Dakine Edge Tuner How To Use
Sharp edges on your skis enables a good grip in the snowfall – which makes skiing on hard snow a lot more fun!
In this article, I present a footstep-by-step guide on how to sharpen your edges, so y'all will go a great issue without having to pay a store to do it. Recollect, though, that tuning your skis is a skill that will be improved through do. These seven steps will take your ski edges from wearisome to razor sharp.
ane. Notice a skillful location
2. Secure your skis in the ski vises
three. Deburr the edges
4. File the side edges
5. File the base edges
6. Shine the edges
seven. Detune the tip and tail
DISCLOSURE: For each step, I link to buying options on Amazon for the equipment, I recommend. Please note, that I am an Amazon Associate. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to buy any of the products I recommend – or any other product – on Amazon within 24 hours after clicking on 1 of our links, we will earn a small committee. Your support is much appreciated and will help us produce more inspirational cloth that can help you lot and others ameliorate their skiing. Thanks!
I only recommend equipment of high quality, whether you go for a simple beginner kit or want a more advanced setup. Information technology will make the procedure more than enjoyable, easier and frequently with better results - and the equipment will terminal longer. Swix is the brand I take ever used and known for excellent quality. I therefore primarily recommend them through the links, although brands like Demon, XCMAN, Toko, Dakine, Racewax or Wintersteiger also brand great equipment.
How to sharpen your ski edges!
1. Find a expert location
Tuning will produce metal shavings and if you lot wax the skis after sharpening the edges backlog wax will well-nigh likely stop upward on the table and the floor. You should therefore choose a location like shooting fish in a barrel to make clean and where this is ok. Wooden floors and carpets are normally not a skilful option. Instead I recommend concrete floors, tiles, stone or another smooth surface that can take small metal ringlets and excess wax. You can of course also cover the floor with an sometime carpet or something similar.
2. Secure your skis in the ski vises
The two identical vises should be placed and then they tin concord the ski with a chip of distance to the bounden on each side. Place the single vise in the middle. Secure your skis with the base of the ski facing away from you lot. Use a stiff rubber ring - a ski brake retainer - to hold the ski restriction in.
The vises tin can be mounted on almost whatever table that tin can handle a few scratches, marks and wax spots from the work.
I recommend the Swix Earth Cup Ski Vise for a high quality solution.
If yous want to take a perfect travel tabular array for ski tuning and waxing, the Swix Economic system Waxing Tabular array provides a sturdy solution.
iii. Deburr the edges
Please annotation, that there are two sides to the edge: the base side parallel to the base and the side border parallel to the side of the ski.
Before you lot beginning the file work, you want to remove the any irregularities or burrs on the edge to make the process efficient and prolong the life time of your files. This is done past rubbing the diamond stone on the edge a few times until the border feels nice and regular. I prefer to use the file guide (please come across step 4) to maintain the diamond rock flat on the edge, and then it does not circular it past accident. Do this on both the side edge and the base of operations border, if necessary.
Depending on the size of the burs, you tin can either apply a 200 (coarse), 400 or 600 (fine) grit rock.
PRO TIP: Some people prefer to employ h2o, man spit or ideally a 50-50 blend of alcohol and water as lubricant to collect excess material and allegedly make the diamond or file terminal longer. This might be true, only great results are definitely possible without any kind of liquid, so I discover lubricant optional.
4. File the side edges
Hold the guide then it slides tight on the base and the file slides tight on the side edge without pressing too difficult. You are aiming to grind off fine metal ringlets of the edge. Use long, regular and overlapping strokes from tip to tail of the ski. Some people argue that you should ever drag the files from tip to tail, but the other manner around volition brand the edge but as sharp. Do as you like.
Command the sharpness with your fingers regularly and go on filing until the border feels abrupt. Be conscientious. When properly done, the edge cuts like a knife.
FAQ i: What angle degree should I cull?
The bending caste is either adjustable or given by the chosen file guide. For most recreational skiers a side edge bending of 90-88 degree and a base edge angle of 0,5 degree will exist simply fine. But stick to the same edge angle each time, you tune your skis. Race skiers prefer a more acute angle like 87 degree, but that requires more maintenance and volition experience a bit too aggressive for most recreational skiers.
FAQ 2: What files should I use?
Depending on the state of the edge and how frequently you tune your skis, you can choose between unlike file options. Commonly, if I have not tuned the skis for a while, I start with a coarse file, switch to a medium and practise a few rounds with a fine file before I shine with the diamond stone (step 6). If yous only want one file, y'all should go with the medium.
The files shown here are not the cheapest, merely they cut smoothly into the edge and will last a long time.
