One of the eternal doubts when your favorite racket has been broken or damaged is to know if it is worth repairing the Padel racket. The question is easily answered if the racket was not excessively expensive: don't try to fix it, think ofa new racket . However, if the investment you made to buy it was high, it is best to remedy the breakage.
Usually, Padel players go to racket repair shops and services to fix their blades. Even so, there are also those who dare to repair the Padel racket in their own home. If your case is the second, pay attention to the following lines if you want to give your racket a second chance.
How to repair Padel rackets?
The repair case that we present below is carried out in blades that have suffered breaks in the face of the blade, for example, a fracture between several holes. Likewise, the case that we present is not a situation in which the fissure has affected the gum. If a deep break in the rubber occurs, you better think about renewing your Padel racket .
To deal with this repair of the surface, there are kits with all the products necessary to fix them.
sand the layer
The first step is to sand the damaged surface. Normally this step is done with an electric sandpaper, although it is also possible to do it with a small fine or extra-fine grain sandpaper. When the entire breaking surface is sanded, remove all the dust generated.
Prepare the repair patches
With the entire surface clean, trim enough carbon fiber or fiberglass cloth to cover the tear area. You can make a template to replicate the same cut.
Apply resin and fiber layers
Once all the fibers are trimmed, apply the Epoxy resin over the sanded area. When the entire layer is covered, add the first layer of fiber. This process will have to be repeated several times. Apply resin over the previous layer and add a new fiber patch. When the layers you have added equal or slightly exceed the surface, do not add more layers. Although it depends on the sanding thickness, three or four layers of fiber will be enough to cover the damage.
Click on the layers
To fix and make sure that all the layers adhere to the blade, you must press on the laminated area. What is pursued with this process is to press the resin so that the set of layers reduces its thickness.
If you don't have clamps to press on the racket, you can also use some heavy element and place it on top of the arrangement. But, be careful with the pressure, as you exceed the force on the blade you can deform it.
The estimated pressure time will depend on the manufacturer, read the instructions of your kit carefully and follow their recommendations.
remove excess resin
Once you remove the pressure pieces you will have to remove the remains of resin from the repaired area. Holes that have been covered by the resin are easily removed. First with a cutter or knife remove the resin and then add a little more glue on the edges of the holes and sand them to outline its finish.
Finally, we want to highlight that once the blade is repaired we will find a point with a different roughness and paint. Although the second aspect affects more aesthetically, the touch in the repaired place can affect hits with effects that hit that area. Likewise, the weight of the racket can be modified by adding more or less layers of fiber.
When is it worth fixing a Padel racket?
Fixing a Padel racket is worth it in the following situations:
- Cost: if the damaged racket has been expensive, it is worth repairing the Padel racket. On the other hand, if the racket has been relatively cheap, it may be more worthwhile to buy a new racket.
- Gravity: when the break in the face or the frame is practically superficial and has not reached the rubber, a simple fix with several layers of fiber and resins serve as a fix.
- Age: the rubber of the blades with hours and hours of use do not retain the same properties as the first day. If the blade that has been damaged is old, it is not worth fixing it.
Does a repaired Padel racket work the same?
After repairing the Padel racket, its operation will be the same as before as long as the repair has been done correctly and the crack has been completely covered. However, the weight can be altered with the repair and slightly modify the game. Another important aspect is roughness. If the face of the racket was rough, with the fix we will not recover that touch again, a condition that also affects the game.
