If you would like to alter the appearance of your ice hockey skates, you must apply the appropriate type of finish. Because neither the boots nor the blades are suitable for paint adhesion, you will need to choose particular types of coatings, specifically formulated to bond to each. While the boot portions of the skates need little preparation, the blades require a special type of primer, capable of etching metallic surfaces to provide a tooth for the new finish to adhere to.
Things You'll Need:
Things You Will Need
Remove the laces from the hockey skates.
Wash the hockey skates with water using a coarse sponge. Dry the skates with clean rags.
Promote adhesion by abrading plastic portions of the hockey skates with sandpaper. Scour the plastic until it feels slightly coarse. Skip this step if the skates lack plastic.
Move the skates outdoors or to a ventilated area and place them on a heavy-duty fabric drop cloth.
Coat the blades with galvanized metal etching spray primer. Hold the can 8 inches from the blades as you apply. Wait four hours for the primed skates to dry.
Coat the primed blades with an oil-based spray enamel. Hold the can 8 inches from the blades as you apply. Wait six hours for the painted skates to cure.
Cover the finished blades with professional painter's tape.
Coat plastic portions of the hockey skates with acrylic latex spray primer. Hold the can 8 inches from the blades as you apply. Wait two hours for the primed skates to dry. Skip this step if the skates lack plastic.
Coat the primed plastic and boot portions of the skates with vinyl spray paint. Hold the can 8 inches from the blades as you apply. Remove the tape while the paint is still wet. Wait eight hours before wearing the skates.
Warnings:
- Never prime unsanded plastic, or the finish will fail. Never paint bare metal skate blades, or the paint will peel. Do not use an ordinary acrylic latex paint on hockey skates, or the finish will fail.