Rollerblade Brake

I had worn out my rollerblade brake and had gone to the store to buy a new one. Unfortunately the brake i needed was not manufactured anymore. I didn't want to buy a new pair of rollerblades just for the brake so I decided I would have to figure out how to make my own. After some experimentation, this is what I came up with.

Materials needed are:

A hockey puck or any suitable hard rubber ($0.99)
A saw or something to cut the puck with (already had)
5 minute epoxy ($1.25)
Aluminum foil to make a mixing bowl
A mixing stick

You can experiment to find out what works best for you. I found 5 minute epoxy works the best. I tried other glues and silicone but the brake sheared off. It's also best to get the hardest puck you can as it will last longer. The puck will mark floors and other surfaces so be careful. Also the puck won't last as long as a regular brake but you can get four brakes out of one puck so it's okay.

You will need something to cut the puck with. I used a hand saw.

Next, you will need something to glue the puck with. I found 5 minute epoxy seems to work the best.

And last, you will need a puck. Get the hardest puck you can because it will last the longest and not mark as much. You can see here that I already cut a piece out.

You can see the worn out brake. Try not to let it wear out all of the way so there is something you can attach the puck to.

Here you can see that I cut the puck into four pieces (already used one of them). You can cut the puck into any shape you like. I just do it this way because it's easier.

Mix up the epoxy and apply to the puck. Make sure the epoxy is mixed really well or the brake will come off. That I learned from experience. It's not fun trying to stop suddenly and the brake falls off!

Please make sure that you work fast enough that the epoxy is still wet when you apply the puck to the brake.  If The epoxy hardens before you can do this, scrape off the epoxy and start again.

Here is the brake before adding the puck. Once the puck is glued on, the hole for the screw will be covered up. I usually don't remove the brake anyway but you could drill a hill if you needed to.

Press the brake on to make sure all of the epoxy is holding. Hold it for a minute or two until the puck stops moving once you let go of it.

Here the puck has been glued to the brake. You can position the puck any way that you like before the epoxy sets.

The final product. The puck doesn't seem to drag but since it is quite low, be careful going up bumps as the brake may touch the ground. The brake will eventually wear away enough that it won't matter.

Good luck and happy experimenting. You can try different types of rubber, glues, shapes, etc. to see what works best for you. If you come up with something better please let me know or you can make your own instructable.

Thank you for reading.

Keith