Recommended Adhesive for Carbon Fiber Trekking Pole Repair

[Bruce Tolley]

I have a pair of Komperdell (branded REI) CF poles. One of the carbide tips has come loose from swapping between summer and winter snow baskets.

The Komperdell website FAQ when translated from German into English recommends a tiny bit “multicomponent adhesive”: which I take to mean epoxy. Since these tips are replaceable if you break one, I wonder if epoxy is too permanent.

I have a bottle of Loctite Blue 242 removeable which I use my camera tripod which might work. What do folks recommend? One drop of Superglue?

[Erik G]

Yep, epoxy. I grabbed a little syringe of the Loctite 2-part instant mix variety from my local Lowe’s and used it on all joints of my MYOG trekking poles.

[Bruce Tolley]

Thanks Erik. Sounds like you were doing more than a repair.
Cheers!

[Sam Farrington]

Looked at the REI site and some old Komperdell carbon poles and am not sure from your OP just what material needs to be bonded to what other material.  Is it just the tiny piece of carbide that has come loose, or is it the metal in which the carbide is mounted that has come loose, or is it the whole tip assembly, which holds the basket and slips over the bottom section of the carbon pole tube, that has come loose?   The tip assembly looks to be either metal or some kind of polymer (high density plastic), which could be a real bear to bond.

Not knowing what materials are to be bonded, will just outline some more options:

If either or both of the materials is carbon fiber, please note that epoxies can weaken the compounds used in carbon fiber layups. The most notorious was the failure of a carbon fiber rudder of an airplane. Less so, was my initial use of epoxy to glue ferrules into carbon fiber arrow shafts to make tent poles. But with the latter I could see for myself the decomposition of the carbon fiber layup.

So, if the whole tip assembly if just loose from the carbon pole, you might try your Blue 242, which is a thread locker. This will not bond, just tighten..

So if there is any carbon fiber to be bonded, a cyanocrylic like Superglue is better.  But the problem with most cyanocrylic adhesives like Superglue is that they don’t stand up well to shock, and can crack and fracture. And the components on trekking pole ends receive a lot of shock.  But there is one cyanocrylic recommended by moderator Roger Caffin, that he has used to hold his alloy pack frames together because of its flexibility at the joints:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1007103762
https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-48040-Instant-Adhesive-Toughened/dp/B000HZOHHU

Also, please note that if it is metal-to-metal, such as the carbide tip to its metal mount, JB Weld, sold cheaply at Walmart is much better than other epoxies, even West System, because it contains tiny metal particles that greatly improve the bond.  Have tried this on alloy-to-alloy and it held where other epoxies failed.  But this might be more than you want, as you state you don’t want the bond to be “too permanent.”  If that is so, Roger’s choice might be better.

If the tip assembly is firmly mounted to the pole, and the desired bond is tip assembly to the metal mount and carbide tip, you might try the JB Weld here also.  If the metal does not bond to the tip assembly, then maybe try Roger’s choice of cyanocrylic.   If that doesn’t work, the tip assembly is probably a high density polymer, and you’d need to ask REI for some help.

Please note that “[M]ulticomponent adhesive” means any adhesive with two or more parts that are combined just before use, including epoxy; but there are also two-part urethane and other adhesives.

Hope this helps.

[Chris R]

If it is the plastic tip assembly that has come loose you could look at hot melt adhesive. I have carried a small stick in my repair kit on longer trips. Just melt the end with a flame and smear on to the pole before sliding the tip on. We have used it to stick the blade back on to a whitewater canoe paddle on one trip. I think it’s still in use today with no further repair.

A good epoxy to use is G-Flex by West. It’s made for boat repair. It’s flexible and can handle plastics as well as wood and composites.

[Bruce Tolley]

Thanks for all the comments

@ Sam
It is the whole tip assembly that has come loose which appears to be a high density plastic or synthetic rubber.

Komperdell recommends “multicomponent” adhesive. And the part is supposed to be replaceable. Komperdell recommends using a hair drier on hot to heat the tip to loosen the bond, and then pull the tip assembly off the pole. There is only a tiny smear of yellowish adhesive on the inside.