FAQ iii: What file guide should I employ?
There are unlike types of file guides, yous can apply. I prefer Swix Racing Side Edge File Guide at 88 degree because it gives me a skilful feeling of contact with the edge and allows me to use files at any size.
This file guide is used with a strong clench. It takes a bit of practice to main the grip and hold for this file guide with the clamp and the file.
For a beginner, a elementary solution like the Swix Base of operations Side Dual Edger, tin can be a skilful solution. It is a flake easier to apply and you can chose betwixt unlike edge angles.
PROTIP i: To get a more than smooth turn entrance and turn go out, leave the ski tip lifted from the snow and the terminal 5 cm of the tail unsharpened.
PRO TIP two: To protect the longevity of the file only let the file touch the metal edge, when you elevate it in the direction where it cuts.
PRO TIP 3: In instance yous experience pocket-size pieces of plastic coming off when filing on the side edge, information technology means you have to take of some of the plastic from the side of the ski. For this purpose, you should use a sidewall cutter. It is adequately easy to use. You concord the sidewall cutter so that the round knife cuts off minor ringlets of plastic from the side, when yous elevate it down the side of the ski. Adjust the cutter on the little knob and then information technology merely takes off what is necessary. Go on cut until no more plastic comes off. Exist aware that the round knife should not affect the metallic edge, only getting really close.
The professional solution: Swix World Cup Sidewall Planer
The beginner solution: Swix Sidewall Planer/Economy Cutter
5. File the base edges
Now the time has come up for tuning the base of operations border. To do this you should flip the ski so the base is facing upwards. Fasten the ski in the middle vise and support information technology on the two side vises. Y'all can use a file guide specially made for the base edge to give you a precise event. Use gentle but firm and overlapping strokes from meridian to bottom, but like when you did the side edges.
half-dozen. Polish with the diamond stone
For a smoothen grip in the snow and longer lasting sharpness, you want to terminate of the sharpening process with the diamond. This will strop the edge to perfection! Just similar with the file piece of work, I adopt to place the diamond in the file guide. I recommend using a 400 or 600 dust rock for the polishing. Dissimilar when you did the file work, where you lot only want to drag in the management where the file cuts, you can polish the border with back and forth movements on the edge. When the border is nice and shiny without any micro file marks, information technology is done - and ready to provide grip in hard packed snow with ease.
7. Detune the tip and tail
For a smooth plough entrance and turn go out, you want to detune the part of the tip that is lifted from the snowfall and the last five centimeters of the tail. This is done with a gum stone. You place it at a 45 degree angle to the edge in the desired surface area and gently circular the border a bit.
Now y'all are washed with sharpening the edges and ready for waxing the skis!
BONUS TIP! If yous take care of your skis every day, you lot can proceed your ski edges razor sharp only by doing pace 6. I usually merely put on the rubber band to elevator the ski restriction and give the skis a quick polish with the diamond while continuing. I do not even use the vises and it only takes me 3 minutes before I am set to go.
Gratis mini guide
Sharp edges are a central to swell balance on skis – and so is good ski technique!
Go our Free mini guide with tips and exercises that can help you improve your balance on skis.
BEGINNER KITS
The options I accept recommended in the text makes for a complete kit for those who wants a high quality and long lasting solution for sharpening their skis. These are the items I prefer to use. However, if you are looking for a cheaper solution to go started, I take listed a few options for beginners that will serve you well.
Swix Carving Kit 1 2016
This kit is for you if you want a minimum gear up to maintain sharp edges. It fits in a pocket and will definitely make a great difference afterwards you have used it. It can be used without vises, merely I recommend using vises for a much more than comfortable work menstruum.
I haven't tried these exact tools from Demon, so take it more as an example of a complete package that can get you started with everything y'all need for tuning and waxing your skis.
Think, there are of course other not bad options.
I hope this article gave you an idea of the basic equipment you lot demand, and so you can find the solution that fits your needs and ambitions. Merely cheque if a desired kit contains all the equipment necessary to perform the 7 steps, I accept listed in this article.
Let's go skiing!
With sharp skis, you are ready to striking the slopes! Hither is a video for you, that tin help you maintain residual on skis. You can also check out our other complimentary how to ski video tutorials.
I hope you constitute this article helpful. Delight enjoy your time preparing your skis - and the next time you go skiing with much amend grip in the snow!
Have a nice 24-hour interval and see y'all on the slopes (with expert grip in the snow!)!
Janus Hecht
Professional Ski Teacher
Source: https://www.inspirationalskiing.com/blog/how-to-sharpen-your-skis-the-complete-guide
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