Swapping steel

[rawa9 0]

I need my steel swapped on my skates. I have the replacement steel, and I'm wondering how much expertise is necessary to do the job right? The reason I ask is that there is a LHS very nearby, but the people there don't really know what they are doing. However, they said that they could do the job. There is also a store an hour away that is going to take longer and charge more, but I trust their capabilities a bit more. Is it a realitively easy job that I can let the local guys do?

[kovalchuk71 212]

Just sendem to JR :D

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

Very important - what kind of bladeholder?

[rawa9 0]

Lightspeeds on Vapox XXs... I;d like it to be done right so I would send them, unfortunately I need them by wednesday.

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

I'd rate it on a medium degree of difficulty...just because it's internal. Do you have the long allen key?

Pop the outsole, and the cap. Stick the key down on the nut, unscrew. Once you feel it's loose, light the boot and put it above your head. (Trust me on this one, if you drop the bolt in there, you'll be doing the Harlem Shake trying to drop the bolt out of the boot) Unscrew and then slide out the nut using the key.

Remove steel, then assemble the new steel. Slide it into the holder, then pick up the boot like when you took out the nut. Try to line it up. Once you think you've got it, keep the pressure applied and flip the boot over and start screwing the nut in.

If any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[rawa9 0]

Oh, this is a job I can do myself? Nice. I'll give it a try. Thanks a lot for the help JR. I'll drop you a PM if I get stuck.

[Cavs019 702]

Skate work is definately an art form.

[wristshot19 0]

If you do manage to detach the bolt before turning the skate upside down then you can magnetize the key and pull it out that way. Just take a standard refridgerator magnet and scrape it against the key until it becomes magnetized. This will keep you from having to do the "Harlem shake" (LOL). I have used this technique (the magnetizing technique, not the Harlem shake) many times with screwdrivers when working on my car.

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

Another thing that you might consider is to make the hole bigger. Get a big drill bit and just bore out the hole a little bigger.