PinkApe404

Yes a "DIY Repair / Restore" thread is long over due. Feel like pasting it over into a new thread and finally letting us see the pictures?

I was googling around and found some design images of the Easton Mako Skates posted by Will Keegan on his Behance profile ( I believe he is a product designer for Easton Bell Sports) ... Thinking if I should email him and tell him I'm a hopeless and nasty gear slut who is looking to mod out my skates and he is needed on this thread .. What a sick job this guy must have especially if he plays Hockey too.. I would equate that to ummmmm... winning the lottery!?!?!?!?!?! What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall when new prototypes are rolled out .. Check this out - https://www.behance.net/gallery/8305497/Easton-Mako-Hockey-Skates 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. :) You give new meaning to the term someone's trash is another man's treasure. What did you use as foam ? Which K CF did you use? What Epoxy did you use? Why have you been hiding this from us and where are the pictures.. show it off!!!!!!!

agreed - but then how come when I fit the chassis back onto its original X60R boot everything is fine and dandy? Otherwise I would say it is wear also. Driving me nuts. I will snap a few pics later.

How nice is it to be able to swap chassis / boot so easily... how are you liking it ?

Guys got a weird one that I can not figure it out. I am using a Bauer hilo chassis. I put it on several pairs of skates (drilled holes in the x5.0s last night after all :) and the wheels will not touch the surface evenly - I highlighted in red which wheels will not touch - 1) right boot: 76x76x80x80 2) left boot 76x76x80x80. This happened to both the x3.0 and the 5.0 - I am using the same axles and spacers on both boots and the wheels are not moving unevenly placed in the chassis. It is definitely the way the frame is attached to the boot because when I take it off it stands fine on the surface. Shims and Lifts until it straightens out evenly? total first world problems.. bro I do not know how you manage.. I had the same issue last night. My BMW keys were all the way in the basement so I had to take the Audi to the food market and when I got there, the market was out of organic Fruits... horrible... :)

Guys thanks for the response - sorry I slept on mine..studying for some exams now so it is kind of hard with time. Thank you all for replying - see my comments below: The skates are Bauer Vapor X7.0. That other part you are referring to is foam core. It is the same element used inside the hockey stick blade and most other composite designs - from marine to aerospace. It essentially serves to offset weight and provide density and deflection when placed in between two sheets of CF.. In english it adds durability and reduces weight. The glue you refer to is resin / epoxy in simplest terms it is JB weld and is pretty much that - glue. Yes you are right slapping a few layers of CF onto a broken shaft would barely do the stick justice; some math would come into play and one would want to bring the shaft back to the same flex and kick points. Very doable and I will try it when I have some more free time to read into it. What I did find out was that it is very possible to use CF or Aramid (Kevlar) in the onset of the sticks life to reinforce it to potentially prevent breakage and that the graphics can be easily changed..easily as in the guy who sees nothing wrong with taking apart a perfectly pair of ice hockey skates and drilling it full of holes to turn them into inline hockey skates.. if you are a DIY it can be done. So the effect would be a bad ass twig. The skates were bought used to begin with so the ankle padding is mushed in, eyelets, stitching. I am most likely going to restore them for practice and hobby. I locked down the foam that can be used (antimicrobial / moisture retardant). , Eyeles are easy, and as for the leather around the eyelets.. the one used now is some cheap faux leather.. I will not have an issue finding something dope to cut out and stitch.. Alligator? Would deff be some pimp ass skates. 12K because I felt it would be tough and if I was to line the skate boot it would deff be 3K ..but skate boots are made from a thermoplastic it is not CF ..I believe. All this talk makes me want to makes me want to make a stick.. or at least mod one up to be on steroids... And here comes the reality of the situation... you are right.. but for hobby and learning a new skill it would be a perfect candidate. if you guys are bored / interested there are a few good sites that explain composites in english; www.compositesworld.com ( has a few awesome articles about how Bauer makes its sticks and skates) and http://www.talkcomposites.com/ - which is a DIY forum for CF etc. Signing off boys... Didn't you just put the Marsblades on...?

OK so my 5.0 conversion has been put on a serious hold - the boot needs some surgery and I have not made up my mind if I want to restore them or take the sunk cost and move on... grabbed a pair of X7.0s - thoughts / comments? I do have a question on a different note - I have been reading into / looking into carbon fiber materials .. general makeup of the sticks and skates we use. As this is the unofficial DIY thread at MSH I figured I'd post here first and see the response before petitioning the MOD GODs for a separate thread - 1) has anyone ever played around with CF tape / Twill / or Spread tow? I am seriously inclined to reinforce the old 5.0s with a layer of 12K. Secondly the material used on hockey skate boots is a thermoplastic composite which I think is a fancy name of something that is readily available. Here is an excerpt - "Bauer Hockey Inc. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) announced on Sept. 24 an exclusive multiyear partnership with Propex Operating Co. LLC (Chattanooga, Tenn.), the producer of CURV composite technology, for its elite-level skates. CURV is a self-reinforced thermoplastic composite material made by means of a patented technology developed by Propex. Bauer uses the material in its current line of skates, including the SUPREME TOTALONE NXG, the SUPREME ONE.9 and the VAPOR APX." from http://www.compositesworld.com/news/propex-to-supply-curv-composite-technology-to-bauer-for-hockey-skates - it is actually a cool article. Here is the same on how our sticks are made http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/advanced-hockey-stick-design-delivers-optimal-performance I must say - I am impressed with Bauer's Product development approach - not to knock on other brand's but they were not mentioned here so I can not say. I guess I am really looking for some feedback if anyone ever played around with composites as I definitely see possibly layering up my skates and or fixing a few sticks...

