MThockeydad

2nd set of skating stitches in 8 months. Skated all the way across town (4+ mi) and then my inline wheel grabbed a crack in the street outside my house. ER is costing me more to skate than ice time!!

http://modsquadhockey.com/forums/index.php/topic/66590-diy-gear-repair-restore/

You have absolutely no idea. If I can build it, I will! I tore out the inner plastic mold release liner and scuffed the inside of the shaft with some 60gr sandpaper so the epoxy would have something to bond to. A doubled-up piece of camping pad foam. I really only needed it to press the CF against the inside of the shaft. I also pushed plugs of the same ethafoam into the shaft so the epoxy wouldn't run away from the CF before curing. I cut the foam to the inside dimensions of the shaft. One piece was too thin, so I hot glued two pieces (1/2 x 1.25" x 4" long) together to get it thick enough. Wrapped that with the dry CF and then wrapped the cf with some cheapo sewing thread to compress it smaller than the hole in the shafts. I then saturated the CF and brushed some more inside the shaft and stuffed the plug in. Once it was in both halves, I snipped the thread, which unraveled and let the foam press the CF against the shaft. I clamped it straight and let it cure overnight. The outside was easier--ground into an hourglass shape so the CF was tapered and epoxy/taped it as described above. Sanded smooth and another topcoat of epoxy. I have absolutely no idea. I scrounged some scraps from the composite materials lab at my university 18 years ago. REALLY heavy triaxial (0/45/-45) with the 0 parallel to the shaft. US Composites 635 thin epoxy with medium hardener--leftover from some boatbuilding projects. http://www.uscomposites.com/epoxy.html This probably deserves its own thread!

JB Weld is an epoxy, but not all epoxies are alike. JB weld has thickeners and fillers so it doesn't sag and run. You will need a laminating epoxy with no thickeners or fillers so it wets out the CF. Also, most consumer epoxies have really poor heat resistance. Bake the boot first, then add your epoxy/cf. I pulled a broken Supreme TotalONE LE stick out of the trash at the local rink and made a foam plug, wrapped CF around the plug, stuffed it inside the stick, and clamped it straight until the epoxy cured. I then sanded down the outside of the stick so the original break wasn't a clean line (more of a ramp--reduce the "stress riser") and wrapped the outside with CF, then wrapped it tightly with electrical tape. Flex might not be PERFECT but when flexing it, it's neither a weak spot (too much bend) or a flat spot (too strong). Figured it would be a good backup stick. It turned into my go-to stick. :)

I haven't been on the ice in 7 weeks. Ice is going back in, I should be able to skate in another week or so. Woot!!

Me, too. :( It's waking me up at night.

Don't feel selfish. Feeling overwhelmed, scared, frustrated, and heartbroken is human. Better than hiding your emotions and blowing up somewhere in the future. Do give her your shoulder and all the support you can. That's awesome. Do find someone you can talk to so you don't have to bottle it up. With something like that, it's OK to hurt, and it's OK to get it off your chest. It takes a strong person to realize they can't shoulder it alone. ^^^wisdom.

Spent the 4th in a small town in Montana. Classic Americana, hasn't changed in the 20 years since I was there as a kid, probably hadn't changed in the 40+ years before that. Street dance, parade, rodeo, picnics in the park. Spent Saturday at a friend's daughter's wedding, so more dancing to be had with my 12 and 10 year-old daughters. I'm not at all ready to even think about giving either of them away, but it's fun to be their Daddy. :)

If we win, I get a beer or two after the game, then I go home tired and hungry. If we lose, I get a beer or two after the game, then I go home tired and hungry.

Guess I lucked out this year in my first year of playing leagues. We had pairs (or 3) of each RW, LW, and sometimes 2 centers, and 2 lines of D. None of us are hardcore enough to have "line chemistry", but we did have good enough "team chemistry" to have a lot of fun as a team. Captain did an awesome job of both "rallying the troops" and keeping it fun. It's all about fun, exercise, camaraderie, and ice time. Sounds like a sucky team for you, Optimus. :(

I don't know about that... I am not a runner, and I did a 21:52 5k last month. Three 7-minute miles. And the last mile was total hockey-style hustle-rest-repeat: sprint 1min, walk 30sec, sprint 1min, walk 30sec. :lol: Did you know there's actually a "run-walk method for distance running? http://www.jeffgalloway.com/ I wonder if Jeff Galloway is actually a hockey player? A buddy of mine was training to do a half marathon this spring and figured that "hockey fit" wasn't going to cut it; I think he put it off another year. True. You also find yourself actually researching sports nutrition.

