For those that want to punch their own skates...

[scorer75 9]

My skates needed to be punched, and the closest reliable place to me is 30+ minutes away.

So I found this... http://www.epicski.com/t/90523/ski-boot-punch-instructions and made mine for about $25.

Works like a charm :)

Good luck

[Gummer12 134]

http://www.pro-filer.com/bootpunch/

[beedee 227]

I wish I had all of the tools to give this a shot.

[Vet88 674]

I use an ordinary c clamp (you can often pick them up for around $5 at the hardware store), a "D" shaped stone of various sizes and a set of tin measuring spoons I "acquired" from the kitchen. Tape the stone to one side of the c clamp, position the spoon size you want on the outside of the boot and then wind away with the c clamp. From a small spot punch to an entire ankle bone size, it works a treat. Heat makes things easier but left overnight it works just as well.

Add another c clamp, make a wooden frame to go around the boot and now you have the ability to stretch your own boot for width and length. A custom fit isn't hard, just takes time.

[SirJW 207]

I use an ordinary c clamp (you can often pick them up for around $5 at the hardware store), a "D" shaped stone of various sizes and a set of tin measuring spoons I "acquired" from the kitchen. Tape the stone to one side of the c clamp, position the spoon size you want on the outside of the boot and then wind away with the c clamp. From a small spot punch to an entire ankle bone size, it works a treat. Heat makes things easier but left overnight it works just as well.

Add another c clamp, make a wooden frame to go around the boot and now you have the ability to stretch your own boot for width and length. A custom fit isn't hard, just takes time.

Please post pix.

[Vet88 674]

lol, give me a day to finish the X60 I am widening from a D to an EE around the toe cap area then I'll post some pics up of the stuff I use, including the stretch I currently have underway.

[Vet88 674]

Ok, so these are the tools I use. 

https://imgur.com/a/pJrla

Ideally the c clamps should have a slightly longer top and bottom part of the c, this would make it easier to get into the toe box of the boot. The long clamp is a sash clamp that I use in the heel pocket when lengthening a boot, a better c clamp would replace this. Stones are easy to find, I use one on each c clamp so the shape of the c clamp doesn't set itself into the boot, the spot puncher (the small round stone) is used where I want the boot material to move. The measuring spoons can be found in any kitchen shop. The wooden shapes are the heel and toe box profiles for stretching a boot, made using a small skill saw and sandpaper to shape. I recently used these to lengthen a pair of size 6 RX60's to 6.5.

The mic I use to measure the boot whilst stretching. This tells me how much I have moved it and how much I have to go. 

 

Spot punch ready to go

https://imgur.com/a/xFvBx

 

Boot in a frame ready to go, wood for the frame I scavenged from a mate who is a builder, it's just some off cuts.

https://imgur.com/a/6fivn

 

Stretch underway on an X:60, note where I have already done a spot stretch on this boot (under the second eyelet). Laces are done up around the clamps to hold the top of the boot in shape. The edge of the toe cap is still digging into his foot so it's back on the rack as I work on that area (under the first eyelet). This is for a guy who plays on our national team (div 2 A) and has always worn EE (because he has this weird projection behind his little toe, almost like a 6th toe). These are D width skates and now fit him perfectly, as good as any custom boot he has ever had, with the exception of the toe box edge now getting worked on.

https://imgur.com/a/RUpS8

 

Secret to this is to stretch them slowly, wind the clamps out till they are firm then keep tweaking them a 1/2 turn every few hours or so or morning and night until the desired stretch is reached. It's amazing how much the material in the boot will move. I don't use any heat when I lengthen a boot, I'm to scared to pop the toe cap off. For spot punches and a width stretch, heat isn't really necessary but it can help to move things easier.

It can be fiddly to set up and get right (lipstick is great when working out exactly where you want that spot punch to take place, put it on your foot where you need the punch to happen, foot in boot then spot punch on the mark)) but hey, it cost me next to nothing and I can stretch my own boots plus team mates.

 

I would add to this that I need another c clamp or two. The problem comes when trying to get right into the toe cap area, the top of the c is just not long enough. So I think you need around 3 c clamps for one side of the boot, all with differing lengths on the c clamp, to cover all the different areas you may want to punch / stretch. The blue c clamps you see in the photos have a 3 inch arm (from the top of the c to the underside of the frame). I need another one with a 4 inch arm. The arm can't be too long otherwise you cannot get it inside the boot (looking at size 6 to 9 boots, larger sizes may fit) because the back of the clamp catches on the ankle area of the boot.

[SirJW 207]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing.

[scorer75 9]

Very well done sir, I like your setup.

[Zorlac 22]

This gives me hope! Well done, and thanks for the pics.

My problem has always been normal heel, paddle-like forefoot. EEs are perfect up front but sloppy heel. A "D" width with a slight stretch just before the toecap would be a blessing!

