20 replies to this topic

[- M]

Official thread to discuss skate sharpening machines, set ups, videos and techniques.  A resource for both current and new skate sharpeners.

 

The Syracuse Crunch's head EQM is shown in this video.  At 2:26, he applies a glaze to the bottom of the blade.  I've never seen anyone do this before.  Anyone on here actually do this?  Seems like overkill, a finishing pass with gusto should be adequate.

 

 

Here's a video that I found that I'm found on Youtube recently and have been quite critical about it.  You might want to turn your volume down since there's some annoying background noise in it.  Still not as bad as the Scooter Jess video floating around but still some things on what not to do.

 

This sharpener is making way too many passes on the first skate and he doesn't do the same number on both skates.  It is unnecessary to cross grind before sharpening in most situations.  It takes only about 5-7 passes on a finishing wheel for me to re-establish a hollow.  His technique is not smooth and you can hear him missing the wheel during some of his passes.  If he keeps sharpening like this he will destroy the shape of the rocker, especially in the toe area.  He doesn't do a finishing pass either.

 

[WindyCity]

That guy in the video probably works at Gunzo's in Chicago.  I just took a new pair of 1X skates there and the sharpening was so bad that I couldn't even stop on my skates.  They've done this before but my regular guy at a different rink quit so I took another chance.  I've found it really hard to find someone who knows what they are doing sharpening skates.

[- M]

That guy in the video probably works at Gunzo's in Chicago. I just took a new pair of 1X skates there and the sharpening was so bad that I couldn't even stop on my skates. They've done this before but my regular guy at a different rink quit so I took another chance. I've found it really hard to find someone who knows what they are doing sharpening skates.

Qualified sharpeners are getting more difficult to find since the money's not there.

[Golden Gate Sharpening]

Here's a video that I found that I'm found on Youtube recently and have been quite critical about it.  You might want to turn your volume down since there's some annoying background noise in it.  Still not as bad as the Scooter Jess video floating around but still some things on what not to do.

 

This sharpener is making way too many passes on the first skate and he doesn't do the same number on both skates.  It is unnecessary to cross grind before sharpening in most situations.  It takes only about 5-7 passes on a finishing wheel for me to re-establish a hollow.  His technique is not smooth and you can hear him missing the wheel during some of his passes.  If he keeps sharpening like this he will destroy the shape of the rocker, especially in the toe area.  He doesn't do a finishing pass either.

 

 

Oh man, that was absolutely brutal to watch.

 

The worst is when the sharpener goes back and forth on the wheel, taking off a ton of steel on the heel/toe. I see this a lot and it makes me cringe every time. 

[Monty22]

Doesn't use an edge checker either, just gives it the "Can't see it from my house" eyeball check and calls it good..

[Mapleleafs-13]

the leveler is so key......

in the second video his passes are way too fast as well from what i've seen. This video is equivalent to watching a horror movie. He seems like the type of dude that would get bent out of shape if you tried to tell him how to do it properly.

If buddy was chewing on my step steel like that i'd go nuts.

[Monty22]

It's a great ad for home machines.

[Rink Rat]

That 2nd video either has to be joke on bad sharps, or the guy filming was the actual sharpener and asked some random guy out of the stands to try the machine for a day. No way anyone would ever go back after that if it was real. I think if I was away and someone started that crap on my skates, I would grind his teeth on the cross grinder.

[90Style10Skill]

No pro-shop worth their salt would let some rando touch their sharpening machine lest they want to potentially lose a perfectly good wheel. Though that doesn't mean these same proshops employ competent skate sharpeners.

I've never seen the glaze thing, either. When I used to work at an LHS all I'd put on is some gusto on the final pass and that's it.

Question for you sharpeners: when working with Edge steel, do you keep it in the holder or pop it out to mount on the jig? I first started with the former but then found it much easier to work with the steel doing the latter.

[Rink Rat]

Look at the way the guy is sharpening. Hes doing a fine job of destroying the wheel on his own. Thus the joke of letting some "rando" come in. Could not be worse and if hes that bad I doubt he would have the mind to not allow people in to frig with it.

 

I have seen the glaze. We tried it as we will not put the stone on the coated blades. Seems to be not too bad, but ended up going back to just a leather strop to remove the small burs. I even find most shops overstone normal blades and cause folding over time.

 

Prefer the blades out as well. A lot just bring in the blades now anyway as most who play rep hockey have 2 sets these days.

[- M]

Question for you sharpeners: when working with Edge steel, do you keep it in the holder or pop it out to mount on the jig? I first started with the former but then found it much easier to work with the steel doing the latter.

