I hate to actually admit this, but ... I have no clue about tuning

[James]

I carry a 200 grit Moonflex as part of my EDC. Comes in pretty handy at times.

View attachment 115092

What’s the little ratchet?Nice.
Then you have a #3 pozi and what?

 

[Tony S]

What’s the little ratchet?Nice.

This mysterious and slightly creepy little kit just proves how close Grump is to a Poe character.

 

[James]

This mysterious and slightly creepy little kit just proves how close Grump is to a Poe character.

It does look like a forensic evidence photo.

 

[KingGrump]

What’s the little ratchet?Nice.
Then you have a #3 pozi and what?

The other bit is a 1/4" slotted bit. Comes in handy for Tyrolia type heels.
The ratchet is a inexpensive Ares . I preferred the Wera micro ratchets for my regular tool kits. The Wera unit has a jewel like feel to it. Really slick. The Ares unit is not the smoothest thing around. It does have the advantage of the ability to accept a drive bit at the end of the handle. Makes a decent mini pry bar. I think I used it 3 or 4 times this past winter. Can't believe how badly adjusted are some bindings.

This mysterious and slightly creepy little kit just proves how close Grump is to a Poe character.

If you are insinuating I am demented. I have to say you are more perceptive than I had given you credit for.

 

[SpikeDog]

I always do my pre-season major tune with the side edges sharpied black. Easiest way for me to tell what's going on with my edges before I really grind on them.

For side edge, take a sharpie, color edge. Then take your guide, say 2 deg, with a stone or file. Run it on that section and see how the sharpie line disappears. If it’s all the way across, the whole edge has been touched, it’s 2 deg. If it’s just the far side, then the guide is more acute than the edge. So the edge is less than 2, namely 1 degree.

 

[raytseng]

Yep! SVST Pro Bevel Meter!

dude, $300? that's almost a season pass!

This is like alignment on your car.
Almost nobody except for Jay Leno, has a personal hunter dsp9000, Hawkeye alignment, or even and a 4post lift for their personal use.

If you don't need the tool everyday; you need to make friends with a high quality shop who has and uses the tool and ask them to just check out your skis ( possibly in exchange for a token 6pack of craft beer or at least an edge and wax job).

 

[Atomicman]

I always do my pre-season major tune with the side edges sharpied black. Easiest way for me to tell what's going on with my edges before I really grind on them.

That is a waste of time on side edges, you can't over bevel them like base edges and with a fixed tool, they simple come out to the correct bevel. BEsides, if you aren't using a power side edge machine, you need to use a series of files and stones to set and polish, so again a ink is a waste of time! this has some merit on base edges....but not much!

 

[Atomicman]

This is like alignment on your car.
Almost nobody except for Jay Leno, has a personal hunter dsp9000, Hawkeye alignment, or even and a 4post lift for their personal use.

If you don't need the tool everyday; you need to make friends with a high quality shop who has and uses the tool and ask them to just check out your skis ( possibly in exchange for a token 6pack of craft beer or at least an edge and wax job).

Comparing a $300 toll and machinery in the multi thousands of $ is a little ridiculous, don't you think? What? you align your car once in 5 or 10 years.......? I work on my skis after each ski day! Sorry..not buying today!

 

[raytseng]

Comparatively it is really the same, it's just you are coming from a perspective of someone who race/tuning skis, but not into racing/tuning cars.

Both are about half or a third of the price of the thing you are tuning.

If you are racing cars you are changing tires and checking your alignment every race weekend. Analogy holds.
The casual skiers who aren't racing their skis, also only get them checked every 5 or 10years too...

 

[Tony S]

That is a waste of time on side edges, you can't over bevel them like base edges and with a fixed tool, they simple come out to the correct bevel. BEsides, if you aren't using a power side edge machine, you need to use a series of files and stones to set and polish, so again a ink is a waste of time! this has some merit on base edges....but not much!

