Moving Blades

[Figureskates]

I guess I am finally in that mode that all figure skaters get into and that is shifting of the blades.

My right blade is fine, left blade isn't so I had it moved yesterday. My coach was the one who suggested that it might need to be shifted a little further out. This is the leg with the rebuilt knee and I am wondering whether something is going on there as well.

My question is to you skaters out there, did you move the blades yourself or had it done?

I am afraid if I do it myself I would make matters worse.

Thoughts?

[Elsy2]

My hubby is my skate technician....We even have a nice Wissota sharpener in the basement and he learned from one of the best.

As I recall, when he moves blades he marks where they are, removes them, then plugs the holes if necessary. He has used bits of leather shoelaces mixed with glue (perhaps superglue?) and has also used plugs of wood, a trick he learned from another skate technician.

He's a materials and proccesses whiz, so not intimidated by trying any fix. If you have a pro shop near, you might just go with a good technician there to do this. But it can be done yourself.

Wanted to add that the tiniest of adjustment can make a huge difference, so we use the slotted holes to be sure the blades are where we want them. It can take a solid whole session to determine if we have it right.

One more tip.....the hardest part is the alignment, which you do not eyeball by the seams on the skates like one might think. But if you are careful to mark the current placement you should be OK moving them a bit equally front and back.

[dbny]

He has used bits of leather shoelaces mixed with glue (perhaps superglue?) and has also used plugs of wood, a trick he learned from another skate technician.

Not superglue. Most likely liquid hide glue.

I just had my left blade moved just a tad by Don Klingbeil in conjunction with shimming the inside of the boot. It seemed to help a bit, but now, two weeks later, the problem is back. I wouldn't attempt moving blades myself, but hubby would, as he is like Elsy2's without the skate specific training.

[Isk8NYC]

I think that adults are more prone to notice oddities in our blade alignments. Also, when boots start breaking down, your balance shifts slightly and a new alignment can help compensate for it. Once you get a rebuild, all bets are off on the alignment of your blades.

I swore by the gentlemen at Corona and Liebenow in South Mountain and the old Sky Rink. These days, they're at the Mennen Arena in Morristown, NJ. I was pleased with the last adjustment, but I was there over an hour, taking my skates off and on at least five times.

I'm due for another adjustment since I didn't have a chance to do it this fall. If you want to come with me, let me know and I'll make an appointment.

[Isk8NYC]

My husband's not handy at all, but I'm pretty fearless with a screwdriver. Yet, I'm daunted by the idea of adjusting blades.

I missed it due to the Fall from Hell last year, but the ISI Coach's Seminar included a presentation on skate adjustments. Maybe we could ask a pro shop to do a similar presentation on a local scale and get your husband a new side job. (Like he doesn't have enough to do! :roll: ) I know there are many instructors who would benefit from just understanding how to make adjustments.

[Isk8NYC]

It can take a solid whole session to determine if we have it right.

When Corona and Liebenow were in Sky Rink, they'd actually put you on the ice to test out the adjustments. Not sure if they have that luxury at Mennan because there was a hockey tournament in all three rinks last time I was there.

The on-ice check really did help make sure the alignment was perfect.

I gotta make the appointment!

[garyc254]

A few years ago, I decided that my right blade wasn't adjusted properly, so using the slotted screw holes on the blade I tweaked them. Tweaked them several times.

I found that it would help me get on my outside edge easier, but caused problems with the inside edges.

After much tweaking I ended up with my blade back in the original position which I had marked before adjusting.

I finally figured out that it wasn't the blade in my case, it was the skater. :oops:

:lol:

[froggy]

I had my blade moved by a professional at the pro shop where I orginally bought my skates. After a couple of months of killing myself for not being able to hold a left outside edge I now can!! It was one of the best things I got done, I also did it on the suggestion of my coach.

happy skating!

[Elsy2]

Sorry to have misinformed on the glue......

Hubby just told me he used Amazing Goop......

He splits the rawhide strips to make them thin enough to fit the holes.

He puts some glue in the hole, some on the rawhide and then tamps it in with a drill bit.


Hope this helps some of you adventurous do it yourselfers.... :bow:

[fadedstardust]

I have never had my blades adjusted. They just get put onto my new boots and the fitter watches me stand and walk around and adjusts it from there and then it's good to go til I switch blades. How does one go about feeling like their blade is out of place? I don't think I'd even think of that. How does it feel, and how do you know? I'm sorry so many of you seem to have bad luck with blade alignments :(

[Mrs Redboots]

I have never had my blades adjusted. They just get put onto my new boots and the fitter watches me stand and walk around and adjusts it from there and then it's good to go til I switch blades. How does one go about feeling like their blade is out of place? I don't think I'd even think of that. How does it feel, and how do you know? I'm sorry so many of you seem to have bad luck with blade alignments :(Last time I had new blades, I asked my coach whether he thought they would need adjusting. He told me to skate in a straight line on each foot in turn, and, because there was no veering off to one side or other, he reckoned they were fine. And I've had no trouble with them. But one friend, a teacher but I don't know him in that capacity, only as a fellow-member of our dance club, had "new" (I think they were 2nd-hand, but I could be wrong) boots and blades one night, and had to get off the ice to change back into his old ones, as the blades were misaligned for him and he couldn't get one of his edges at all!

[icedancer2]

I have never had my blades adjusted. They just get put onto my new boots and the fitter watches me stand and walk around and adjusts it from there and then it's good to go til I switch blades. How does one go about feeling like their blade is out of place? I don't think I'd even think of that. How does it feel, and how do you know? I'm sorry so many of you seem to have bad luck with blade alignments :(

You would probably notice if your blade was off. You would have trouble staying on one particular edge or another, or have trouble hitting an edge.

I got new blades a couple of years ago. I knew they were mounted wrong on the right foot because when I did back cross-overs in the clockwise direction, I believe, there was this little scraping sound that was not detectable on the other side, and I had never experienced it before. The guy who mounted the blades kept telling me it was my "technique" and even got me out on the ice to show me what I was doing wrong. He moved the blade several times, but it was never right.

I took them to another person in my area and he took one look at the boots, could see the blade was mounted wrong and re-mounted it for me. Viola. End of problem. No more scraping sound and everything was right. Very simple. Not my "technique" at all.

After that experience I notice a lot more things about my blades. Like after a sharpening if they are not right, I can feel it, and I will take them back and have them fix the problem.