Easiest to use side edge guide for diamond stone

[MNskier]

I'd like to start getting my 8th grade daughter more responsible for maintaining her own skis. I thought I'd start with her just using a diamond on her edges. I've always just used those basic guides that look like angle iron, but for her I'd like something that holds the stone more securely and is easy to use. Any suggestions? I need a 3 degree angle. The toko edge tuner pro with the rollers looks like it would be hard to screw up due to the width of the running surface against the base.

Side Bevel File Guide Toko Ski Edge Tuner Pro Rollers

Ski snowboard wax and tuning tools with video instructional help for the do-it-yourself tuner.

www.racewax.com

 

[François Pugh]

I prefer fixed angle to adjustable angle.

 

[BC.]

I'd like to start getting my 8th grade daughter more responsible for maintaining her own skis. I thought I'd start with her just using a diamond on her edges. I've always just used those basic guides that look like angle iron, but for her I'd like something that holds the stone more securely and is easy to use. Any suggestions? I need a 3 degree angle. The toko edge tuner pro with the rollers looks like it would be hard to screw up due to the width of the running surface against the base.

Side Bevel File Guide Toko Ski Edge Tuner Pro Rollers

Ski snowboard wax and tuning tools with video instructional help for the do-it-yourself tuner.

www.racewax.com

I have this if you want it….I don’t use it…only used a few times…like new. Pm me if interested.

 

[David Chaus]

I just bought the Tools4Boards Orb set.

Tools4Boards > Orb > ORB 8 Way All in 1 Edger Kit

ORB 8 Way All in 1 Edger Kit for complete edge maintenance. Includes Puck PC with Norton Blaze® ceramic, Vallorbe Swiss® file and KGS Swiss Diamond® 400 grit. Handy pocket size ski & snowboard edge tuner does it all. Patented design provides 8 individual simple and accurate bevel angles: 7° for...

www.tools4boards.com

If you’re just looking for a diamond:

Tools4Boards > Orb > ORB 8 Way All in 1 Edger Diamond

ORB 8 Way All in 1 Edger with Puck PC KGS Swiss Diamond® 400 Grit. Handy pocket size ski & snowboard edge tuner does it all. Patented design provides 8 individual simple and accurate bevel angles: 7° for trimming sidewall; 1°, 2° and 3° (aka 89°, 88° and 87°) for sharpening and beveling side...

www.tools4boards.com

 

[KingGrump]

I'd like to start getting my 8th grade daughter more responsible for maintaining her own skis. I thought I'd start with her just using a diamond on her edges. I've always just used those basic guides that look like angle iron, but for her I'd like something that holds the stone more securely and is easy to use. Any suggestions? I need a 3 degree angle. The toko edge tuner pro with the rollers looks like it would be hard to screw up due to the width of the running surface against the base.

Side Bevel File Guide Toko Ski Edge Tuner Pro Rollers

Ski snowboard wax and tuning tools with video instructional help for the do-it-yourself tuner.

www.racewax.com

I have the exact same unit but it's Swix and red.
Bad design. The rollers have a tendency to grind the metal filings into the ptex base.
Fixed angle guides are much better. Don't get the painted aluminum units. They get scratched up quick. Pay a bit more for hardened anodized aluminum or stainless steel faced unit. They will last much longer.

 

[mdf]

I have the exact same unit but it's Swix and red.
Bad design. The rollers have a tendency to grind the metal filings into the ptex base.
Fixed angle guides are much better. Don't get the painted aluminum units. They get scratched up quick. Pay a bit more for hardened anodized aluminum or stainless steel faced unit. They will last much longer.

Never mind.... this is a more compact and definitive version of my long-winded answer that came in while I was typing.....

I do think an integrated holding screw might be better than an external spring clamp for a beginner. I'm pretty sure there are anodized fixed-angle guides with screws.

 

[raytseng]

If you ONLY need 1 setting like 3degrees, just go with the fixed and a clamp.

And if you only need 1 stone, like a medium, you can just leave it clamped and it'll be simpler than fussing around with the multitool.