[808puck 0]

Great share. Broke my little toe a while back and it healed crooked. So finding skates to fit that foot is always a challenge. Spot punched those problem areas and it now feels like they were custom made for my foot.

[smcgreg 81]

Ok, so these are the tools I use.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/824/toolsr.jpg/

Ideally the c clamps should have a slightly longer top and bottom part of the c, this would make it easier to get into the toe box of the boot. The long clamp is a sash clamp that I use in the heel pocket when lengthening a boot, a better c clamp would replace this. Stones are easy to find, I use one on each c clamp so the shape of the c clamp doesn't set itself into the boot, the spot puncher (the small round stone) is used where I want the boot material to move. The measuring spoons can be found in any kitchen shop. The wooden shapes are the heel and toe box profiles for stretching a boot, made using a small skill saw and sandpaper to shape. I recently used these to lengthen a pair of size 6 RX60's to 6.5.

The mic I use to measure the boot whilst stretching. This tells me how much I have moved it and how much I have to go.

Spot punch ready to go

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/585/hotspotpuncher.jpg/

Vet, thanks a ton for this. I used the C-clamp + measuring spoons yesterday to get rid of a problem spot in my Makos that had me considering getting rid of them. I tried baking several times and pushing out with various approaches, but nothing worked well enough. Used a set up like yours yesterday and skated today.... voila!!! Thanks a million.

Steve

[Ps12 11]

I found the round measuring spoons were not quite what i needed to punch out a larger area for my wide feet.

I found oval measuring spoons that worked much better for my purpose.

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisipro-Stainless-Steel-Measuring-Spoon/dp/B00004SU1I

[Vet88 674]

Yep looks like those spoons would work a treat.

For anyone wondering how much you can move a boot, personally I haven't yet hit a limit on a top end boot. My son's feet are 11.5cms wide across the forefoot, the MX3s (which fit him the best in a D for heel lock) are just over 10cms across the forefoot. 5 days in the jig stretching the boot a little at a time every 12 hours and they are now 11.75cms's across the forefoot, a huge stretch. The skates now fit him like a glove. Also the new injected lacing system in Bauer skates makes a width stretch much easier because of the added rigidity across the top of the boot which helps the boot to keep its shape whilst the stretch is going on.

[chapel 20]

what did you guys do to keep the spoons from digging into the outer leather?

[Ps12 11]

what did you guys do to keep the spoons from digging into the outer leather?

I have to admit i didnt. My current skates are eq50s and the carbon is pretty tough but the spoons do dig in.

I saw that you used a towel doubled up and that got me thinking. I have some smooth silicon heat pads for baking i could use. That might alleviate and disperse the pressure from the spoons.

My current pair of eq50s ive really cranked the clamps and spoons on. I have a brand new pair that i can be a little more gentle with and ill take your idea and see if i can lessen the marks from the spoon.

As you found out the marks kinda fade. My skates seem to rebound but theyre getting a little more scuffed.

The other mod i might do is to superglue or epoxy a flat base to the spoon so the clamp has a solid flat base to work with. I find that i have to fiddle with the clamp set up because it slips and slides on the spoon.

Vet88, i want to thank you for your posts on this. Your information was invaluable to me when i looked for a solution for my fit dilemma great posts.

[Vet88 674]

what did you guys do to keep the spoons from digging into the outer leather?

I got some cardboard, cut it to the shape of the spoon (slightly bigger) and cut a matching hole on the inside then taped it to the spoon. This has always worked for me in stopping the spoon from digging into the boot. If you find one layer of cardboard doesn't work then double up.

[Vet88 674]

Lately I have been using the measuring guage a lot more. I measure up the width of the foot at different points and then measure the boot. This gives me a good guide as to where I need to apply the stretch and how much I have moved the boot during the stretch and how much I have to go.

[Vet88 674]

An update after a few years. Most of the stretches and spot punches I've done over the years hold really well, the player never comes back. However if you leave your skates in the sun or don't use them often then sometimes the material of the boot wants to return to it's original position and a small re stretch / punch may be necessary, and in some cases I slightly overstretch / punch to accommodate this.

I've fixed this for my apx2's by making a small insert modelled after my fore foot (I now have access to a 3D scanner and my own laser machine) which I insert into the skates when they are not been used. Every time I put my skates on it's like putting on slippers :)

I will shortly add a post how to stretch just one side of the boot, for example you just want to move the outside of the boot outwards to accommodate a wider foot. This can be a different way to address pronation for those that have this problem, moving the boot outwards effectively shifts the blade inwards beneath your foot therefore helping to correct your pronation in a stock standard retail skate without having to move the holder.

And to stop the spoons digging in I now use some 4mm thick leather cut to look like a donut, this goes over the spoons and never leaves a mark on the boot.

And to stop the spoons moving under the c clamp I told my better half that they were now mine, punched a large dent in the top of each one (I wanted them to retain their structural integrity instead of drilling a hole) and drilled / glued the top of a small machine screw to the c - clamp side. Now they do not slip unless things are way out of kilter.