Torching wood blades

[Cove 39]

Maybe Im asking this because im a retard. But someone posted an article about pros and there blades, and I was wondering wouldnt putting a torch(fire) to a wood blade start a fire ? And secondly, how often can you do that before you just destroy the blade ?

[cougarscaptain87 12]

all wood blades are wrapped in a multiable layering system of fiberglass which prevents the stick from catching onfire unless you torch it for too long and make it through the fiber glass, if you do it right you can make a shaped blade last almost as long as a retail pattern, but alot of people apply too much heat and conprpmise the durability of the blade.

[TBLfan 25]

It can but normally the wrap around the blade will catch fire first. You want to heat the blade so that it gets soft enough to mold, not to catch fire.

Every time it's done it will effect the blades durability somewhat. The more the head the worse the effect, obviously the mroe you do it the better the chance of making a good blade useless.

[Cove 39]

so I what .. Heat it up bend it to my desired curve and then stick it in ice to cool it down ? How often could I re-shape a blade before its just complete garbage ?

[TBLfan 25]

heat up the area that you want to make the curve. Curve it with your foot or under a door. I've done both and I found I had better control with my foot. Then check the curve... If it's good then you can stick it in water to cool it down, doesn't need to be ice water or anything actually cold.

More than likely your first attempt won't result in something brilliant. I truely believe that I got lucky with my first couple attempts as they worked out well. I wouldn't want to curve the blade more than once but I'm sure you'll have a couple or few times you can do it without destroying the blade... But more than likely the blade will have it's lifespan cut down drastically with more than one revision.

[providencebadboy21 0]

I have like a hundred vapor-30 lite wood blades (basically a lindros) from school and I'd love to experiment a little with a deeper curve, but these things are wrapped in a shitload of non-wood material (fiberglass?) What are my chances of being able to do anything to the curve when they're wrapped like that?

[cbart 1]

heat up the area that you want to make the curve. Curve it with your foot or under a door. I've done both and I found I had better control with my foot. Then check the curve... If it's good then you can stick it in water to cool it down, doesn't need to be ice water or anything actually cold.

More than likely your first attempt won't result in something brilliant. I truely believe that I got lucky with my first couple attempts as they worked out well. I wouldn't want to curve the blade more than once but I'm sure you'll have a couple or few times you can do it without destroying the blade... But more than likely the blade will have it's lifespan cut down drastically with more than one revision.

This is worth it's weight in gold if you are trying to customize your curve(s). Had mine for about 10 years now..ProCurve

[sc37 0]

I like the door personally...jam it there, bend it how I want and stick a chair under the shaft and let it cool off. I was leery of cooling with water just cause when you bend it the fiberglass kinda bubbles a bit in some spots and didn't wanna get water trapped in it or anything thus compromising it.

[Timber 0]

I second the ProCurve contraption. I've re-shaped at least a dozen blades over the last couple of years and it's worked great. This process has worked for replacement blades:

1. Set the blade shape at room temperature in the device.

2. Put the whole thing in a 190 degree pre-heated oven for 20 min.

3. Take it out and let it cool to room temperature before removing.

The temperature and time should work for you with or without the Procurve device, the trick is to hold the shape until it cools. Good luck.

[LkptTiger 1]

I might have to invest. I'd like a tad more shovel on my Sherwood Bouchard blades, but each of my last attempts at woodie-customization resulted in ridiculously early breakage - even for wood sticks (I completely chewed through an eight-stick shipment in little more than a week).

[Konig von Kuhlem 0]

heat up the area that you want to make the curve. Curve it with your foot or under a door. I've done both and I found I had better control with my foot. Then check the curve... If it's good then you can stick it in water to cool it down, doesn't need to be ice water or anything actually cold.

More than likely your first attempt won't result in something brilliant. I truely believe that I got lucky with my first couple attempts as they worked out well. I wouldn't want to curve the blade more than once but I'm sure you'll have a couple or few times you can do it without destroying the blade... But more than likely the blade will have it's lifespan cut down drastically with more than one revision.

This is worth it's weight in gold if you are trying to customize your curve(s). Had mine for about 10 years now..ProCurve

That Procurve device looks interesting and simple. I haven't used wood blades in a few years, but it might be interesting to experiment with.

[fatwabbit 93]

I've heated and re-curved my wooden blades many times before. Just heat it over the stove, but raised above the flame by about 18 inchs.

[malcb33 99]

That Procurve thing looks really cool and I am interested in trying this out. Has anyone got any better pictures of the contraption? I'd like to seem how it works up close?