Do any of you maintain the base edge between stone grinds?

[murphysf]

Hi

Once the base edge bevel is set, do any of you do anything to maintain the base edge before getting another base grind?

If so, what is the best way to maintain it or should it just be left alone?

 

[Noodler]

Leave the base alone unless you get some damage. Fix the damage carefully; being really cautious of not increasing the bevel angle.

 

[NE1]

I run a ceramic stone on the base edge very, very, (very) lightly after each outing; a teeny bit harder if I feel any burr. For larger burr I'll move to a fine diamond stone if necessary. As Noodler says, be super careful not to increase the base angle - just flatten the burr.

You need adhere to the present angle by using the base edge as your guide, i.e., the stone is held perfectly aligned with the EXISTING ANGLE rather than square to the base.

 

[oldschoolskier]

Generally, no. Touch sides first and if done correctly can remove most damage, some requires a little touch on base. As mentioned earlier, light and careful just to fix and not change base angle.

 

[François Pugh]

I do it once or twice between base grinds, guessing about every 80 days of skiing, using a guide that uses the base as a reference.

 

[Dave Marshak]

Wait what?!?
You work your edges once or twice every 80 days? Where do you ski? Utah?
I check for damage every day, and sharpen every 2 or 3 days.

dm

 

[markojp]

Keep things well waxed, and general edge upkeep with diamond stones and angle guides. Take care of your skis and they'll take care of you.

 

[Philpug]

I just clean them up with:

Base Angle World Cup | Toko US

tokous.com

DMT Diamond File | Toko US

tokous.com

 

[François Pugh]

Wait what?!?
You work your edges once or twice every 80 days? Where do you ski? Utah?
I check for damage every day, and sharpen every 2 or 3 days.

dm

I touch up the side edges with stones almost every ski day, at most every third day, and once in a long while with a file.
I do the base edge every 80 or so ski days. I don't count the days; I just take a file to them when it seems like it's needed.

 

[offtraildog]

i use diamond stones and fixed angle bevel guides on the side and base every week. depending on the condition i vary which stones i start with.

 

[Sibhusky]

Side edge gets hit roughly every 60,000 vertical feet depending on snow conditions and timing of my non-ski days. Base edge I use a fixed guide and fine ceramic stone more to remove side edgework burrs than anything. Over time, even that will cause over-beveling of the base edge angle, I know. But I'm also doing light structure work on the base at the same time, so I keep hoping that somehow that's evening out the impact. If I had one of those bevel measuring tools, I'd know for sure, but I'm guess some of my skis get to (OMG) 1.5° or so after a while. I know it's not 2.0° because I have bevel guides adjustable to that and it's never gotten to that. It's a rare day that I turn my skis over to a shop. My fight/satisfaction ratio is too high.

 

[James]

Basically, no.
I touch them up with fine diamond stones then ceramic if they get rocked or burred somehow. So really, your taking off the peaks. Valleys are there forever if it’s deep.

After sharpening side edges, the base gets run over with fine ceramic to remove any burr. Just by hand, flat to edge, ski vertical in vise.

But otherwise, no. You just increase base bevel. If you go a long time, then I suppose use a higher angle base bevel guide, if you’re not going to get a grind.
At some point, the base edge wears enough you have to do something or you can’t get the edge sharp just from the side. Either get a grind or increase the base bevel.

 

[Henry]

Every time the skis are on the bench I put a fine stone in the base angle guide and give the base edges a light stroke. It's just enough for me to hear if there's a raised burr to be stoned down. I don't remove any steel from undamaged parts. I agree with James...divots are there until the next shop total tune.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Unless you are absolutely confident that you can match the base edge bevel, I wouldn't recommend using anything more aggressive than a ceramic stone to insure that the base edge is burr free. It is WAY too easy to alter your base bevel, even with a guide.

If you get a major innie, you can use a DMT green, or maybe red, to take the draggy roughness out of the damaged area only, but nowhere else.

 

[Magoo]

So for a normal joe that waxes his skis just get a edge tool and leave the base alone unless there is damage then at that point choose you course of action by either buying a correct base tool and learning to use is properly or pay and have it done. Is that what I'm hearing? So which one? fixed like this in a 88 https://tokous.com/side-angle-world-cup/ or one these multi https://tokous.com/side-angle-world-cup/

 

[Doug Briggs]

Using a ceramic on the base edge to check for and remove burrs will protect your iron from getting scratched. Ceramic, used with care, won't change your base bevels. You'll know when there are burrs from feel/sound. Only work the base edge to remove burrs.

 

[Sibhusky]

As to the question, fixed vs multi angle, I think most of us over time have gravitated to fixed angles. A multi is nice if you're not sure what you like at first, or to help gauge what is already on the ski if you don't know, or if you have a family of six with differing ability levels. But you'll hear the more long term tuners here advocating fixed angle. Myself, I was never convinced that the angle was exactly the same each time I clicked back into a given angle. And if it's not, then you lose sharpness.