[Sam Farrington]

Bruce,
The newer Komberdell poles pictured on REI and on the older Komperdells I mentioned look very similar. If so, the carbon fiber tube forming the lowest section of your pole slides tightly into the tip assembly, which on my older poles are not rubbery. But the tip assembly rotates on the pole if enough forced is applied, as it must be in order to change the baskets. So I had to clamp a taped Visegrip around the tip assembly to immobilize it so that the baskets could be twisted out of their mounts and swapped out. If the tip assembly were rubbery, could not clamp them like that.

Sounds like Komperdell is talking about a heat release adhesive, and they can be bought on line that release at different temps. The reference to the hair dryer fits that theory. Still, think that your thread locker might work, but you would have to clean it out if it didn’t, which might be a pain. If you use the hair dryer and a heat releasable adhesive, be careful not to fry the basket mounts or the adhesive holding the carbide tip in place. Guess that means using an adhesive that releases at as low a temp as possible, yet also holds the tip assembly securely on really hot days or if desert hiking.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

The one adhesive/caulk that I know will glue just about any plastic is LEXEL clear caulk. It comes in standard caulk tubs or smaller squeeze tubes. I used it on my plastic sea kayak and it holds.

[Bruce Tolley]

Thanks everyone for helpful and detailed (especially Sam’s) comments.

It is indeed the (replaceable) hard plastic component that holds the tip that came loose. It came loose while I attempted to switch back to summer baskets after a November trip to Utah where it was snowing. I use these poles for airline travel because, once dissassembled, they fit into a 22 inch bag that I check. I really don’t want to carry along a vice grip although that is precisely the tool needed. I got some Locktite epoxy and will try that since the Komperdell web site recommends a multi-component adhesive to mount the replacement part. Hopefully, if I ever need to replace this part, the hair dryer or the hot water method will work to loosen the adhesive.

[Sam Farrington]

Bruce,
Am pretty sure that epoxies will not loosen with heat low enough to not destroy the carbon tube and perhaps the tip assembly as well. Epoxies use heat to cure, so are quite resistant to heat.

The 2 old Komperdell carbon poles I looked at have a lower pole section that tapers narrower as the tube approaches the bottom end. This jams into the pole assembly, and gets tighter the more you twist and push it. If your REI pole is the same design, it shouldn’t take much to secure the joint. If it is too much trouble to locate a heat release adhesive, your thread locker ought to work. If you use any epoxy I’ve ever seen, the joint will be forever, which might be OK if the design is the same as the old ones I looked at. But it might not if the epoxy weakens the carbon tube, which I’ve seen it do as noted earlier. A cyanocrylic (‘super glue’) is much less likely to weaken the carbon fiber, but unlike epoxy, will bond immediately on contact when you twist the carbon tube into the tip assembly. There are two-part urethanes that will not, and can be bought from Grainger or even online from Walmart:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/LOCTITE-563159-Poly-Adhesive-2-Part-Clr-50mL-Cartridge-Hysol-R-U-09FL-TM/193788539?

That would not bond on contact, so give you time to get it right; and should not weaken the carbon fiber, and you would be using a multi-component adhesive.

[Bruce Tolley]

Sam
Thanks. My Komperell poles are about 10 years old and tip component assembles to the lower part of the CF pole exactly as you describe.

The smear of glue that is inside the assembly looks like a thin smear of old yellowish “varnish.” I have ordered a tube of the 2 part urethane Loctite 563159.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Silicone adhesive will work as well as polyurethane (Gorilla Glue). If the surface is smooth and shiny, a light sanding will give it a little tooth.

I would only use epoxy to attempt to repair a cracked end and that is dicey as carbon fiber assemblies can splinter and run deep inside. That’s more of an issue with very light layups like a bike frame.

Locktite Blue really isn’t an adhesive and I wouldn’t expect it to do much other than tighten my wallet. Great for vibration prone threaded fasteners though. The Gorilla Glue would be fine and a 2-part adhesive shouldn’t be needed.

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