The fixed angle allows you to use bigger stones/ expose different parts of the stone,.
which in my opinion, ends up making it easier to use than the multitool.

although the multitool holds the stone, it typically holds it only exactly in 1 spot. Once the working spot on the multitool is worn down, its much more fussy to adjust the stone to expose new stone, and making sure its aligned again, and you're wasting a lot of effort figuring out why its not cutting.

If you need multiple angles and switch a lot then the multitool may show more benefits.

 

[KingGrump]

I do think an integrated holding screw might be better than an external spring clamp for a beginner. I'm pretty sure there are anodized fixed-angle guides with screws.

Beast uses a internal clamping plate that is part of the edge guide.
You can buy separate screw clamps for Swix and SVST side edge guides.

Swix.

SVST.

 

[eok]

I've been a fan of the Beast side edge tools for years now.

https://the-raceplace.com/collections/beast-tuning-tools?view=boost-pfs-original

Their system uses high quality body with angle inserts. The tool is robust. I get a solid grip on the tool & great hand feel.
The side edge tool comes with one angle insert of your choice. Additional inserts can be purchased separately.

If you get a side edge tool you should also get a sidewall planer - if you don't already have one. Sidewall planers are used to remove slight amounts of excess sidewall material above the edges - material that would otherwise interfere with sharpening the side edges. That is, your new side edge tool will be worthless if sidewall material prevents your stone/file from engaging the side edge - thus the need for an sidewall planer.

I currently use the Beast Pocket Planer. It's OK. It was a reasonable choice at the time. The guide is somewhat small, as is its pansar file. When using it, I sometimes wished it - and its pansar file - were just a little bit bigger because it's small size made it harder for me to control the cut.

But now I can add a 7 degree insert plus a 70mm pansar file to my Beast side edge tool so I can also use it as a more robust sidewall planer tool. I'll probably make the switch this season.

 

[Sibhusky]

I have the exact same unit but it's Swix and red.
Bad design. The rollers have a tendency to grind the metal filings into the ptex base.
Fixed angle guides are much better. Don't get the painted aluminum units. They get scratched up quick. Pay a bit more for hardened anodized aluminum or stainless steel faced unit. They will last much longer.

Ditto. I started out with adjustable guides with rollers. They press stuff into your base. I have two of them I no longer use. I've also stopped using adjustable guides. Discard pile. (Note the money wasted here.) Far better to get quality fixed guides and if you must have multiple angles and save money, get a system that uses shims. I also no longer use a screw clamp on the guides I have because looking closely it didn't clamp flat and keep the stone firmly against the guide, the stone could tilt. There may be a guide system with a screw clamp that doesn't allow allow that, I don't know. I've got a kind of tricky articulating clamp that does the job but it's a bit pricey. That Swix above might be okay, but I'm not so sure about the SVST shown.

 

[KingGrump]

I just bought the Tools4Boards Orb set.

Tools4Boards > Orb > ORB 8 Way All in 1 Edger Kit

ORB 8 Way All in 1 Edger Kit for complete edge maintenance. Includes Puck PC with Norton Blaze® ceramic, Vallorbe Swiss® file and KGS Swiss Diamond® 400 grit. Handy pocket size ski & snowboard edge tuner does it all. Patented design provides 8 individual simple and accurate bevel angles: 7° for...

www.tools4boards.com

If you’re just looking for a diamond:

Tools4Boards > Orb > ORB 8 Way All in 1 Edger Diamond

ORB 8 Way All in 1 Edger with Puck PC KGS Swiss Diamond® 400 Grit. Handy pocket size ski & snowboard edge tuner does it all. Patented design provides 8 individual simple and accurate bevel angles: 7° for trimming sidewall; 1°, 2° and 3° (aka 89°, 88° and 87°) for sharpening and beveling side...

www.tools4boards.com

The Orb looks real neat. A little light for serious side wall and side edge work. Will definitely pick it up for knocking down the outies on the base edge burrs from rock strikes at the end of the day touch ups.

