Rivets are commonly used by hockey skate manufacturers to mount the blade assembly to the skate boot. Because of heavy use over time, these rivets can loosen, making the skate assembly unstable in relation to the skate boot. The hardest part when replacing worn rivets is removing them, so the proper tools can turn a difficult job into an easy one. Many times, when customizing your skates with aftermarket blades, all existing rivets may require replacement.
Loosen and remove the skate laces. Open up the skate boot and remove the skate's insole.
Use a sharp-edge prying tool to remove the old rivets. Hockey skate rivets normally settle into the plastic on the blade mount and skate sole. Using a prying tool that's sharp enough to get under the rivet head, pry the rivet out by working around the rivet head. Once the rivet starts to loosen, pull it out with pliers. In this manner, remove all rivets being replaced.
Replace the rivets with screws, either Phillips (crosshead) or Allen head. Replacing the rivets with screws makes future maintenance and adjustment easier, especially when replacing skate blades. Appropriately sized screws designed for hockey skates are available at hockey pro shops and sporting goods stores.
Place the new screw into the hole left by the rivet. At the other end of the screw, inside the skate boot, place a T-nut over the screw. T-nuts are designed to hold the screw and fasten to the boot as the screw is tightened.
Tighten the screw using a Phillips screwdriver or Allen wrench. As the screw is tightened, the prongs on the bottom of the T-nut mount into the sole of the skate boot. In this manner, replace all the necessary rivets. Insert the insole and relace the skates.