Torch your Carbon

[docar15 1]

With deals on composites all over the place, has anybody tried torching a composite blade? I have been having great luck with z-carbon, but they are not true all composite. Any experiences, troubles, etc.?

[habsfan87 0]

If you're talking about heating and curving it I only tried it once with an old blade/curve I didn't like (the cheapest easton one at the time, sold at canadian tire, maybe 5-6 years ago) and it went to crap pretty quick. I'm sure there are ways/methods of doing it and not sacrificing integrity as much, but I think either way it's going to be weaker.

[docar15 1]

Calisse, I was afraid that would be the case. I have gotten spolied of good luck I had with Easton z-carbon combo woodies, and thought I would try my hand at all plastic. I like to take the Forsberg and add about a quarter on the toe. I also tried adding a little less then a quarter to a Sakic and closing it down. It comes out very illegal but it snaps like its on PMS.

[Vermette20 0]

I have done this with 2 brand new composit blades. The blades were made by Par Crow ( My LHS at the time was pushing a new brand of sticks and blades). Anyhow the Blade was a Modano Curve, and was complete composite ( none of that foam core or waffle cone stuff etc..) I didnt use a torch, you have to use a heat gun like used in the Auto repair industry, after heating I did a bit of twisting to open the curve up a bit, ran it under cool water, and repeated till I got the results I wanted. Being a composite, you cant go too far with the modifications, or the blade will break, but moderate adjustments were fine. No problems with the durability afterwards, hell I still have one around after 1 year. So I guess its safe to say it can be done, but depending on the blade materials, the kind of heat you use and how much you plan to curve the blade.

Hope this helps,

Casey

[Jarick 5]

I'll have to give that a shot if I ever find a cheap composite blade. Just a bit of toe on a Forsberg...

[dangle 0]

I'll have to give that a shot if I ever find a cheap composite blade. Just a bit of toe on a Forsberg...

:D my thoughts exactly! I'll have to try the same. that'd be money

[docar15 1]

This is a killer, our LHS has 2007 Easton Z-Carbon woodies on sale for $9.99. I got three of them. Adding about a quarter on it Forsberg is my new gun of choice. The fact that z-carbon hybrid blades are little thinner then wood helps a bit too.

Wish I could upload a pick.

I'll have to give that a shot if I ever find a cheap composite blade. Just a bit of toe on a Forsberg...

[ashtonhutch05 0]

Hah I had a little fun in the garage with a heatgun yesterday, and ended up having mixed reviews. I tried to give everything the same curve, that sick Kovy toe hook. Wood Sher-Wood worked flawlessly, idk what curve it was, some very mild heel. Then a Vector 110 Thorton, it worked pretty good, slight crack appeared where I bent it, no biggie. Then a Mission Hull L2 blade, huge crack, and same with a mission pro stock blade, also a moderate heel curve. Good thing I had no use for them anyway haha. I'll post pics soon.

I think I'll just buy a bunch of Sher-Wood 5030's in the Coffey pattern and give them a lot more toe, that's what seemed to work the best for me yesterday....

EDIT: That Vector is not carbon btw, just FYI.

[Jarick 5]

I need to find a vice. I have a couple of those L-2 blades that have started cracking and going soft. Might be fun.

[VECHKIN08 0]

I'll have to give that a shot if I ever find a cheap composite blade. Just a bit of toe on a Forsberg...

I actually did this recently. I had an old Easton ST blade that I basically used for outdoor hockey. I've seen players tamper with their blades so I figured I'd give it a shot. I love the forsberg/modano curve and it's the only one I'll use. So I took the Forsberg ST blade and a blow torch and went to town. I basically winged it and heated the blade until it was hot enough to bend. I put more toe hook on the blade, not a lot just enough to make it hook. I LOVE the curve that it made. The only problem was I seemed to have compromised the carbon-fiber weave. I like the the new curve but definitely would NOT try it on a high end stick. It was fun to mess around with a blow torch though. I can try and take a pic of my work if I have a chance.