Ditto. I started out with adjustable guides with rollers. They press stuff into your base. I have two of them I no longer use. I've also stopped using adjustable guides. Discard pile. (Note the money wasted here.) Far better to get quality fixed guides and if you must have multiple angles and save money, get a system that uses shims. I also no longer use a screw clamp on the guides I have because looking closely it didn't clamp flat and keep the stone firmly against the guide, the stone could tilt. There may be a guide system with a screw clamp that doesn't allow allow that, I don't know. I've got a kind of tricky articulating clamp that does the job but it's a bit pricey. That Swix above might be okay, but I'm not so sure about the SVST shown.

Those Kant-Twist clamp are nice but finnicky. Have several. Tried most clamps available on the market. Still using the small spring clamps. With my thumb on the file/diamond stone, I have a better feel of the cutting action.

 

[mdf]

Still using the small spring clamps.

The type of spring clamp makes a difference. I started using one I happened to have in my toolbox. Eventually I went to the hardware store and picked out a small one with a stiff spring. Much better. It stays out of the way, so you can get your thumb on the stone/file, and it eliminates the worry about it moving.

 

[KingGrump]

The type of spring clamp makes a difference. I started using one I happened to have in my toolbox. Eventually I went to the hardware store and picked out a small one with a stiff spring. Much better. It stays out of the way, so you can get your thumb on the stone/file, and it eliminates the worry about it moving.

Just happened to be in your tool box. .

I like Bessey or Pony/Jorgensen.

 

[MNskier]

Thanks everyone! I use an anodized fixed guide myself, but I like the idea of a tool that clamps the stone down for my daughter. I'm thinking I'll get her the beast or pocket beast guide. For this season she'll probably only be responsible for touch ups between practice sessions and I'll have her work with me a few times on more substantial tunes to work her way into that so that in the future it will be her job. Once she figures out how to do it by hand I may invest in a razor tune and show her the easy way.

 

[raytseng]

The type of spring clamp makes a difference. I started using one I happened to have in my toolbox. Eventually I went to the hardware store and picked out a small one with a stiff spring. Much better. It stays out of the way, so you can get your thumb on the stone/file, and it eliminates the worry about it moving.

Agree,
if you're buying a Edge tuing guide, just go ahead and throw in the related spring clamp the ski tool vendor has for sale. They usually will sell a stiff clamp that is tried and true for this specific purpose for $5 or less.

Then while you're there, you might as well add on some new brake retainers, and maybe some ski straps; then maybe you're short on wax too, so might as well throw some more wax to the cart, and your iron isn't putting out good heat so might as well get a new iron too.
...
and that's how your $20 purchase turns into $200.

 

[KingGrump]

Brake retainers - #82 rubber bands.
$12 and you're good for a long time.

 

[James]

Sidewall planing is kind of essential.
Tuning without can be frustrating.

Hadn’t seen the Orb, but it’s too small for shop use imo, plus complicated with all it’s angles for a beginner.

Either go fixed guide with spring clamp or Beast. Advantage to spring clamp is it forces you to learn the feel of the tool. That can be frustrating too.

Beast used to make an all plastic version, though it might have a metal plate, I forget. I have one lying around I’d give away.

 

[Dave Marshak]

Fixed guides are fine if you use the same guide to set the edge angle, but IME shop tunes always come back at approximately 2 degrees, and only randomly exactly match a fixed guide. I've never had a shop tune that matched my 3 degree tool.
I like the Ski Visions tool. It does the base and side at the same time, with stones that can be flattened as they wear, and I can adjust it to match any angles I use a fine stone on the base and the coarse stone on the side.
I couple of years ago I switxhed to a Swix EVO. That's faster, but I'm not sure it makes a better edge than I can get with careful use of the Ski Vision tool.

dm

 

[slow-line-fast]

If you ONLY need 1 setting like 3degrees, just go with the fixed and a clamp.

This. The edge should already be filed with the same method.

 

[Dave Marshak]

And cut proof gloves. That saved me a trip to the ER the first time I used them.

dm