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James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,453
Carbon is the building block of life! You need to add life to your skis to keep them "lively".

It's common sense!
Yes, and then mix heat/flame and lots of photons get released. Round two is afterlife...

The diamonds fall off with use. Using a steel brush just increases the likely hood that they come off.
 

CalG

Out on the slopes
Pass Pulled
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Feb 5, 2017
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1,962
Location
Vt
Yes, and then mix heat/flame and lots of photons get released. Round two is afterlife...

The diamonds fall off with use. Using a steel brush just increases the likely hood that they come off.

The diamonds do not "fall off".

they are pulled out of the matrix by the friction of the abraded surface. Soft steel is about the worst, hard steel is less a problem.

A brass brush is not even relevant. Insignificant!

When is the last time you have encountered an explosion related to ski tuning? Money is in the statistics, and your fears are unsubstantiated.
 

Karl B

USSA L100
Skier
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
193
Location
SE Michigan
I use an old toothbrush, Dawn dish soap and HOT water.
 

Dakine

Far Out
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Dec 21, 2015
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Tip of the Mitt
I am not convinced. Sure, diamond is harder than steel, but it isn't just one big hunk of diamond. Steel is harder than the matrix holding the diamond grains.

The matrix, as you call, it is nickel and is as hard as most steel.
But, I'm not suggesting you use a power wire brush or something, just a few passes with a steel brush and all the gunk is gone.
If you don't like steel, use a bronze wire brush which is softer than that matrix.
The smaller the diamond grain, the harder it is to crack.
 

mdf

entering the Big Couloir
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Team Gathermeister
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The matrix, as you call, it is nickel and is as hard as most steel.
But, I'm not suggesting you use a power wire brush or something, just a few passes with a steel brush and all the gunk is gone.
If you don't like steel, use a bronze wire brush which is softer than that matrix.
The smaller the diamond grain, the harder it is to crack.
Ok, I forgot. You're a toolmaker or something like that in your non-skiing life, aren't you? In that case I defer to your deeper knowledge. But nylon works fine too -- the residue does not put up a lot of resistance.
 

Dakine

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Actually I'm a semi retired scientist/engineer who is also a gearhead.
Hanging around old school tool and die shops taught me how to make stuff.
Like this...

IMG_0836.JPG
 

James

Out There
Instructor
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Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,453
The hardness of the matrix is irrelevant. The key here is how the monocyrstalline diamonds (in dmt's case) are bonded to the substrate. The bond has to be thinner than the diamond particles, or else much softer so the diamond is exposed.
I can't find out much about it.
There are some diamond stones that function more like waterstones where the surface breaks down, there's binders and diamonds as an abrasive.

Btw, dmt recommends water as a lube and abrasive cleaner and a toothbrush to clean.

Saying the diamonds are "pulled from the matrix" vs "fall off" is just semantics and or frame of reference.
With sandpaper, particles are both worn down and fall off the backing. If one wants to say particles are pulled off the adhesive bond, ok. Of course they might have been pushed. Or pushed and pulled.
 

tachedub

Booting up
Skier
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Aug 23, 2016
Posts
20
Comet or Bar Keepers at the sink. An artificial wine cork does a good touch up when travelling.
 

SpikeDog

You want Big Air, kid?
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Nov 17, 2015
Posts
823
Location
Wyoming
I was tuning this evening, and was using a diamond stone. I've been using the dish soap/ toothbrush for awhile, but for some reason my eye caught the old bottle of Hoppes #9 gun cleaner. I used a rag, glugged the Hoppes #9 onto it, and the stone got cleaner in one stroke than I've ever got it with the toothbrush. It got the stone down to a like-new condition quickly, and the feel of the stone's drag with a 87 degree SVS bevel was so much better.

I can't think of a drawback off the bat. Maybe dissolve something important? Plus, Hoppes #9 smells better than anything else in my tuning kit.
 

Tom K.

Skier Ordinaire
Skier
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Dec 20, 2015
Posts
8,402
Hoppes #9

Interesting. I no longer have any on hand, but might grab a small container next time I'm at the store.

When I think about it, back in my days of making stuff on a lathe, I sure didn't use water or alcohol or dish soap to lubricate the cutting tool, right?
 

tachedub

Booting up
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Joined
Aug 23, 2016
Posts
20
I use an artificial wine cork to rub the gunk off my travel kit. Cut the end into a "V" to start with. Works pretty well.
 

Jacques

Workin' It on Skis Best I Can
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Apr 24, 2017
Posts
1,616
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Bend, OR
Guys/Gals,

I just picked up some new DMT stones this year and am at a loss on how to clean them? I have a brass toothbrush and tried using that but it didn't work. Any ideas? Thanks.

Bill
Didn't read all the post, but use wax remover when you used them over wax that you should not have!
 

Mark1975

Getting on the lift
Skier
Joined
Dec 2, 2020
Posts
159
Location
New England
Comet or Bar Keepers at the sink. An artificial wine cork does a good touch up when travelling.
I have found Bar Keepers works the best for me. I just use a toothbrush. If really gunked up, Bar Keepers plus some fine steel wool as a scrubbing pad. The real key is to keep them as clean as possible when using. I spray them off with some water right after use and dry with a rag. This keeps them fairly clean most of the time, but after a while I fully clean them with the abrasive powder and they end up looking like new (minus the wear - diamonds might be the hardest substance known, but they will fracture into new cutting edges and eventually wear out).
 

Ski the Moguls

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
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Joined
Feb 7, 2019
Posts
5
I use WD-40, but that Hoppes #9 sounds like it might be worth a try. Just have to make sure the stones are wiped dry afterwards as both will leave an oil film behind.
 

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