Weâve just reached the one year anniversary of the first batch of Third Assist hockey sticks so we thought itâd be fun to share everything weâve learned since we started exploring the DIY hockey stick idea. Sticks have come a long way in the last century and now we sit in a climate with two types of sticks: composite and wood. Composites are understandably taking the lead in the competitive game, but thereâs still a strong following of wood hockey stick connoisseurs. We count ourselves part of the latter group and weâve always wanted to know how theyâre made and how we can make them for ourselves.
If you want to learn the whole process from the big guys you can learn that here:
If you want to learn how you and I can go about DIY hockey sticks, follow along here:
âWe source our sticks from the only remaining wood stickmaker in all of North America. Last year we found all other stickmakers have gone out of business or gone overseas. Weâve worked out a deal with our professional stickmaker where we can purchase small batches of raw, unfinished birch sticks and finish them ourselves in the shop just like they used to in earlier decades.
When we receive the sticks, we start with a light grind, rough sanding, and other minor prep work before applying with a Third Assist brand. At this stage we either sell DIY kits for individual purchase or finish them ourselves. Hereâs how we (and you) go about the rest.
The next step is staining or painting the stick.
Next apply any customization after your base coats. This is the stage where we cut stencils and are able to customize each stick.
Once you have applied your customization or unique design, it is vital to protect the stick.
And there you go. There are the steps for completing you own wood hockey stick. Each stick takes us about one week of time between prep and finish, but it can be done much quicker depending on the complexity of your design (much of our time is consumed in the care of the stencil and curing into the wood pores).â
â âWe hope you learned something today and we provided a valuable resource in designing your own custom stick in the future!
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