Chin Sling for 960 XPM?

[Punisher Goalie]

My beloved 960 XPM is on its way back to me after paint. Can’t wait to get it back.

In the meantime, I have been enjoying the chin sling on my Sportmask Pro Series 2 and wondering if anyone has installed/used one on a 960 XPM?

I have an unused Maltese chin sling and was thinking of trying it out. If anyone has any pics of their install that would be great (just trying to get an idea of how to cut and mount it. Thanks!

[CG35]

Yep, love the helmet, but absolutely hated the stock chin cup... used the Nash Sports version shown below. This sling has been in my helmet for 2 full seasons and no less than 150 games at various levels.

• Take your time, align correctly and mark the leather through the screw holes in the side of the helmet shell. (Go a little snugger as the leather will stretch slightly over time.)
• Cut new holes in the sling using a gasket punch... I believe it was 1/4". (Doubtful the originals will line-up perfectly)
• Cut off the original 960 XPM chin cup straps so the ends are recessed or just fold them back under the padding until you're sure you're not going back.
• Reassemble and then trace the outline of the original 960 XPM padding onto the sling using a pencil.
• Remove sling and manually remove the excess padding. (This will allow the original padding to sit properly, otherwise the sling will push everything in about a 1/4" from the inside of the helmet. Between the padding and leather of the sling there is adhesive... this will help bond the sling to the existing padding of the 960 XPM upon installation.)
• Reassemble and enjoy. 

[Punisher Goalie]

On 3/9/2018 at 9:08 PM, CG35 said:

Yep, love the helmet, but absolutely hated the stock chin cup... used the Nash Sports version shown below. This sling has been in my helmet for 2 full seasons and no less than 150 games at various levels.

• Take your time, align correctly and mark the leather through the screw holes in the side of the helmet shell. (Go a little snugger as the leather will stretch slightly over time.)
• Cut new holes in the sling using a gasket punch... I believe it was 1/4". (Doubtful the originals will line-up perfectly)
• Cut off the original 960 XPM chin cup straps so the ends are recessed or just fold them back under the padding until you're sure you're not going back.
• Reassemble and then trace the outline of the original 960 XPM padding onto the sling using a pencil.
• Remove sling and manually remove the excess padding. (This will allow the original padding to sit properly, otherwise the sling will push everything in about a 1/4" from the inside of the helmet. Between the padding and leather of the sling there is adhesive... this will help bond the sling to the existing padding of the 960 XPM upon installation.)
• Reassemble and enjoy. 

Thank you - this was exactly the sort of idea I was looking for. That Nash chin sling with the leather backing seems to be the key to making it work with the mechanically-attached padding on the 960 XPM.

Now that mine is back I’ve skated with it 3 times and although I love the mask and the fit, I can’t stand the chin cup anymore lol. I tried just taking it out and there is enough padding in the chin area that I’m not even sure I need a cup or sling. I’m going to try one of my extra Sportmask chin cups first, then track down a Nash chin sling if that doesn’t work. Thanks again!

[IPv6Freely]

I have a maltese chin sling in my NME that has mechanically attached padding. I'll snap pics when I get home. 

[Punisher Goalie]

4 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

I have a maltese chin sling in my NME that has mechanically attached padding. I'll snap pics when I get home. 

That would be awesome, thanks!

[CG35]

9 hours ago, Punisher Goalie said:

Thank you - this was exactly the sort of idea I was looking for. That Nash chin sling with the leather backing seems to be the key to making it work with the mechanically-attached padding on the 960 XPM.

Now that mine is back I’ve skated with it 3 times and although I love the mask and the fit, I can’t stand the chin cup anymore lol. I tried just taking it out and there is enough padding in the chin area that I’m not even sure I need a cup or sling. I’m going to try one of my extra Sportmask chin cups first, then track down a Nash chin sling if that doesn’t work. Thanks again!

No problem... this was one of the best modifications I've ever tried and it felt pretty sketchy to commit to without trying it out first. I would definitely recommend something with a synthetic leather backing... keeps the chin securely in place when you take a nice clapper square on. I have yet to lose my helmet during a play, and I've been straight-up bowled over a couple of times. That being said... it does take a little getting used to the additional freedom. You will definitely find it easier to communicate with your players too. 