is that the frame you found - I am thinking about getting it. Its a steal for the money. I will post up pics of the conversion and chassis centered before I permanently attach - I still need to throw over a layer of carbon fabric over the old outsoles of the 5.0 ( I got a little frustrated with the rivets and ended up yanking the bugger out to hard). No worries got some Kevlar / fiber comp on its way ..neon greenish too so should be a nice mod to the skate.

Gents, so I did a pair of Vapor X3.0s with a Hi-Lo chassis a while back and can't say the process was all that difficult. Now that I gave these bad boys some mileage I am about ready to start my second and even third pair ( for a buddy) and have some questions for the Ice to Inline conversion gurus; 1. Centering - once we get the centerline of the original runner and when we fit the new chassis over the skate, are we trying to get the wheels centered over that line? I will add some diagrams later on tonight after I pull the chassis off and try and redo the center line.. there is deff something off I can feel it. But any anchor or reference point for me to use would be greatly appreciated.

You told me you had converted a pair of X5.0s before and there was a post here about it? Mind linking me? I just got my X5.0s, still not sure if I am going to go through with the mod, but would not mind seeing some work of yours.

Guys got a question about wheel size - my chassis was made for an 76x80 - If If throw on 72 x 76 combo or even a 68 x 72 ... thoughts / ideas ? What is in your opinion the ideal wheel size?

Zero .. there is a guy with a bunch of older Labeda frames but they are small sizes - Craigslist is an option too. Hit me up if you come up on someone with frames - would appreciate it. I am an 8.

makes two of us :) Is Labeda on this forum.. get them over-here..time to talk deals for free advertising.

No Worries - I got mine from a local hardware store. There are two sizes guys on here are using 6/32 and 8/32. the 8/32 are wider and hence you will need a bigger hole. Also as noted on here before the 06/32 is better in case you make a mistake - you can always patch the hole out with JB weld and do over. On a side note the front t-nuts are going to be the most annoying to insert, simply because the toe cap and tongue will give you bare enough room to get your hand in there. I used a thin long screw to give me spacial direct.. I would insert long screw inside hole and with the tnut flat end indented on my index finger would just try and feel inside until I got the thing onto the screw make a few rotations to attach tnut to screw pull down and slide tnut into hole. If you got a kid with small hands they would suffice as well - my niece is deff going to be around for the next conversion as I simply do not look forward to poking around for an hour. Last bit of advice, like with all DIY .. Take your time and make sure you have the tools so you don't run around; you need 1 Drill, Drill Bits for 6/32 or 8/32 and one slightly larger to get the rivets out / Small Chisel to get rivets out, small hammer to knock chisel over rivet head, Phillips screw driver, T-Nuts and Bolts and washers, Thread Lock, Epoxy ( JB Weld works Great), pair of cutters also for getting rivets out ( those rivets are annoying), and small hand saw also for rivets - this one you use to cut off two copper rivet heads on heel and pop out the rivet with a pair of needle nose and a few bangs of the hammer. Seriously looking back you really need to love this S*it because $40 to a skate shop sounds about fair in return for all the work. Again that is a preference,. Am I missing anything? You can do the JB weld part after the Chassis is mounted - I took mine off and patched up the holes after. P.s. if the bold is a tad longer than the sole and you feel it protruding - you don't necessarily need to cut it, the foot bet might provide ample cushion - mine was enough. Again that video I linked you to really does the job of showing you steps needed ..in a time lapsed version lol. Good Luck. Lets See them Bad boys! Yeh, your boss did a wonderful job :) Do your own!

I just did one conversion - but am not new to DIY in general. Using Rivets ( Copper) is a permanent attachment and requires much more work than using the T-nut & Bolt system. I think you have not done this before so why would you want to compound an already arduous task by using the fastening mechanism that is least forgiving? I do not feel Rivets provide more support than bolts and bolts can always be removed in case you want to adjust something, change the boot, etc. Where the Rivets will require another stripping job which will most likely leave damage to the chassis. If you get stuck feel free to hmu - can deff jump on skype or net meeting and at least see what you are doing and possibly give you some feedback if I am able to as all this is way too abstract. I believe this video really nails down the process; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esmxPCpPTJo - Good luck. Guys can anyone make a youtube demonstrating the centering and alignment process? I think I did a solid job on mine, but if anyone has some free time and would to throw up a DIY channel skate related you would be the man!

