Easton S12 Rivet Issues

[interpathway 9]

Hey guys, have a topic here that is just looking to explain why my pal is having issues with his new (six month old) Easton S12s.

He skates hard, weighs in around two hundred, and has always worked skates hard, he just moves powerfully.

About two or three months after purchasing them, four of his steel rivets failed on his left skate, all four rivets were on the front tower, all on the same side.

No big deal, he had them replaced at our LHS, four new steel rivets to replace those that failed.

Last month the same thing happens to him... another three or four rivets needing to be replaced (not the same ones).

As you can imagine he was pretty frustrated. My only logical thought was that they weren't being dried properly, as premature rust combined with the flexing that occurs between boot and holder led them to their demise. Unfortunately they are aired out in a locker room (footbeds left in... tsktsk).

Anything beyond what I've mentioned that might reveal why these failures are occurring? It just seems odd that the rivets failing are always on the same skate, same tower, same side.

Thoughts?

[JR Boucicaut 3810]

The length of rivets...the composite shell is so thin on Easton skates. He should be getting 5/16" rivets in there; which most shops don't stock and most skate supply shops don't stock. I know Blackstone sells them; for a while, they were the only ones. So, by putting in a longer rivet, it will not seat correctly and will fall out.

But when you constantly put them in and out, the hole widens. at that point your only solution may be to put a copper rivet in there.

[chikinpotpie 138]

I had a guy come in with the same problem.

What I did was out a strip of adhesive felt along the rivet lines and put 9/16 rivets in along with coppers on the ball of the foot and back of the heel.

So far, its worked well

[interpathway 9]

The length of rivets...the composite shell is so thin on Easton skates. He should be getting 5/16" rivets in there; which most shops don't stock and most skate supply shops don't stock. I know Blackstone sells them; for a while, they were the only ones. So, by putting in a longer rivet, it will not seat correctly and will fall out.

But when you constantly put them in and out, the hole widens. at that point your only solution may be to put a copper rivet in there.

Game, set, match. Thanks.

I had a guy come in with the same problem.

What I did was out a strip of adhesive felt along the rivet lines and put 9/16 rivets in along with coppers on the ball of the foot and back of the heel.

So far, its worked well

Thanks for the solution.

Seems like this is something Easton Sports would've seen coming...

[JR Boucicaut 3810]

They have that on the skates - the liner overlaps the rivet holes.

It's the shops who don't stock up on the smaller sized rivets.

[almack 0]

I have this alot on s12 and s17's I got the smallest rivets blademaster had and they might still be a touch long, all the skates Ive repaired seem to be the front 2 rivets Id use copper wouldnt that pull the holder a touch to much in that area maybe making the steel bend as a result? Ive never had good luck with coppers and straight steel on the front towers period.

[JR Boucicaut 3810]

If you know how to do it right, no.

[TheMagnificen7 0]

I order the smallest rivets possible from Blackstone for just such occasions. And it happens all the time. Crummy thing is, the LHS I work at has a bunch of S11 and S15 skates for a great deal and we sell the crap out of them. Lots of people come back for sharpening with loose and missing rivets. I nail it into my techs that all rivet replacements need to be done with the shortest possible rivets for the particular skate so that we don't have this issue. So far, so good.

[jimmy 194]

Yes, the rivets are short, but you got to get air blowing in the skates to dry them, particularly up front. Boot dryers like DRYGUY are great, get warm air circulation and no rusting rivets. BTW, it's not just Easton, virtually every rivet replaced is a result of not drying skate properly.

[interpathway 9]

Yes, the rivets are short, but you got to get air blowing in the skates to dry them, particularly up front. Boot dryers like DRYGUY are great, get warm air circulation and no rusting rivets. BTW, it's not just Easton, virtually every rivet replaced is a result of not drying skate properly.

Fully agree with you on the reason rivets fail, the interesting aspect of this case was just that three or four were failing together, all in a row, in multiple instances.

For what it is worth, the skates were stored in an air circulation chamber.

[jimmy 194]

Once one rivet goes, the looseness causes the others to go as well. because the crimps in the eastons have nothing/sole liner to grab on to, they can wiggle out easier than on other skates. If all rivets are tight, this won't happen. As for air circulation chamber, if air is not directly blown into the skates so it reaches the toecap, that area of the skate will not dry, kind of the same as the fingers on gloves, got to get air in there too.