Conforming ABS Blades

[pushead2 2]

Has anyone had any success on heating up an ABS blade to conform the blade slightly to their liking?

I was given 5 - Reebok 10K ABS P38 blades but when I play roller or ball, I just feel it's way too flat for me. I need more of a curve or even if I could gain a toe curve on it.

Anyone have any experience or tips??

[Cosmic 178]

A guy that we play with is always trying to heat his blades to get more toe. It works fine with wood, but every composite he has ever done has damaged it, so that they just go soft where he has heated them. Not sure about ABS, but I think you should be fine. Just do a YouTube search and watch some videos of how people do it, and listen for their tips on how they screwed up their blades in the past.

[pushead2 2]

Thanks bud!

[louierev07 31]

I tried this last summer. Bought a sherwood ryan pattern because its all they had, and I thought I could just heat it and bend it. I tried putting it in boiling water and then bending it under a door (saw it online). Ended up coming out terrible. I think at first even though I was bending one way it went the other. Tried to fix it and it ended up having a HUGE unusable curve on it. Even if it did come out good, I think you end up making the blade much weaker and pliable. You can see the weave start to break and its no good.

Since your kinda stuck with these, I would give it a shot if you really cant play with them as is. Just do it a little at a time. I would try less pressure and maybe some type of system where you could leave it for an hour or two, instead of just trying to bend it like I did.

Worst case scenario, ABS blades are real cheap. I get sherwoods for about $15 a blade.

[Larry54 243]

I've adjusted the curve on Reebok 2K ULTIMATE ABS blades with a heat gun with no problem. I believe the 10K is the same as the 2K that it replaced, other than a small price hike. I had previously had a harder time adjusting Easton ABS blades so I was actually surprised at how easy it was with the Reebok blade. Just keep the heat gun moving around the area you want to modify until it softens. Don't hurry it. Once you get one done, you'll have a feel for it and the others will be child's play.

[default user 3]

I've seen people use the heat gone method. Just make sure you keep it moving but concentrate on the area you want to bend (if that makes sense). The person I know used to 3-4 inch pipes/rods side by side and put the blade in between and used the pipes as a kind of clamp/dye to bend the blade.

[MThockeydad 469]

Kydex plastic is an ABS-PVC blend that is used to make gun holsters and knife sheaths. ABS is easily thermoformable. You can also put it in the oven at about 200-210ºF.

If you really want repeatable curves, carve a block of wood to fit closely inside your favorite composite blade. heat your ABS blade and clamp it to your wood block to cool.

[louierev07 31]

Kydex plastic is an ABS-PVC blend that is used to make gun holsters and knife sheaths. ABS is easily thermoformable. You can also put it in the oven at about 200-210ºF.

If you really want repeatable curves, carve a block of wood to fit closely inside your favorite composite blade. heat your ABS blade and clamp it to your wood block to cool.

Trying to think were I went wrong with mine. I put mine in water since water boils at that exact temp (~210 degrees F) Maybe I tried putting too much pressure at once?

Could the fiberglass coating that is one some be the difference as well?

[MThockeydad 469]

Could the fiberglass coating that is one some be the difference as well?

That's likely the exact problem. The polystyrene resin (or epoxy resin in composite sticks) isn't a thermoformable plastic. That's where you saw the glass weave breaking.

When you try to shape an older wood blade, you're a LOT hotter than 200ºF. You soften the polystyrene to shape the wood; the polystyrene never really regains its original strength, but it gets pliable enough to move, and the wood is strong enough to support the blade.

Cheaper ABS blades with no glass layer would probably have zero issues.

If you were feeling froggy, grind/sand off the glass, shape the ABS, and reglass. :)

[default user 3]

Trying to think were I went wrong with mine. I put mine in water since water boils at that exact temp (~210 degrees F) Maybe I tried putting too much pressure at once?

Could the fiberglass coating that is one some be the difference as well?

There's a good chance that when heating it up in the boiling water allowed water to seep into the blade and affect it. I would stay away from heating anything (hockey related on not) in water unless in specifically says, like a mouth guard. Water has the tendency to ruin a lot of things its not meant for. Especially when glues and resins are involved.

[Martis 0]

Never had any success with "recurving" any ABS fiberglass reinforced blade. Because at some point during reforming the ABS starts to delaminate from the fiberglass. The fiberglass reinforcement is not as formable as the ABS core, especially lengthwise.

btw.: no problem with reforming those pure ABS blades from e.g. Mylec, but they are, I guess, for children and very weak.