Basic ski maintenance: using a diamond stone to remove burrs

[Sibhusky]

I use it every time, side edge only.

 

[Doug Briggs]

In the northeast, even when there's decent snow there's a good chance that you'll hit a rock with your skis. Is it ok to use the coarse diamond stone every time you tune, maybe 10 tunes a year? Or is it better to only use the coarse stone when a burr is apparent?

I find the best stone for taking off burrs from hitting rocks is a carborundum or 'stone' stone. I guess I forgot to mention that in the original post.

Just use coarse to remove the burrs. Once you have removed them, progress to a finer stone until you get the finish you are looking for. For my recreational skis in CO snow (excepting early WROD and spring early day skiing), I just take the burrs off on a daily basis. After a while, and more as needed than on a schedule, I'll go to town with the successively finer stones to restore some sharpness.

Regarding hanging burrs, I will typically run a stone or gummi along the base edge LIGHTLY to remove any burrs on the base edge. All I'm doing with this pass is removing any hanging burrs, not trying to sharpen the edge. Hanging burrs (for those that aren't familiar) are burrs that point down towards the snow when the ski is on the snow. They are usually created by side filing/stoning. They will make a ski difficult to slide sideways and produce drag.

 

[Marker]

I like to freehand an Arkansas stone to take off the hanging burrs off both the base and side edges before and after the semi-daily touch up with diamond stones on the side edge. My technique is pretty much how you originally described with a light touch. I'll also add a fine file to sharpen from the side edges about every 10 days or so depending on the quality of the ski conditions we've been experiencing and the damage to the edges. I only use fixed angle guides to remove that variable when using diamond stones and files. For lubricant, I just use a small spray bottle filled with the standard isopropanol/water blend you can get in the pharmacy section.

 

[Atomicman]

I like to freehand an Arkansas stone to take off the hanging burrs off both the base and side edges before and after the semi-daily touch up with diamond stones on the side edge. My technique is pretty much how you originally described with a light touch. I'll also add a fine file to sharpen from the side edges about every 10 days or so depending on the quality of the ski conditions we've been experiencing and the damage to the edges. I only use fixed angle guides to remove that variable when using diamond stones and files. For lubricant, I just use a small spray bottle filled with the standard isopropanol/water blend you can get in the pharmacy section.

There is no hanging burr on the side edge. And never should be. Pretty much a waste of time. If you are doing your touch up work only on the side edge ( which should be the case unless some pretty extreme base edge damage (and then any work should be sparse and ginger) there is NO hanging or any burr to worry about. After my final stone on the side edge, and after removing the hanging burr on the base edge, I use a hard blue gummi with absolutely NO PRESSURE at a 45 degree angle to the edge point and make a pass or 2...again as lightly as possible. Even if you did have a "hanging" burr on the side from filing or stoning the base edge, as soon as you put the ski on edge, it breaks off. This is unlike the hanging burr caused by side edge work which goes directly down into the snow and makes your skis unruly and unpredictable and skiing on them will NOT fix it.

 

[Jacques]

The dreaded hanging burr post tuning!

The severe from damage hanging burr!