A two-piece stick is almost a must when playing street hockey. Asphalt is a lot harder on a stick blade than the ice, and blades wear down faster. A worn stick blade makes puck handling and defending much more challenging, putting you at a major disadvantage. Rather than having to take your stick to the shop each time, you can replace it yourself if you have the right tools. For a one-time cost of about $25 you will be set up to swap out your own blades.
What You’ll Need
- Heat gun
- Hot glue gun
- knife
Just in case you are unable to watch the video, the directions are as follows. Heat the end of the shaft with a heat gun for 30 seconds to one minute, depending on stick material, heat gun temperature, and glue saturation. Hold it a few inches from the stick so you are careful not to damage by overheating. The blade should slide out easily once it’s hot enough. Grab the replacement blade and make sure it’s the correct size (standard/tapered or senior/junior) Verify there is a sufficient amount of glue to secure the blade will stay secure once it’s in the shaft. If there isn’t enough glue, add a little more using your glue gun. You don’t need a whole lot and most blades come with enough. Hold the stick blade next to the shaft and reheat them together in preparation for insertion. As soon as the glue shows signs of melting and the end of the stick is hot enough, insert the new blade. It should glide right in. Wipe the excess glue off while it’s still hot, or you can wait until tit hardens and use your knife to cut it away. Wait 5-10 minutes for the new blade to bond to the stick. Before playing with your fresh stick, shake the blade to make sure it has no play and is firmly seated in the shaft. If it wobbles, you may have to repeat the process and increase the amount of glue.
Tags: stick