Sweet! Look forward to it. I noticed one issue last night; right skate two front wheels are an inch of the ground. Obv when my foot is in the skte and my weight on them I doubt it is really an issue, but without any weight simply placing the skates against the flat surface the 2 front wheels are an inch off. What do you think leave it alone?

I went for a street skate - got a good 20 minutes in. I am impressed so far - I was expecting worse, but nothing of the sort happened. There is deff a diff feel from my X60Rs and this is due to the centering / alignment - but I am certainly faster and more responsive in this setup. I will pull the chassis off this week after an indoor game and touch up the holes with some JB weld and see if I could get the center done right ( hoping not to drill anymore) and I will deff add some spacer between the frame and out sole. It should not be without at least a few millimeters of layer between chassis and sole.. seems so to me at-least. I will post up and report back in a few weeks and update everyone on how they are holding up and also my 5.0 conversion I will start next week. If anyone is interested in an X60R pair of boots in an 8D ( very good condition) I am open to trades - I am stating now they are big - I think they are a solid 9 as every 8D / 8 R I had tried on fits me perfectly and these are just big.

SJS - I believe you are in the know how about conversion based on your posts.. I have not skated much yet ( only finished them last night). If I lay a few layers of compoite + resin over the out sole. Will it be good? I already started youknow sad to go back. Lastly, if I skate as is and just finish up the conversion by plugging the holes with JB weld as intended. Am I possibly wasting time going the composite route. What do you think about X5.0s that was my next project.

lol.. great encouragement bro! "The sign for Thin Ice is just to keep the non-locals away.. go ahead its safe" - What can I do about the sole. Options) cut out inner sole and glue inside. b) cut out or use layered material to re enforce outside. c) both. I really did not plan on getting composite tow involved but might be the way ( this is the stuff used on our hockey sticks). I need to do a little research. I Figure it might be worth it; its a brand new skate as you all can see.. So onto Phase two then - re enforcing the soles and blacking out the boots. This calls for a new thread.

Thanks and done. Check original post.

Gents, Just finished my DIY conversion of the Bauer Vapor X3.0 with a HiLo chassis of my Bauer X60Rs. Not going to lie - it took me a good half the day. Getting the rivets out and then replacing the t-nuts was a headache - Chisel and Cutters and some drilling. The Coppers come of if you take a small hand saw, chop of the top and then pop it out with a screw driver / hammer. Used 6/32 T nuts and Bolts. Lock Thread and Going to top it all off with some JB Weld after your comments. Went out for a skate; amazing, amazing, amazing. Effects - Agility is sick. Weight reduction = yes! comfort - it is a 3.0 I love this boot. Overall I can say my X60Rs were Herman Munster Shoes compared to these. Fear - will they hold up ? seemed fine I might be paranoid, but concerned about the very dainty sole and my 205 Lbs .. that and I do enjoy going for a street run.. NYC street's are an entire obstacle in itself - from drivers trying to run you down to pot holes.. these skates might take a bit of abuse. Would deff appreciate some strategic comments and critique as I deff don't want them a) breaking and b) since I used bolts I intend to still cover up the extra holes with epoxy and maybe even do a layer of some thin leather to act as a washer between chassis and boot, and lastly what do you think if I lay over something to re-enforce the sole - maybe a layer or two of carbon fibers or just a thin sheet of plastic -...it just seems so freaking dainty. What can you recommend as far as the build, what do you see off the bat? What do you think about my re enforcement idea? . Can not wait to throw my addictions on them tomorrow at the indoor rink.. first game in these. Disappointment - I didn't expect to find such a thin paper sole in a Bauer skate. This part was hidden by the runner. Bauer - Shame on you! We know you're making these in China, so perhaps reduce Ovi8's endorsement deal money and improve the skate! You could do better! Bauer you get an F this time. Very very very disappointing. It is freaking paper with carbon fiber outlines covered by some plastic. ughh .. freakishly scary.

Congrats .. I guess?! are you implying that your workplace is where you got this done and that it can be of any help to me... no pun Broheem..just looking to get my wheels tuned up.

Where do you get the conversion done?

Guys I really want to do the Ice to Inline conversion; a few questions answered would be greatly appreciated!!! 1. The Carbon Fiber bottom - will it sustain the new holes and should I get some appoxie / spread tow to fill in the old holes? 2. Can anyone recomend someone in the NYC area who you would trust with your own skates? I am really inclined to do this as a DIY but i am the type of guy to burn the house down so I think I'd rather let a pro at it the first go around. I am trying to get a pair of X70s fitted with an inline chassis I have from a pair of X60Rs that never really fit well and I would rather combine these two then splurge on a new set of wheels..