[habsfan87 0]

This is a killer, our LHS has 2007 Easton Z-Carbon woodies on sale for $9.99. I got three of them. Adding about a quarter on it Forsberg is my new gun of choice. The fact that z-carbon hybrid blades are little thinner then wood helps a bit too.

Wish I could upload a pick.

I've tried to curve the wood z-carbons before, was one of the synthesis ones, still was stable afterwords but try not to make the face crack and peel.

[docar15 1]

Like anything, it simply takes practice, with z-carbon I found to trick to be not to over heat and use a colder part of the flame. If you have access to auto-body shop, would probably works even better as you will have a larger and cooler temp flame.

This is a killer, our LHS has 2007 Easton Z-Carbon woodies on sale for $9.99. I got three of them. Adding about a quarter on it Forsberg is my new gun of choice. The fact that z-carbon hybrid blades are little thinner then wood helps a bit too.

Wish I could upload a pick.

I've tried to curve the wood z-carbons before, was one of the synthesis ones, still was stable afterwords but try not to make the face crack and peel.

[Vermette20 0]

Guys,

The Blade I used to do the heating on can be found here. My LHS at the time was trying to push these new sticks and blades etc.. Actually the sticks arent too bad, I had a shaft and blade combo which worked pretty good.

http://www.ovalutionhockey.com/

Casey

[Nealoc187 10]

I may try this on a virtually brand new Easton Z-carbon CNT Lidstrom this weekend. Obviously this blade has a lot of loft, and I've used this curve in other blades (Bauer's P02 is equivalent, and Inno's Jovanovski) and I am able to keep it down OK with those, but I took about 30 shots tonight in warmups and the pickup game and I couldn't keep this thing down for the life of me. I love the length of the blade and the big square toe, just don't like the loft. So I may try to do something about it since I'll lose my ass if I try to re-sell it on ebay.

I've never heated a blade before but I've got quite a bit of experience manipulating other things by applying heat from a torch or heat gun, so it might work out - we'll see.

[docar15 1]

If you need a vice to hold the blade you are not heating it enough.

I use my garage door and/or folding alum ladder between the radders. If your blade is cracking, you are heating one part only and not heating the whole or most of the blade.

Just a tip from an old cooder. I have found that for easton z-carbon, you need the coldest part of the flame. Shrwood woodies take a bit more, but will delaminate if overheated. Also, it is better, in my opinion, to heat it up, try it, and if you do not feel the blade give, heat it again instead of pressing it harder. When the blade gives, after a couple of tries you will feel it and will become a pro. Forcing it only works in rough carpentry, and we are talking highest grade woodworking here people :-O.

Less then 15 years ago, when there was not such an abundance of blades to choose from, most of the better college players torched their sticks. You find a proper lie and rocker, then make the stick your own.

By the way, if you have a chance, check out Stan Makita's original banana. That was a real half moon. I would think it was probably an inch and a half if not more. I got a picture of young (still had most of his teeth) Ovechkin holding it in Leningrad museum. PM me and I can email it to you. Not sure how to upload the pics here. Sorry.

Hah I had a little fun in the garage with a heatgun yesterday, and ended up having mixed reviews. I tried to give everything the same curve, that sick Kovy toe hook. Wood Sher-Wood worked flawlessly, idk what curve it was, some very mild heel. Then a Vector 110 Thorton, it worked pretty good, slight crack appeared where I bent it, no biggie. Then a Mission Hull L2 blade, huge crack, and same with a mission pro stock blade, also a moderate heel curve. Good thing I had no use for them anyway haha. I'll post pics soon.

I think I'll just buy a bunch of Sher-Wood 5030's in the Coffey pattern and give them a lot more toe, that's what seemed to work the best for me yesterday....

EDIT: That Vector is not carbon btw, just FYI.

[cbart 1]

procurve

worth it's weight in gold for the do-it-yourselfer. Had mine for over 5 years now...

[malcb33 99]

CBart do you think you could post some better pictures of the pro curve? I am really interested in this?

[cbart 1]

pmed you

[ashtonhutch05 0]

:( blade

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