DIY blade mounting?

[AlbaNY]

Daughter’s skates arrived today, and the blades are not mounted.  I paid extra for sharpening and thought they’d be mounted too.  It was 30 euros shipping, so I’m not keen on sending them back to be.  So far I have had no luck getting a recommendation for a tech anywhere around here.  New Coach said maybe I could send them to a place a few hours away?

So, I know there are members here with a lot of technical expertise.  Can any of you talk me though this or should I figure out a way to get them to a professional?
 
I have a drill but no decent measuring tools here.  I would have to go buy a drill bit also. 

[tstop4me]

Daughter’s skates arrived today, and the blades are not mounted.  I paid extra for sharpening and thought they’d be mounted too.  It was 30 euros shipping, so I’m not keen on sending them back to be.  So far I have had no luck getting a recommendation for a tech anywhere around here.  New Coach said maybe I could send them to a place a few hours away?

So, I know there are members here with a lot of technical expertise.  Can any of you talk me though this or should I figure out a way to get them to a professional?
 
I have a drill but no decent measuring tools here.  I would have to go buy a drill bit also.

* Actually, it's good that the blades weren't mounted, since boots generally can't be returned once blades have been mounted on them.   Has your daughter tried on the boots to  make sure they fit properly?

* What model boots and what model blades do you have?  That's a key question before proceeding.

* You don't need any special measuring tools; just a ruler.  You'll need a drill, drill bit, scribe or centerpunch (depending on the material, you can use a scribe as a centerpunch), and screwdriver.

* Hey, if I recall your other posts, you drive a Zamboni, sharpen skates, and do a zillion other things, so mounting blades should certainly be within your capabilities.

[AlbaNY]

Thanks for the help and confidence Tstop4me.   
I may go ahead and get a ruler and drill bit then, but I hoping someone at the rink can help me out tomorrow if I’m lucky. 

She was really, really happy with how they felt.  The shop ended up sending me Overtures since her size Waves weren’t in stock.  Coronation Ace blades

[Bill_S]

I made a web page showing steps for blade mounting back in 2007 using minimal tools.

https://www.afterness.com/skating/mounting_blades.html

It was for the boots that I wore continually until a couple of years ago. There are some time-saving tweaks that I could do now with different tools, but the web page shows how to get it done simply.

[AlbaNY]

I made a web page showing steps for blade mounting back in 2007 using minimal tools.

https://www.afterness.com/skating/mounting_blades.html

It was for the boots that I wore continually until a couple of years ago. There are some time-saving tweaks that I could do now with different tools, but the web page shows how to get it done simply.

Thank you for the excellent information Bill!

[tstop4me]

I made a web page for blade mounting steps back in 2007...

https://www.afterness.com/skating/mounting_blades.html

It was for the boots that I wore continually until a couple of years ago. There are some time-saving tweaks that I could do now with different tools, but the web page shows how to get it done simply.

Just note that your instructions are for traditional leather soles and heels; whereas, AlbaNY has Edeas.  Some of your steps don't apply, and some details need to be revised.  I don't have any experience with Edeas, but I believe supersharp and Kaitsu do.

[Bill_S]

Yeah, good catch. With Edeas no Sno-Seal is required, and the screws will be different. That likely means a different pilot hole diameter for them.

That's what I can think of right now.

[AlbaNY]

No worries, I know not to Sno-Seal Edeas.   

They sent the Edea type screws, but I’m not sure what diameter for the pilot hole.  Maybe Google will help with that…

[Bill_S]

Here you go. The pilot hole diameter (metric) is revealed here...


https://edeaskates.com/en/ice/accessories/tech/drill-bit-extension/

[Kaitsu]

I am using often attached template, if want to make quick check if blades are mounted in the way which would be my starting position in the blade mounting. Even I have sketched outlines based on Edea boot, all you need to care are circles at both ends. Print first page to transparent film. You might need to play a bit with scaling. Mark blades current centers to your booth, remove blades and overlay the boot sole with transparent film you printed. Try to centralize circles like shown in page 2 and compare center line on the transparent film to marking you made before removing blade. Compare also if left and right foots are positioned similarly and try to analyse what happens, if blades are mounted out of theoretical line I have sketched. I do not want to say that my sketch is correct place for blade, but it helps a bit to make some conclusions about the blade positioning.