The point of the marker test is to help you figure out what the existing angle is on your skis. It helps answer one of the most common questions from beginning tuners who don't have an agenda. They don't want to CHANGE anything (yet); they just want to match what's there. Q: "What is the side edge angle on my Volkl Big Members?" A: We have no way of knowing, but if you do this ..."

 

[SpikeDog]

Lots of ways I waste my time, but this isn't one of them. Besides, how long do you think it takes to run a sharpie down the sidewall?

That is a waste of time on side edges, you can't over bevel them like base edges and with a fixed tool, they simple come out to the correct bevel. BEsides, if you aren't using a power side edge machine, you need to use a series of files and stones to set and polish, so again a ink is a waste of time! this has some merit on base edges....but not much!

 

[Tony S]

Comparing a $300 toll and machinery in the multi thousands of $ is a little ridiculous, don't you think? What? you align your car once in 5 or 10 years.......? I work on my skis after each ski day! Sorry..not buying today!

$300, to some of our audience, might be more than "multi thousands" to you.

 

[Atomicman]

The point of the marker test is to help you figure out what the existing angle is on your skis. It helps answer one of the most common questions from beginning tuners who don't have an agenda. They don't want to CHANGE anything (yet); they just want to match what's there. Q: "What is the side edge angle on my Völkl Big Members?" A: We have no way of knowing, but if you do this ..."

Ignorance of the law is no excuse!

 

[Atomicman]

Comparatively it is really the same, it's just you are coming from a perspective of someone who race/tuning skis, but not into racing/tuning cars.

Both are about half or a third of the price of the thing you are tuning.

If you are racing cars you are changing tires and checking your alignment every race weekend. Analogy holds.
The casual skiers who aren't racing their skis, also only get them checked every 5 or 10years too...

Well there lies the problem

 

[Atomicman]

$300, to some of our audience, might be more than "multi thousands" to you.

Maybe your misconstruing the audience. Some people can some people can't , some people will & some people won't! There is a difference between can't and won't.

 

[Atomicman]

The point of the marker test is to help you figure out what the existing angle is on your skis. It helps answer one of the most common questions from beginning tuners who don't have an agenda. They don't want to CHANGE anything (yet); they just want to match what's there. Q: "What is the side edge angle on my Völkl Big Members?" A: We have no way of knowing, but if you do this ..."

IMHO it answers Nothing.

 

[François Pugh]

Let's say you get a full tune and when you take the skis for a test run they don't ski as you expect. Then the sharpie test, assuming you have checked and have a good flat base, will confirm that the shop ignored your instructions and you need to find a new shop. And it is easier than trying to align a straight edge with the tiny ski edge you have left and measuring the gap between the straight-edge and the base at a distance from the ski edge in question. Yes, a calibrated instrument works well, but $300 !

 

[Eric@ict]

@Atomicman, why do you feel the need to check your ski at the end of each skiing day to that degree. Do your edges often change in a days worth of runs? I’m new to the tuning game (started 2019) and hadn’t noticed any changes in my skis and when I checked my edges this year (sharpie test) there was no change. Only asking for educational purposes, I have no dog in this discussion. TIA.

 

[Atomicman]

@Atomicman, why do you feel the need to check your ski at the end of each skiing day to that degree. Do your edges often change in a days worth of runs? I’m new to the tuning game (started 2019) and hadn’t noticed any changes in my skis and when I checked my edges this year (sharpie test) there was no change. Only asking for educational purposes, I have no dog in this discussion. TIA.

I don't check em everytine, I just freshen side edge, But I will say base bevel slowly ncreases as you ski on them on hard snow. Simply, friction causes wear.

 

[Eric@ict]

I don't check em everytine, I just freshen side edge, But I will say base bevel slowly ncreases as you ski on them on hard snow. Simply, friction causes wear.

ok, yep I was a ware of that. The statement in post#88 made me wonder what I was missing.