fine toothed hand saw or a hand saw with a carbide blade
- Masking tape
- Marker pen
- Tape measure
- Protection - face mask, gloves and eye protection
- Insert the grip into the shaft tube and push it in firmly. The grip is designed so your fingers roll over the top with the bulk of the grip resting in your palm.
- Lay a steel measuring tape straight from the bottom of the blade to the top of the grip. Determine the length you want and add 1/8 inch for the grip to seat.
- Write down your measurements.
a. Length of uncut paddle, blade to grip, in inches = _____
b. Desired length of finished paddle. in inches + 1/8 inch = _____
c. Subtract b from a to get amount you need to cut off shaft = _____
- Pull the grip back out. Measure down the shaft the distance you noted in 3 (c). This is the point where you will cut the shaft tube.
- Wrap some tape (e.g., duct, electrical, masking) around the shaft at the point where the cut is to be made. You want to be cutting into the tape so you may want to re-measure and mark on the tape.
- Cut the shaft using a fine-toothed saw. It is best to cut from one side then turn the shaft around to finish from the other side to minimise splitting of the carbon.
- Sand the inside of the shaft reaching down about 1-2 inches. Taper the inside of the shaft in a funnel-like fashion, so the shaft is thinnest at the open end. You can use a Dremel or similar tool to speed this process up but don’t remove too much of the shaft.
- Clean the sanded material out of the shaft - tip it upside down to ensure any pieces are out. Push the grip firmly back in and measure the paddle again.
- If the measurement is correct, pull the grip back out and give the shaft and grip a good clean with a cloth.
- Cover the portion of the grip that will be inserted in the shaft with an epoxy glue. Devcon 5-minute epoxy works well. Insert the grip into the shaft.
- Wipe off excess glue. Line the grip up with the blade.
- Allow the paddle to dry before using it.
- To get a nice smooth finish you can use a narrow strip of sandpaper to take away the edge from the top of the shaft.
- Final thing, a spray of clear lacquer will cover any small sanding marks you may have made.
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