Blade Alignment Question

[taffytwelve]

Hello. I just bought a pair of Jackson Debut boots with Matrix Legacy blades, and for the most part, I love them...but I can't shake the feeling that the alignment on my left skate is just slightly off. I've tried the one foot glide test and I'm not pulling to either side, and when I had the blades originally mounted I was told that I was hitting them correctly at a 90-degree angle as I walked, but it just feels like I'm falling ever-so-slightly inside. Also, when I stand and balance on my right skate, I feel nice and centered and stable, but when I balance on my left, I feel a little more wobbly. Unfortunately, I don't have a coach to check in with, and I've been told that there's only one person in my area that is experienced with mounting blades, but I've been trying and failing to get in touch with him for more than two weeks. I'd have to fly to the place where I bought them to get help there, so that's out of the question, but I've been recommended a skate shop (Rainbo in Nashville) and I'm trying to decide if it's worth making the eight-hour roundtrip drive. What do you think? The place where I bought them is absolutely reputable, but I wasn't able to try them out on the ice and was warned that they might need an adjustment. I've skated on them for four sessions at this point, and I feel like I'm becoming more and more aware that they're (potentially?) a little off the more I break them in. Is it possible that they are, despite passing the "tests," or could this all be in my head?

Also, I assume they have to drill new holes when they adjust a mount, so is there a limited number of times you can move a blade before you lose the integrity of the sole? (I don't have my permanent mount in yet, thankfully).

 

[tstop4me]

(I don't have my permanent mount in yet, thankfully)

I'll answer your other questions later. If you don't have a permanent mount, then I assume you have a temp mount. That is, only two screws installed in the elongated slots in the sole plate and only two screws installed in the elongated slots of the heel plate. Is this correct? If so, the entire purpose of a temp mount is to allow you to make a minor adjustment of the blade position along the inside/outside axis without drilling new holes. You just need to loosen (no need to remove) all four screws, push the blade to a new position (in your case, towards the inside), and then retighten the screws. The amount of adjustment possible depends on the blade, the screws, and how carefully the tech positioned the screws within the slots.

Caveats:

* Before making any adjustments, I would first use a fine Sharpie to trace the perimeters of the sole plate and heel plate of the blade onto the sole and heel of the boot. This will give you a record of the initial blade position. Depending on the color of the sole and heel of the boot, choose a color of Sharpie to provide adequate contrast.

* If you are handy with a screwdriver (and e.g. have done some woodworking), you can do this yourself. There is no issue with loosening the screws, but when you retighten the screws, you could strip the thread in a screw hole if you overtighten (but this can be repaired). If you're uncertain, ask someone experienced with installing screws in plastic materials (or similar soft materials such as leather or wood). Use a manual screwdriver, not a power drill with a screwdriver bit.

 

[taffytwelve]

I'll answer your other questions later. If you don't have a permanent mount, then I assume you have a temp mount. That is, only two screws installed in the elongated slots in the sole plate and only two screws installed in the elongated slots of the heel plate. Is this correct? If so, the entire purpose of a temp mount is to allow you to make a minor adjustment of the blade position along the inside/outside axis without drilling new holes. You just need to loosen (no need to remove) all four screws, push the blade to a new position (in your case, towards the inside), and then retighten the screws. The amount of adjustment possible depends on the blade, the screws, and how carefully the tech positioned the screws within the slots.

Caveats:

* Before making any adjustments, I would first use a fine Sharpie to trace the perimeters of the sole plate and heel plate of the blade onto the sole and heel of the boot. This will give you a record of the initial blade position. Depending on the color of the sole and heel of the boot, choose a color of Sharpie to provide adequate contrast.

* If you are handy with a screwdriver (and e.g. have done some woodworking), you can do this yourself. There is no issue with loosening the screws, but when you retighten the screws, you could strip the thread in a screw hole if you overtighten (but this can be repaired). If you're uncertain, ask someone experienced with installing screws in plastic materials (or similar soft materials such as leather or wood). Use a manual screwdriver, not a power drill with a screwdriver bit.

Ah, thank you! I had no idea about any of that. That makes me feel much less stressed about having it moved (I was so afraid it’d get messed up somehow). This is what my blades look like now, so I guess I have the temporary mount plus two of the permanent screws?

 

[tstop4me]

Ah, thank you! I had no idea about any of that. That makes me feel much less stressed about having it moved (I was so afraid it’d get messed up somehow). This is what my blades look like now, so I guess I have the temporary mount plus two of the permanent screws?

Hi. For some reason I can't view your photos. If you wish, you can send me the photos (e.g., jpeg files) via DM. That's an easier way to work because I can annotate the photos and send them back to you if needed for more info. If you have more than the four screws I mentioned, you don't have a temp mount. You technically have a "permanent" mount. A "permanent" mount does not require the full complement of screws to be installed, if that's what you were thinking. As I've written many times, that's the common terminology; but it's misleading, since it's not really "permanent" ... it still can be changed. Your tech should have discussed with you whether you wanted a temp or permanent mount (maybe since you flew in they just assumed that they should give you a permanent mount so you wouldn't have to fly back in again or seek out a local tech for the permanent mount; regardless, they should have discussed options with pluses/minuses with you and let you make the final decision).