[IPv6Freely]

15 hours ago, Punisher Goalie said:

That would be awesome, thanks!

Had to rush out the door this morning, sorry! Going to scroll through my phone to see if I have any on there... lol

[IPv6Freely]

@Punisher Goalie okay here’s mine:

And here’s two that aren’t mine but also give you an idea. Note the one photo shows how it should be away from the front of the mask a bit for impacts.

[Punisher Goalie]

@IPv6Freely thanks, those look great. Since I already have the unused Maltese sling sitting around, I’ll probably try to fashion something out of that. My main issue is, if you look at @CG35‘s pictures, the cheek pieces on the XPM entend down over the holes where the strap snaps attach. That’s what prevents you from doing a traditional sling set up, at least not without overlapping the Maltese and the stock foam. I’ll give it a shot though.

[IPv6Freely]

7 minutes ago, Punisher Goalie said:

@IPv6Freely thanks, those look great. Since I already have the unused Maltese sling sitting around, I’ll probably try to fashion something out of that. My main issue is, if you look at @CG35‘s pictures, the cheek pieces on the XPM entend down over the holes where the strap snaps attach. That’s what prevents you from doing a traditional sling set up, at least not without overlapping the Maltese and the stock foam. I’ll give it a shot though.

So, I actually put the stock foam back into my mask. On the NME padding at least, the entire lower portion is a completely separate section that is attached to the upper half using a backing plastic piece the padding is glued to. I ended up cutting the bottom half of the padding out. 

In this photo, everything below the red lines is now gone:

The way I actually did it, is I peeled the TOP section off the backing that both the top and bottom are glued to, and made the cut about 2" up. That meant that if I ever wanted to re-attach the bottom part back to the top there would be enough of the backing material to glue that together. 

The 960XPM is similar but I think the seam is a bit lower. You should still be able to figure it out if you're okay with removing some of the padding the way I did. As somebody who has a serious phobia of doing modifications I can't undo, trust me when I say it's less scary than you think.

One other unrelated thing I'd suggest - with how much of a pain in the ass it is to get a cage on a mask, I would recommend you NOT use the mechanical attachments for the cage screws. I pulled all the attachment points for the cage off my padding and now I can remove my padding without removing my cage. Nice for cleaning the mask. 

[ruckus007]

14 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

@Punisher Goalie okay here’s mine:

Man....your maltese install's way nicer than mine. Mine looks like a blind 8 year old missing a hand did it. 

[IPv6Freely]

On 3/13/2018 at 11:11 PM, ruckus007 said:

Man....your maltese install's way nicer than mine. Mine looks like a blind 8 year old missing a hand did it. 

LOL. I liked the circles way better, though.

I also removed it and put the stock padding back in. 

[ruckus007]

how come??

THe only way my Asian head fits an NME8 was with Maltese. I couldn't even make it halfway in with the stock padding.

[IPv6Freely]

On 3/16/2018 at 10:13 PM, ruckus007 said:

how come??

THe only way my Asian head fits an NME8 was with Maltese. I couldn't even make it halfway in with the stock padding.

Which fit were you trying?

I find the stock padding more comfortable. 

[itis121]

On 2018-03-17 at 1:13 AM, ruckus007 said:

how come??

THe only way my Asian head fits an NME8 was with Maltese. I couldn't even make it halfway in with the stock padding.

Lol I have the same problem. Fit 3  fits my round Filipino face but leaves a noticeable gap. 

[IPv6Freely]

21 minutes ago, itis121 said:

Lol I have the same problem. Fit 3  fits my round Filipino face but leaves a noticeable gap. 

hah my 'whitest guy in the room' face fits in a Fit 1  

[ruckus007]

11 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

Which fit were you trying?

I find the stock padding more comfortable. 

Fit 3. The stock padding pinches my temples and cheeks too much. 

[IPv6Freely]

8 hours ago, ruckus007 said:

Fit 3. The stock padding pinches my temples and cheeks too much. 

haha thats a wide head!  

