The following ‘in process’ school video project may provide you and others with visual aids and another perspective on diamonds, files and edge tuning.

For those parents whose teenager knows more than you do for all things technical, here is:

Sharp and smoothly polished edges, with correct edge geometry (aka properly ‘tuned’) are critical to maximize the carving capability and overall performance of your expensive board(s). What tools and techniques do you employ?

There are simply too many variables to grasp without time, experience, defining personal goals, cost and other considerations. As with skis, snowboards and other gear, you can always buy more and there are various grades or calibers of tools. For the recreational skier and tuner, getting every one of the finest tools may be overkill and an unnecessary expense. But if you appreciate fine tools, and start out purchasing them, it’s hard to go back to lessor caliber as you become spoiled.

For the recreational enthusiast, a 1 degree base and 3 degree side is probably the most common edge angle for most skis and boards and works particularly well on ice and hard man-made snow (conditions the majority are faced with, particularly out East). That’s of course assuming the edges are sharp and polished.

A 2 degree side bevel could be considered for softer snow – typical conditions most of the time in the Rockies. Many feel that there is not a downside to using a 1/3 (base/side) bevel angle for recreational skiers and that it is not acute enough of an angle to reduce sharpness quickly on abrasive snows and ice.

Many performance minded skiers on hard snows may prefer a .5 or .7 degree base bevel. It is easier to increase the base bevel versus reducing if you are experimenting since you will need to remove base material to reduce the base bevel angle.

A straight forward, low tech method for measuring base bevels is to use feeler gauges or other objects of known thicknesses (0.5mm, 0.7mm, 1.0mm, etc).

The direct ratio between typical bevel angles, is the metric height (mm) of the angle, at the accepted distance and easy to remember distance of 60 mm/6cm from the edge (actually 57.3mm).

The SVST WC Tru Bar has an engraved line at this location to facilitate easy and quick base bevel measurements. Any true bar can be marked at this location and used to measure the base bevel angle by measuring the height above the base when the bar is parallel to the edge.
If a feeler gauge isn’t handy, a typical credit card measures 0.8mm and 1.25mm at the raised lettering.

How flat (or not) are my bases? What are my base bevel angles? How straight are my scrapers, edge guides & tools?….are among the typical bits of information needed to perform and gauge quality of work and determine what work is required.
Like any tool we carry, there is a range of quality levels available to meet budget, personal goals and acceptable tolerances. From basic straight metal bars to precise, finely milled, high quality case hardened steel, the DIY tuner can achieve the desired and necessary level of precision using the fundamental tool known as a true bar.

For base work, a good backlighting source like a desk lamp, daylight, flashlight, etc is very important to help you see any variations between the bar and base. By clearly identifying irregularities and locations the guesswork is minimized.
The basic types are rectangular, square or round section bar stock of varying levels of precision and finishes for the recreational tuner, or a highly milled ‘knife edged’ precision true bar for those with tighter tolerances for their boards. A ‘hybrid’ of sorts, is a finely milled base skiver which can also be used for base repair and flattening tasks.

The narrower the section, the less ‘forgiving’ the lighting will be and increase accuracy. A wider square or rectangular bar will allow less light to pass between it and the base versus a round bar and far less than a knife edged bar.By turning a square or rectangular bar stock true bar on edge, you can increase the accuracy, as long as the quality of the bar stock is acceptable.

Typical base issues are flat, high, low (below) or both (as seen above). A perfectly flat base is ideal while some irregularity may be acceptable for some, depending on performance level or typical snow type. A backcountry or powder ski or snowboard has less of a need for perfection than a high performance race ski or snowboard.

Regardless, knowing ‘where they are’ is important.

Additionally, many new skis and snowboards are anything but flat.

A low base (concave) will cause

the edges to ‘rail’ or grab more readily than desired and harder to release, while high

bases (convex) will require more

angulation and time to get to an edge.

Achieving a flat base is also imperative if you also wish to achieve high precision while tuning edges since all bevel angles and tools are relative to an assumed flat base.

A common question is ‘What are the side and base bevel angles I should tune my boards for proper edge geometry?’ Like many similar subjective questions, one way to find out is to experiment to find out what works best for you.

For skiers, with two skis you have basically (2) pair of edges (inside and outside). By trying (2) different side bevel angles, say 2° and 3° you can easily find out for yourself on the same pair of skis, on the same run and the same conditions by simply switching right and left skis. After this you can experiment further, leave them as is or set them both to the same side edge angle as desired.

Last spring, with highly variable conditions throughout the day, I gave it a shot. The difference between various snow types and slopes was very noticeable. The 2° side edge was smoother to transition to and from and fine for softer snows and bumps, while the 3° was noticeably grippier on firm, steep runs. Both can be adjusted too for a given set of conditions, but having the option of two side edge angles on the same pair of skis was nice to have, IMO. YMMV, but since there is a high level of variability in snow types, terrain, type of turns etc, instant gratification to make subtle changes is literally underfoot.

Doing the same to the base bevel is not as easy to consider as side edges. Changing side edge bevels from 2° to 3°, 3° to 2° or something else is pretty straight forward since you are only dealing with the angle of the side edge. The side edge geometry has more to do with grip, while the base bevel geometry affects the angulation and time required to get on the edge, ie responsiveness.

For base bevels, you must also consider that to reduce a base bevel, you will need to remove base material, including all the wax you have saturated into your bases. If you wish to consider a more responsive, less forgiving base bevel of .5 or .7° than the most common 1°, this needs to be taking into account. But like the side edge asymmetry, there may be some advantages to be discovered by experimenting with this concept for the base bevels. Using some older skis, may be one approach.

Be sure to clearly mark which edges are which with grease pencil, tape, sharpie, etc to eliminate guessing or future tuning mistakes. A reliable multi-angle tool, multiple bevel guides or guides with shims , along with a file and a couple diamonds or stones will be necessary to perform the edge work required.

(FAQ)

You just got some new skis or a snowboard. Now what?

• Unwrap & drool, then inspect them to ‘get to know’ them
• Check bases for flatness with a true bar and backlighting
• Eyeball torsional squareness and general structure evenness
• Measure the side and base bevels and record info
• Check general consistent sharpness of the edges and for burrs or nicks. Also, check for rust.
• Make any necessary (hopefully none or minor) fixes
• Clean, wax, scrape and brush a few cycles
• Ski or ride ‘em, repeat above and make any edge bevel tweaks deemed appropriate and test again
• Periodically repeat above