Can't separate aluminium paddle sections

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eddystone

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I am trying to separate two halves of an aluminium paddle, the sort with spring loaded buttons which engage in holes in the other part. I know dismantling fluid like PlusGas doesn't work on non-ferrous. Any ideas?
 
Maybe some ideas here?

Kayak Paddle Stuck Together? This Is How To Get It Apart

https://www.paddlinglight.com › articles › technique › kayak-paddle-stuck...
Having a kayak paddle stuck together annoys even paddlers with zen-like patience. Often fine sand that causes the problem. The easy solution is to ...

The stuck paddle challenge… – ShireKayaking.Info
http://shirekayaking.info/2017/01/21/the-stuck-paddle-challenge/
Jan 21, 2017 - So your split paddle is stuck fast and wont come apart? It seems to happen about once a year that I end up with a split paddle that can't be ...
Missing: pole ‎| ‎Must include: ‎pole

2-piece paddle shaft won't pull apart :: Builders' Forum ...

https://www.clcboats.com › forum › thread
Aug 30, 2010 - I have an old paddle with a metal shaft that is totaly stuck together. I have tried many applications of WD-40, but nothing has worked. Any idea
 
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Boiling water... just keep pouring it over and into the join.

Took me at least a dozen kettle fulls of boiling water over a few evenings to get a prop off a small outboard in this way but it got there eventually.

If you feel like giving up, just keep hoping. Ooops typo - should have been 'keep going'...
 
Another thing you can do is use a rubber strap oil filter wrench on each half. No damage and allows lots of leverage.
 
I've heard that, too. I don't know whether it is true.

My (possibly incorrect) understanding is that the boiling water will not dissolve the oxide (or whatever it is) bonding the two parts together, but by heating the outer part only (or mainly), the differential expansion between the two parts weaken or breaks the internal bonding of the oxide. Once the two parts are separated, the oxide can be abraded away.

This thread is timely for me, as I have an extendable aluminium boathook that has seized. I hope others can shed more light on the issue.

I couldn't find the two of the 'paddle' articles linked to above, and the other related to a seized GRP paddle, not an aluminium one (though the 'brute force' techniques described may still come in handy!).
 
I don't believe in applying any 'miracle fluid'. What worked for me when I had similar paddles was to tap (lightly) round the neck with a rubber mallet while holding the thing upright with the blade part uppermost. The amount of dry white powder that drops out through the hole in the rubber stopper at the end of the 'loom' is impressive. After separating the two parts clean them well using a bit of rough cloth and then apply a thin smear of grease on the mating part to delay further trouble.
The 'permanent' solution is to invest in a pair of good wooden two-part oars, preferably made of ash (because the cheap ones made of beech have a nasty habit of warping).
 
PuffTheMagicDragon said:
The 'permanent' solution is to invest in a pair of good wooden two-part oars, preferably made of ash (because the cheap ones made of beech have a nasty habit of warping).
Click to expand...

The last pair of oars I got with an Avon have an articulation made of plastic. They have lasted about 20 years and are a great improvement one the old metal ones.
 
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