[Aquilzz]

Excuse my ignorance, but what are the benefits of the chin sling?

I use a 950x (too good of a deal to pass up on at the time instead of the 960xpm) and haven't been satisfied with the fit of the chin cup. It's too wobbly in there. 

[CG35]

It's just a personal preference mostly... I feel like it just provides a more relaxed fit which allows for more comfort, better communication, possibly less fatigue as you can allow air to flow between your face and the sling at any time. When properly fit... it may help cushion clappers to the chin and cage area. 

If you consider trying one just make sure that your helmet fits correctly in all other ways and that you don't mind the feeling of your bucket moving around a little if it glances off your chesty. It really moves very little, but for some people the feeling of having your helmet move upward causes trust issues. A quick little head shake usually fixes things up if required.

[goalie]

13 hours ago, Aquilzz said:

Excuse my ignorance, but what are the benefits of the chin sling?

I use a 950x (too good of a deal to pass up on at the time instead of the 960xpm) and haven't been satisfied with the fit of the chin cup. It's too wobbly in there. 

If you stay with the cup, put some 2 way tape on the cup and secure it to the mask to stop the wobble. also you can stick some foam between to make it more snug

[ruckus007]

On 20/03/2018 at 8:40 AM, IPv6Freely said:

haha thats a wide head!  

Nah. Just an Asian head. =(

[Chenner29]

On 3/5/2018 at 6:14 PM, Punisher Goalie said:

My beloved 960 XPM is on its way back to me after paint. Can’t wait to get it back.

In the meantime, I have been enjoying the chin sling on my Sportmask Pro Series 2 and wondering if anyone has installed/used one on a 960 XPM?

I have an unused Maltese chin sling and was thinking of trying it out. If anyone has any pics of their install that would be great (just trying to get an idea of how to cut and mount it. Thanks!

Just stumbled on to this thread.

As others have mentioned, definitely use a piece of jenpro and attach it to the side facing the shell (padwrap/padskinz works well for this, I have found).  In the event you can't source this, a rubatex washer can also serve the same purpose.  The gel has some elasticity to it, so if you mount it by itself with no backing or support, it *will* stretch a bit and could potentially pull out of the hardware you use to mount it.

Please please please! Make sure there is some clearance between the shell and the sling.  I have seen some bad installs where the sling is mounted directly to the back of the chin like the rest of the kit.  This does nothing and may actually lead to injury.  @IPv6Freely's install is a good template to go by.

Here is a shot of mine to give you another idea.  I rotated the sling downward to show the jenpro backing.

[Punisher Goalie]

On 3/26/2018 at 1:29 AM, Chenner29 said:

Just stumbled on to this thread.

As others have mentioned, definitely use a piece of jenpro and attach it to the side facing the shell (padwrap/padskinz works well for this, I have found).  In the event you can't source this, a rubatex washer can also serve the same purpose.  The gel has some elasticity to it, so if you mount it by itself with no backing or support, it *will* stretch a bit and could potentially pull out of the hardware you use to mount it.

Please please please! Make sure there is some clearance between the shell and the sling.  I have seen some bad installs where the sling is mounted directly to the back of the chin like the rest of the kit.  This does nothing and may actually lead to injury.  @IPv6Freely's install is a good template to go by.

Here is a shot of mine to give you another idea.  I rotated the sling downward to show the jenpro backing.

Thanks for this. Since I have a Maltese chin sling, I’m going to try something like this using Jenpro for backing. Going to wait until playoffs conclude before experimenting. In the meantime, I’m using a CCM chin cup with the built in 960 straps. Its working OK so far, but I miss the sling I had in my Sportmask. 

[ruckus007]

On 20/03/2018 at 8:40 AM, IPv6Freely said:

haha thats a wide head!  

Just a question: I noticed my Maltese will delaminate and not stay glued to the areas of the NME with the silver tape. Did yours ever have that problem? I've had to reapply the glue 

to a couple areas every 10 games or so. It's getting frustrating. (i'm using Gorilla gel type superglue). All the areas that sit on bare shell seems ok.