Not good, Chadd. Best wishes for a good outcome and full recovery, and no funny bidness from the insurance.

Keep your chin up. It's not the end of the world.

Yeah and there are probably only 30 adult goalies in Montana. har har. I wonder how awful shipping would be...hmmm...stuff them in a golf bag and use Sports Express. :) My biggest concern would be getting a good fit not knowing what dimension I need.

Thanks Badger. I probably will. A big part of the reason I'm loving hockey so much right now is the learning curve...and that will simply be that much more to learn about. Both rinks have loaner gear available...as long as the leg pads aren't waaay too short (I'm 6'-6"!)

You guys suck. I'm tempted. My youngest daughter started playing goalie this season, and it would also be good to see the ice from her perspective. Two of my c-league friends borrowed pads for the last drop-in of the season this spring and had a blast. Neither of them was too bad, either.

:( The worst day in a dog lover's life. :( Sorry badger_14

I coached my daughters' volleyball teams through April after their hockey season and my hockey league were over. The next town still has ice in, and my youngest daughter and I jumped into a "Power Skating for Hockey Players" class put on by the local figure skating coach. I can definitely say it was well worth the $13/session. Hockey players think about the opposing team, setting up plays, the blue line, shifting, puck handling...and skating. Figure skaters only focus on skating and don't wear pads to do it, go figure they're better skaters.

Depends on the rink and what their liability insurance makes them do. Adults can sign their own waiver. We're trying to figure out if we can have organized house-league program at our rink next winter for kids who haven't kept up with the people their age who are on the competitive travel teams. We assume at a minimum they need a USA Hockey membership.

Franko, first of all, you sound like a fairly mature kid. I can't see my 12 coming up on 13 daughter writing a post so well. From a parent's perspective, "If Mom says no, ask dad" sounds like a bad idea...but if you really want to play hockey, you have to get over the hurdle of your mother. Dumb question--are your parents separated or just not talking with each other about this issue? You need to get all your facts in line. If you can have the conversation with both of them at the same time it would be best. If you can't get them in the same room at the same time, focus on Mom. Explain to her that hockey is excellent exercise. I can't think of another winter sport that offers as much conditioning as hockey. Certainly not skiing or playing video games. Hockey is also one of the fastest sports you can play, summer or winter. Instead of developing incredible hand-eye coordination playing video games, wouldn't she rather you develop those skills playing hockey? Basketball, baseball, football, and soccer will feel easy after a couple of seasons on the ice. Teamwork: there are a lot of team sports that stress teamwork, but in hockey, you really must be in the right place in the right time, and trust your teammates to do the same. I won't lie to you. Checking in Bantams and up is one of the scariest things a parent can contemplate. If you were my son, I'd have a serious conversation with you about it. A couple of serious concussions could mess you up for life. If the house league is a no-check league, I wouldn't hesitate to give you my 100% approval.

I was such a dork as a yout that I hardly even had the opportunity to get friendzoned! (not much has changed. haha) I'm really glad I'm approaching the 4, as is my wifey. Pretty sure I'd kill the 20 year-old her...then again, she today would definitely murder the 20 year-old me. It's good to have matured together. Women in their 30's are awesome. They know how shit works and they're not afraid to tell you...without drama.

Start chasing cougars. Of course, they'd be cougars to you. They'd look young to me. haha. Don't worry about finding the right one until the women your age develop brains. Be the kind of man that women (good women) want to be with. Not a dick, not a doormat. Then use the stuff you learned from the cougars and rock her world.

Sounds like you're friendzoned. Don't overthink it. Having a great birthday is up to YOU. Did you do anything fun? You must be a great catalyst! ;)

My youngest cousin and her husband came to MT from Texas over her spring break (she's a 4th grade teacher) for some skiing. Too bad the cold weather left last week. They're going to have some spring corn/slushy conditions. On the bright note, he grew up in Wisconsin and went to school at Michigan Tech. I borrowed gear for him and took him to drop-in last night. For not having skated much in the 3 years they've lived in Texas, he is GOOD! Too bad they don't live closer.

Ice on our local (outdoor) rink goes out next week. :( It's been a great season.