 

I prefer to sharpen Edge steel when it's still in the skate holder.  I've had some people bring in just steel.  In that situation I'll grab a spare Edge holder or a new skate out of the box and sharpen with that.

 

Some eqm will travel with a bag of single skates with various holder sizes.  The other option would be to use the CSW Free Runner.  The NHL teams that are using it, love it.

 

[alereflammam]

Question for you experts.

Bought some black edge step steel today. Asked the guy who profiled them to try and match the profile on my existing steel.

long story short, the profile is off.

It seems the angle at the front of the new steel almost matches the angle at the back of the old steel. It's also that the angle of the back of the new steel almost matches the angle at the front of the old steel.

I asked for quad zero, but he said it was for small skates and that quad two would be for skates my length.

1. Is there a way to match my existing profile?
2. What's the best way to fix it?
3. What's the difference in theory of quad zero vs quad two?

[ibeck]

You have to tell him what profile you want. Over time whatever profile you have will be reduced because of grinding the blade down after a ton of sharpenings.

[cthockey]

Quad 1 has a 6/9/12/15 profile. Quad 2 has a 7/10/13/16.
I believe the Quad zero is 6/9/10/13.
We do more Quad Zero and 1. The quad 2 is too long/slow of a profile for most of our customers. Zero is more aggressive.

[alereflammam]

I'll get them to redo it at a quad zero and see if it helps.

[- M]

Question for you experts.

Bought some black edge step steel today. Asked the guy who profiled them to try and match the profile on my existing steel.

long story short, the profile is off.

It seems the angle at the front of the new steel almost matches the angle at the back of the old steel. It's also that the angle of the back of the new steel almost matches the angle at the front of the old steel.

I asked for quad zero, but he said it was for small skates and that quad two would be for skates my length.

1. Is there a way to match my existing profile?
2. What's the best way to fix it?
3. What's the difference in theory of quad zero vs quad two?

 

How long have you had your steel?  The more sharpenings you've had done to it, the more difficult it will be to match since the shape will change.  Your guy has to match your current steel to the closest template and then blend it.  I'm assuming it was done by an automated machine (Pro Sharp or CAG) if you asked for a quad zero though?  I don't think I've ever seen a quad radius template on a manual set up.  Then again Blademaster does offer custom templates.

[gtaco94]

The guy in the 2nd video does seem to butchering the blade and the stone at the same time. Hard to watch. 

 

I learnt off of a blademaster when I used to work at the rink during college and currently have a travel one I picked up from the pro team that left town. Since it's a travel machine, I don't have a cross grind so I don't have to deal with it. Plus, I don't tear my blades up like I've seen some people. Most of them are because they're too lazy and just walk across concrete.

 

I personally try to take off equal amounts of steel on both my blades, but sometimes the 1st skate is level after so many passes, and the 2nd skate just doesn't want to co-operate. It can become a never ending cycle when you try to go back to the first skate to make more passes but it ends up with more passes than the 2nd skate...etc.

 

Stating the obvious but I always have the toe pointing to the left.

 

Process for me is usually run the blade through 3-5 times until the sparks on the stone is showing that it's making contact with the whole blade, stone, wipe, check level, adjust if necessary, repeat. 

 

I used to use this oil on my final pass when I worked at the rink but don't really anymore. The EQM that sold me the machine told me that a bar of soap works as well. The final pass should be slow and smooth. It should polish the blade and you should not see "snake skin" patterns on the blade.

 

Levelling is super important. I learnt to use a really small combination square to check periodically. The great thing about using this is that I do not need to take the skate off the jig. Once done, I double check with the normal clip on/magnet level.

 

Found a picture of my old handiwork. Pretty sure this is level.

[- M]

When I don't have oil available for my final pass I'll use wax.  I've used a bar of soap as well and have gotten similar results.  I only notice a difference when I am doing high volume sharpenings.  Oil won't gunk the wheel up as quickly.

[gtaco94]

When I don't have oil available for my final pass I'll use wax.  I've used a bar of soap as well and have gotten similar results.  I only notice a difference when I am doing high volume sharpenings.  Oil won't gunk the wheel up as quickly.

You're right on about the oil. The wheel needs to be dressed a lot sooner with it. I don't even use anything these days. Just a nice slow and smooth pass.

[- M]

For those of you guys sharpening on Blademaster machines, which wheels are you guys using?

 

The green (8GC) Blademaster wheel has been my go to on both my portable and work machines but they've gone up in price within the past year.  Has any one tried  third party wheels like the ones sold by Nash Sports?