Sharp Edges...or SHARP Edges ?!

A snowHead

I do all our own ski servicing and have done for a long time.
I've got all the kit, guides for different angles, base angle guides, various files, multiple grades of diamond files.
I also know how to do it properly.
I can set a sharp edge...at least I thought so.

There was a pretty serious race squad on the mountain today with a Super G course set

Their skis were in the rack and I had a sneaky feel of their Edges.

Wow!
A whole new world of sharpness..these are SHARP.

I need to try harder....but I wonder what I need to do differently.

A snowHead

I would imagine you would need to make your angles more acute, but then you would be skiing around on a pair of grabby knives.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I assume they have gone for a bigger side angle, maybe 87 or 86. Much sharper but at the cost of dulling faster.

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I already set at 87 and 0.5

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

You'll need to Register first of course.

@rungsp, Do you still do them by hand, or do you have an electric toy? My Toko one makes a much better job than when I file by hand..

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

@ski, Ooo, an electric edgeer, shiney things! Have you got a link? Laughing

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@ski3, Blimey...that's a serious bit of kit, at quite a serious price...not something to take away for a week though. Scott will just have to carry one servicing my kit!

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@rungsp, as with others comparing to racers skis done by a pro tech isn't really a fair comparison Laughing

Do you have a sidewall remover? I found that helped.

snow reports

@gixxerniknik, they are obviously costly, but interesting in how they approach the task.

If the cupped abrasive wheel has its primary cut action travelling in toward the base (first touching the lowest part of side edge and "wiping" up toward the binding in it's grinding direction ) the all of the metal it's going to remove is supported by that above it. This SHOULD leave a very small or insignificant burr to remove. Many factory supplied edges appear to do this when new, evidenced by the grind witness marks on them.

In comparison, just going along an edge from front to rear or visa versa, has the metal nearest the snow unsupported, and rather than cut effectively it will roll that final edge (the most important one in "sharpness") over onto the base side,,without fully detaching the metal. This leaving the classic burr as we understand it.

Removal of that burr is the most important element now in the sharpness delivered to optimum geometry. If there's a tiny burr in situ, then it's going to need less work to remove it without taking much collateral material with it.
Using a file, abrasive or whatever at 45 degree to that finalmedge is what will ultimately reduce it's potential sharpness. Gummy, in effectively wrapping over both sides of that angle will ultimately produce a radius instead of a sharp angle (that's in the way I've often seen them used) utmost accuracy in burr removal pays big dividend here.

It doesn't just need one of those expensive machine though, and can be done with files, if there's particular attention payed to how they are used, the approach angle etc, to get the same outcome.

You know it makes sense.

Well yesterday I was chatting to a guy from the race club who is one of the ski prep guys.
His hints:
Don't be shy with the coarse file to fix old blunted edges.
Have a bowl of warm water (warm just for user comfort) and drop all the files and diamonds in there between passes...the debris washes off and the wet file or stones are lubricated.
Really lean on the diamond stones.
Wipe the edges down with kitchen roll in between every pass so that it is a clean edge every time that the file is in contact with.
Don't forget the Arkansas stone at the end.
Have multiple sets of angle guides set up with a file or stone to save time switching each time (I already do that).
Oh and sidewall removal is a must as well.

So I've done a couple of pairs this afternoon (horrible flat light so not skiing today) and they are certainly very sharp.
Still not as SHARP as theirs...but properly sharp.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Interesting to get a 1st person, and practical description, from them @rungsp,

From their more acute angles it's likely they're losing more of the primary metal from use right at the tip to then have need to cut the face/planar surface back in re-establishment of the desired geometry, in comparison to less critical non race ski.

Good advice in "purging" the file/ abrasive media after passes to avoid inclusion of debris coming off the cut. This is routine by various methods in metalworking generally to clear the "tooling" surface and optimisation of the cut.

In regard to "don’t be shy with coarse cut" advice, I specifically use a much more secure hold on the file, in comparison to a file clipped to a guide, to get a full cut as a open tooth file is capable of.

A snowHead

Add Isopropyl alcohol to the water and it greatly improves the cutting properties. Part of my job is sharpening tools to be very sharp and this is what we do.

A snowHead

Getting a very sharp edge is the same for skis and knives. It is vital that you start course. And really work the progression to fine. Knock the burr off every time. As you progress the burr gets smaller and smaller.

Also you can use a base angle guide with a very fine diamond stone alternated with a side edge guide also with a very fine diamond stone at the end for that ultimate polished edge.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Very nice work in adapting that @king key, and you've got the bearing guides really close to the wheel to follow edge well Very Happy

A friend has a Tormek I think with cbn abrasive for wood working tool sharpening.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Thanks.

Your friend is doing it right. We use CBN for steel, diamond for Tungsten. The wheels look the same but would be ruined if you mix up the materials (expensive). Crying or Very sad

Help!!

Sharp Edges...or SHARP Edges ?!

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