How to Convert Hockey Skates to Roller Wheels
If you are making a switch from ice hockey to roller hockey or simply want a pair of roller skates that feel just as broken-in as your old ice skates, you can convert that old pair of blades into a new set of wheels. However, the process is quite tedious, and may require the help of a professional.
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Things You'll Need
- Skates
- Flathead screw driver
- Rivet Gun (if available)
- Drill
- Roller Chassis
- Nuts
- Small Bolts
Instructions
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Converting Your Skates
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1
Remove the chassis to begin the conversion. Chances are that your ice skate chassis were affixed to the boot with a rivet gun. You can use the flathead screwdriver to wedge between the bottom of the rivet and the chassis. You can even use wire cutters to snip the rivets if the bottom will not completely come off. Once the chassis are removed, you will need to pull out the rivets through the inside of the boot. In order to do so, you will have to peel the insole up from the inside of the boot, and you should be able to easily access the rivets to pull them out, one by one.
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2
You will now need to align your inline chassis with the skate. It may be wise to make a mark with a pencil down the center of the skate so that the wheels will be aligned correctly.
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3
The chassis will have a number of holes in them that allow you to affix it to the boot. Line up the chassis with the boot, and use a pencil to mark each hole on the boot. You can then remove the chassis and drill the new holes in the bottom of the boot.
If you are using a rivet gun, proceed to step 4. If you are not, proceed to step 5.
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4
Place your rivets in through the inside of the boot, and out through the newly made holes. Using your rivet gun, affix the chassis to the boot, making sure that every hole has a rivet securely attaching the chassis to the skate. If you are able to connect the skate to the chassis with the rivet gun, skip to Step 6.
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5
You will now need to use your nuts and bolts to affix your skate to the chassis. Place the bolt in through the boot and tighten the nut on the opposite end of the chassis. You may want to use liquid nails or another strong bonding agent to make sure the nuts will not come loose.
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6
After the inline chassis are mounted, you are ready to insert the wheels and get rolling. Make sure that the wheels you choose suit your needs and the surface on which you are skating.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Always be sure to check your chassis before and after every skate to make sure that they are staying mounted correctly. If the process seems too difficult, take your skates to a hockey shop. They do this kind of procedure fairly often, and should be able to help you out.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit roller image by Aleksandr Ugorenkov from Fotolia.com