I hope this helps.

If you need more advice's, I can reply tomorrow.

[Christy]

I found this video to be really helpful in understanding Edea blade mounting. Note that it mentions that Edea soles are not always fitted straight, so you have to mount blades according to the boot, not the sole.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgrfnsN9goM

[AlbaNY]

Thank you Christy and Kaitsu.   

[Query]

I suggest you try balancing each boot with your feet in them on a pencil first, to get a rough idea where it should center.

[Query]

Also make sure you pay particular attention to drilling holes perpendicular to the sole, like the web book said. Otherwise the screw will not seat properly, and may move around.

[Kaitsu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eRApwFNxfc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV4dYLJ6OQk&t=45s

[AlbaNY]

Thank you all. 

Kaitsu, the skate holder is the item I really wished I had.  I remember seeing my tech use one, and I’m going to have to look around our house to see what I can use to help keep the boot in place.  I have a couple ideas involving the corners of certain chairs, but I’ll need to see how that actually works out or just brace them against my legs or something.
Otherwise I feel pretty okay about it all now. 

[Christy]

The skate tech I used to buy my Edeas from just put the boots on his knees. No sign of any special equipment, so you should be fine. From what I've seen the people on here take a lot more care about mounting blades than some so called experts  :'(

[AlbaNY]

The skate tech I used to buy my Edeas from just put the boots on his knees. No sign of any special equipment, so you should be fine. From what I've seen the people on here take a lot more care about mounting blades than some so called experts  :'(

Well, for me that is reassuring.  Not so much for those going to experts that don’t care 

[Query]

Do you have a vice, or can you borrow one that clamps to a table? Wrap the boot upper in a towel (so it isn't indented), and tighten the vice on it to hold it still. BTW, It is easiest to make the screw perpendicular to the bottom (which the person in the first video doesn't do particularly well) if you clamp it so that the bottom of the boot is approximately horizontal. I have played with using a drill guide to force screw perpendicularity, but admit I didn't do that last time I mounted my blades - which meant the screws didn't lock the plate in place as well as they should have.

I hope that your blades have a pair of slotted holes in the back as well as the front - makes it much easier to adjust front and rear side-to-side 0offsets. Remember that the way your feet and boot are shaped may cause them not to center on the front and back of the sole, so you want to adjust front and rear offset so you can glide on one foot without a tendency to turn.


In the second video, the tech holds the boot in his hand while he drills, he risks injuring himself with the drill. Also, when you pre-drill - if you can remove the insole first, do, so you don't drill through the insole.

Also a lot of people don't want the boot centered the way he initially centers it. They prefer a significantly offset blades, to improve balance. Though as I mentioned, I personally prefer to put it approximately in the centerline of my foot, not the skate, and reshape an insole, or make my own, to alter balance and create full even contact.

[supersharp]

AlbaNY—
You don’t have to have a vise to mount blades. It’s nice, but not mandatory. I mark the CL on the blade, set the boot upside down on my bench or on a cobbler’s stand, line up the blade and mark the first two slotted  holes with a sharpie. Drill those, then add the screws after making sure the blade is still aligned. Then do the 2 heel slots. Check to make sure the blade is straight, then add a screw at the toe of each and have her try them. If they seem fine, then add the other screws. Be careful to perfectly center the screws in the holes or the blade may twist.  It’s a little painstaking but I think you will be able to do it without any trouble.
 

[AlbaNY]

Thanks guys!

I knew about temporary with the slotted holes first, (although my own skate have alway ended up with permanent mounts from the get go,) and she seemed good to go so that the rest were added after the fifty minutes of group lesson. 

As for adjusting from rentals lately and very flat recreational blades before that…. She hung onto the boards way more than I expected for a bit of the way around the rink.     I suppose I can relate remembering my adventures on hockey blades?  Soon she was really happy about how much easier things were.  Yay!