blades wearing down

[avs9119 0]

i play roller on really rough concrete and i go through a lot of blades so i was wondering if there is anything that i could put on the bottom of the blade, besides tape, so that the blade wont wear down as fast

thanks

[Swiss17 0]

have you tried an abs blade?

[avs9119 0]

yes. but i seem to wear them down really fast as well as regualar wood blades

[saba 0]

just buy a bunch of cheap $5 blades and plan to change often. Koho Crossover, CCM Vector 20 and 40 have always worked for me on concrete

[avs9119 0]

yeah i've been doing that but its just annoying. thnks

[fatwabbit 93]

put epoxy on the edge of the blade. When it wears down, the epoxy acts like a 'sacrificial' layer. I've done it for years, and instead of changing blades every month or so, it helped me to stretch to about 6 months. Doesnt affect shooting in any way, unless you use a real thick layer of epoxy. I'd say a 1/4 inch layer would be pretty good.

Main reason I used that was the patterns I like usually came in short supply in Singapore. Since moving here to Oz, I've switched to composite blades as the surface here is all smooth indoor surfaces, and the guys tend to hack your stick a fair amount more.

avs1919... PM me if you want more info...

[Hede 2]

I play on rough asphalt and a koho crossover blade last max 2 weeks. Sounds like you know how to make them last longer fatwabbit. Do you have any pix of that ? thanks.

[fatwabbit 93]

actually, I've posted this some time ago, most likely in early 2005. Not sure if it would turn up in the search though.

Suggest you use an old blade to try first before doing it on a regular basis. Best to work with slow curing epoxy first and once you get the hang of it you can start to use the faster curing ones. Make sure you line the area you are working with with newspaper in case some of the epoxy drips.

What I used to do was to put masking tape on one side of the blade first, usually starting with the backhand side of the blade. Make sure you leave about an inch of masking tape overhanging the edge. Mix some epoxy and apply it along the whole edge of the blade. dont worry about getting a uniform layer, it will usually settle later on. Try as hard not to get any of the epoxy on the forehand side, as it will make it more difficult later on. Once you have finished putting the epoxy on the edge, take another piece of masking tape and put it on the forehand side, with an inch or so overhang as well. Once done, put the stick with the butt end on the ground and the stick leaning against a table or something. The edge of the blade should be as parallel to the floor as possible, and the epoxy will settle down.

The masking tape effectively forms a channel for the epoxy to set. Theoretically speaking, the epoxy will harder in that channel, and does 'glue' itself to the edge very well. Try and keep the thickness of the epoxy layer to not more than 1/4 inch, otherwise you may end up cracking the epoxy and wasting all the efforts later on.

I've been using this technique for about 5 years, and its saved me a bunch of money. I've had wood blades last about 6-8 months, and the only reason i changed them after that is because someone has slashed the top part of the blade to bits (tried to save that with epoxy as well).

After moving to Oz, I dont really need to do that anymore, since we now play indoors on pretty smooth surfaces. I'll try to get some photos of how to do it...

[Hede 2]

Thanks. I get hold of some epoxy and have a go.

[avs9119 0]

thanks check your PM fatwabbit. i've seen these plastic strips with little bumps on them that you tape to the bottom of your blade or stick so it raises it up about 1/4 inch in the USA hockey magazines...does anyone know anything about these. i looked through two of the magazines at home and couldn't find the ad that had them

[fatwabbit 93]

Got your pm avs9119, thought I'd share it here for the benefit of those who wanna know.

I usually just use the cheapest epoxy I can find, since you're gonna be wearing it away anyway. IT shouldnt cost more than USD$3 for a 75ml set (comes with a resin and hardener). I've gone thru different types, and even used the expensive ones from 3M, Shelleys, Bondstik... in the end it just goes back to the cheapest.

I've tried and tested lots of ways to even prolong the epoxy... metal shavings, wood chips, plastic pellats (all taken from the workshop at school). I've also checked with some materials lecturers to find out what would be the best bonding agent to use. In the end, it all just pointed to using plain ol' epoxy. You can even try using thread in your epoxy, as the fibres help to distribute the stresses you put on the material (too much material science in school).

Epoxy does bond very well with wood, and limited success with composites (you wouldnt be using composite blades on asphalt anyways). The rougher the contact surface the better, as it gives more surface area for the epoxy to set in and 'bite/anchor' itself. You gotta ensure that you wipe the edge of any dirt, which would give a bad contact surface. If you are using a brand new blade, just take it out in the driveway and just wear it down a little, that should be enough.

Forgot to add, its going to be a messy job the first few times. Once you get the hang of it, all it takes is about 5min, and I usually let it set for about 24 hours. I used to play twice a week on Thu and Sun, usually i just do it on Sundays and leave it till Thu. The fastest I've actually done it was between games on a weekend. Once the first game ended, i straight away did the setting of epoxy on the blade with a quick cure epoxy (5 min set time). Left it there, went to lunch, came back about 2 hours later and back for the next game. At that stage I was still in school, and loved the curve I had. With not much money, i couldnt afford to buy blades every now and then, so this did help save me a bundle

Make sure you do it in a well ventilated area, the smell can get a bit bad.

[avs9119 0]

ok thanks a lot im going to try that

[fatwabbit 93]

let me know how it goes?

[avs9119 0]

yea i will

[fatwabbit 93]

did you manage to try it out?