Do-It-Yourself "Vybe" Blade

[ozweepay 0]

I've been browsing the forums for a while, and I decided to sign up recently.

I normally use wood blades, but I also like the consistency and light-weight feel of graphite/composite blades. What I don't like about the comp/graphite blades is the brittle, stiff feel when handling and shooting the puck, which is a problem alot of players complain about. Hespeler has addressed this issue with the "Vybe" blade insert with the rubber patch on the face of the blade, and it feels pretty good, in my opinion. I really couldn't find a "Vybe" blade to my liking, so I improvised. I went to Home Depot and bought a $9 can of Plasti Dip, (it's actually rubber) that you can use to dip your tools in to give them a rubber coating. Electricians use it on their tools to provide insulation from electrical currents. You can also brush it on, which is what I did. I took my Easton Shanahan graphite blade and taped off the section that I was going to apply it to. I then lightly sanded with 220 grit sandpaper to give the rubber better adhesion on the blade. Then I applied the Plasti Dip with a brush, putting it on generously but consistently, making sure it didn't build up too much in one area. It dries pretty quick, you can add another coat after 1/2 an hour. I only applied 1 coat, just to make sure it worked. And it really works well. It feels just like the "Vybe" blade, with that nice "soft-touch" feel.

It is flexible and durable and resists weather elements (like ice and water), so it is on there pretty good.

As you can see in the pics, I only did a small section of the blade, about 1 inch high, because I wanted to make sure it worked before I destroyed my blade. I applied more after the pics were taken, and put it higher up on the blade. I just haven't taken pics of the new job yet.

The Plasti Dip comes in 4 colors, White, Yellow, Black and Blue. It would probably also work well for anyone wanting a rubber grip texture to their shaft, but you'd have to live with your stick then being one solid color.

[JR Boucicaut 3805]

Man, I need to send this thread to someone...

[cobrAA 0]

one question,do you even try a vybe blade??that way you can really say it ''like the vybe blade'' or it just a imitation but doing the job...

anywayz that a pretty good idea... i might give it a try...THANKS!

[Chadd 916]

I tried the same thing with an attack pad but it just seemed to make the blade feel dead. If it's as lively as a Vybe blade, nice job.

[Kirsch 1]

Would this make sticks more durable on concrete? I.E. this on the blade of an OPS.

[notorious#29 0]

Kool idea. Im gonna try that!

[ozweepay 0]

In answer to the one question, I did use a teammates Hespeler, and I liked the feel, but the blade pattern wasn't to my liking, so I only used it for half a game. In my pursuit of trying to find a pattern that I could use, I arrived at this idea of using the rubber on my own blade.

As far as using it on concrete, I don't think it would last long, as it's a flexible rubber, and it's not a hard protective consistency. Just like how your rubber shoe soles eventually wear out from use, this rubber compound would wear out on concrete as well.

For anyone that wants to try it, I used painter's tape, or masking tape, to tape off the section I was applying it to. It dries in about 1/2 an hour, so peel off the tape after about 20 minutes, when the rubber is still a bit wet but not runny. That way the tape will come off easier and it won't be stuck underneath the rubber compound when it's dry.

[Gee12 0]

smart thinking! B)

[flaming_june 2]

yah, thanks a lot

[#94 3]

Do you still get the "pop" on shots and everything?

There's no use in buying a composite stick if you're not going to have the pop...

[Ogie Oglethorpe 14]

Not that long ago, there was a guy selling what equated to shrink wrap hard coating plastic sleeves. Essentially, it was the same stuff technicians put over telephone wires (over the connection where the wire met the pole I guess). Didn't last real long (dozen games maybe - so longer than tape) but it was fairly cool. This plastic dip stuff though looks much better.

I do wonder what happens when it starts to peel/get cut up (i.e., how easy is it to take off, touch up, etc). I might try this on some of my hacked up replacement blades to check out.

[illpaseo116 0]

great idea! My dad has a can of that stuff in the garage, I might have to give it a shot. How's the weight factor?? I know the stuff isn't too heavy, I've used it before to dip tools. I know it doesn't take much to feel a weight difference on a blade though...

[then00b 1]

What exactly did the Vybe blade do? Looks interesting.

[roadrunner 12]

Would this stuff be good for adding grip to a shaft, or is it not grippy at all?

[iceholes 0]

interesting....

Like Ill... weight questions...does it add weight (noticeable)

Also need to know if the blade looses pop as others wondered...

got me thinking so early in the mornin....

[notorious#29 0]

Would this stuff be good for adding grip to a shaft, or is it not grippy at all?

Yes I have seen shafts with that stuff on it before, havent tried it myself though. Seems like it might be like the TPS rubber grip.

[hip check 0]

I tried about 5 light coats and it worked quite well. It did get chewed up fairly quickly (a couple of weeks) from other sticks and my gloves, but it's a cheap and easy way to add grip to a shaft. You would have to re-apply after a while to restore the finish. If you don't like it the stuff is quite easy to peel off.

[mm705 0]

what kind of grip does it compare to?

[notorious#29 0]

Id think it would be alot like the TPS rubberized grip coating, maybe not as tacky though.

[hitz14 0]

do you think that you could put the rubber stuff all around the blade like a normal tape job and not use tape. or would that really weigh it down

[hip check 0]

I don't think it's a strong enough surface to survive very long on a blade.

[Modo9 0]

Am I the only person who doesn't have a problem with stick vibration?

[M-Cohen 0]

No when i bought my first ops 2 years ago i thought if you felt vibration that the stick was good so i still like it.

[sabresfan11 0]

do you think that you could put the rubber stuff all around the blade like a normal tape job and not use tape. or would that really weigh it down

Well, think about it. A TPS rubber shaft is heavy, and the grip coating isn't even that thick. Im almost positive that it would make it extremely heavy, but then Wayne Gretzky said he liked heavy sticks so.....

[Modo9 0]

Why the hell would you want to put rubber on your blade? I can't imagine that helping your snap-shot.