Taping Sticks

[mack 44]

Wow, that's a tad too in-depth for a tape job.

[fatwabbit 93]

sorry... didnt mean for it to be sooo long winded

the tape part takes only a few minutes...

the epoxy part is done whenever the previous epoxy layer is worn down... although it may look kinda wierd/stupid to do so, it saves me money to do it...

put it in cash terms (cost is converted to USD for easier comparison)

new epoxy tube (both resin and hardener) = $2.50 and lasts for about 2 months

new replacement blade = approximately $15 and lasts for abotu 3-4 months max

do the math, and you can see that the replacement blade doenst need to be changed that often, saves me a bundle as well. The main thing it saves me is the frustration in getting the curve that i like (sherwood 950 leclair). I bought 6 replacement blades in 2002, and still have 3 of them untouched... only just put the 3rd one onto my composite shaft...

i really like this curve, great on slappers, quick snaps and wrists. I can even roof the puck from the top of the crease (both backhand and forehand)

[WINGS 0]

White tape on butt end, with a tape-rope knob and finger grips. Black tape on blade, heel to toe, toe covered, but I put a strip of tape on the bottom of the blade first.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Would you be able to use the epoxy to fill small cracks in a shaft/blade.

[fatwabbit 93]

spot on bro!!!

did a course in mech engineering in college, and spoke to a professor about this issue... epoxy is a structural adhesive, it can be used to bond things together also, but it also depends on the materials being bonded, it doesnt bond very well with other plastics, but for the materials in the replacement blades, no prob...

you guys can even try using it to patch up parts on the skates that get ripped, the toe area, heel, and the area on the inside of the skates near the ball of the foot...

just look at most inline skates, they have a harder wear patch in those areas (dunno what you call them). when these parts wear out, you can just epoxy it...

just be wary that the first few times is gonna be really messy... but once you get the hang of it, it works great... i rate it much better than super glue!, just be sure that you get the right type for the application. 3M stuff is really great, but expensive (especially if you are trying out what i mentioned about lining the whole edge of the stick blade).

i'll try to get a few photos of it by next weekend (already did it for this coming weekend and will only need to do it after this sunday's session..

[Z-Unit14 0]

White Tape, the skinny width which is about 1 cm wide, heel to toe covering the toe. I start about 3 inches from the heel, and I use regular canning wax or Ice Wax.

[fatwabbit 93]

just something to add... the epoxy is great, but it is NOT the ultimate solution to a cracked blade. Sometimes it works really well, but sometimes it doesnt, depends on the damage already done to the stick blade. i have used it for many different applications: on the area that always gets worn on my skates and shin guards. I even applied a layer of it to protect the stitching on my shin guards, but went back to using duct tape there...

For me, i have been doing this for a few years, and feel comfortable about it... the rest of my team mates did it for a while, and stopped as they didnt have the patience to slowly get it right.

all i can say is that it has saved me a bundle as well, not only in hockey equipment. my uncle found a perfectly great dining table that someone didnt want (with a glass top, enough to sit 8 people). only prob was that the leg was wobbly. Pop a bit of epoxy there and voila...

RadioGaGA - regarding the epoxy in the small cracks, you may want to mix a small amount first. get about a pool of resin and harderner about the size of a quarter, mix it well with the spatula provided, and apply it like butter into the cracks. let it set... i have tried another material called PMMA (polymethyl metacrylate i think) but it doesnt bond as well, but is hard as hell!!!

[TC23 0]

OK I am a n00b here and I was curious about something. Is it against any rules or regulations to tape your blade with two different color tapes? For example, white from the heel to the middle, then black the rest of the way??

Thanks

[kovalchuk71 212]

Nope......

Welcome by the way.... ;)

[sherwood21 0]

OK I am a n00b here and I was curious about something. Is it against any rules or regulations to tape your blade with two different color tapes? For example, white from the heel to the middle, then black the rest of the way??

Thanks

Why not, as long as you are ready to get beaked like crazy for it..

[B19Kress 0]

Read through 10+ pages of many threds and got nothing so I brought this one back...

Anyways...

Does anyone think friction tape is harder to tape with or does it just take some practice? I just made the switch from cloth.

[Jarick 5]

I find it isn't quite as sticky as cloth tape, so you have to press it on.

[TBLfan 25]

I find it isn't quite as sticky as cloth tape, so you have to press it on.

Depends on the brand. Andover friction tape isn't very tacky at all. Renfrew is a little thinner so it's a pain to tape.

I still prefer cloth with wax.

[sitzlejd 0]

Whats with taping the toe. Seems like I see lots of people going that route these days.

[caldakid 0]

i tape toe to heel dont really notice a difference, patrick kane does it the same way

[Theodoras 0]

White tape. Want to try wax soon. I tape it from the toe almost to the heel. I cover the whole toe as well.

[Jarick 5]

I find it isn't quite as sticky as cloth tape, so you have to press it on.

Depends on the brand. Andover friction tape isn't very tacky at all. Renfrew is a little thinner so it's a pain to tape.

I still prefer cloth with wax.

Renfrew's the only friction I've used...and I do prefer cloth with wax. Sometimes melt it in with wax and sometimes don't.

Last week I skated at an old rink that was basically all snow by the second period, and forgot to wax my blade beforehand. Cloth tape was soaked and snow was sticking to it pretty bad...not the best for shooting.

[SuperMan3 1]

I tape it so the tip of my blade won't chip as much.

[colt45 0]

i change my preferences about every other week :lol: but for now im using the clarkson:

http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/84027739....30A760B0D811297

[xstartxtodayx 343]

i change my preferences about every other week :lol: but for now im using the clarkson:

http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/84027739....30A760B0D811297

I usually alter slightly season to season but lately I've been doing that Clarkson style but taping over the toe and trimming the excess. Also I've always taped heel to toe, I don't think I'd mentally be able to play if I ever did it toe to heel :o

[guasto74 0]

Black friction tape heel to almost the toe. Throw on a healthy dose of that Easton wax in a deoderant case. Don't know why I bother with the wax as my blade is usually more snowy than anyone else at the rink. Maybe it's the wax that's bad, maybe it's b/c I always have my stick on the ice like a godd hockey player should...

Seriously, gotta try and cut down on the icing up of my blade but the Easton wax isn't doing the trick.

[adam14 182]

ive taped heel to toe since i could tape my own sticks. but thats only because of watching my dad tape my sticks. theres something therepeutic about re taping your sticks i find, which is why i tend to do it before ever ice time. right now, im usually anywhere between the heel and middle of the blade to the toe, around the toe, and then gone over with a puck.

[K9 Unit 1]

i tape from like mid heel - toe and cover the toe (black tape) i cover the toe because i feel i get more control over my wrist shot but thats just my preference, i dunno if other people do this but for the end of my stick i just tape it down like 3-4 inches then i finish it off by wrapping it around until i get a very very tiny knob...its just like a bump, i don't like knobs on the end of my stick...never found it useful

[Jarick 5]

Yeah, every time I don't tape over the toe, I can't toe drag at all and the release on my wrist shot feels a little off.

[CTK30 0]

White tape, no wax, no knob, and I like my butt end to be old and hard and not tacky at all

I also hate wax, I cant stick handle with it, I always pull the puck in the air with it

And toe to heel, not tape over the toe