REPLACEMENT PARTS FAQ

When do I need to replace my grinding wheel and diamond dresser?

GRINDING WHEEL: Eventually, the diameter of the grinding wheel will become smaller than the diameter of the motor, at which point your blade will not even be able to contact the grinding wheel since it will be hitting the motor first. You can use your wheel all the way until you can no longer make contact with it anymore. Approximately 200 pair of skates is a good estimate.

DIAMOND DRESSER: Eventually the diamond tip will completely wear out, and the metal shaft surrounding the diamond tip will make contact with the wheel when dressing. You will definitely be able to notice when this happens, as it will look and sound like a much different dressing, and the wheel will actually grind right into the metal shaft surrounding the diamond. Approximately 4 -500 pair of skates is a good estimate (or 2 -3 grinding wheels)

SHARPENING FAQ

Why is it that my edges are not always even from skate to skate?

Skate Blades are not consistent in both thickness and straightness. Even top of the line blades are never going to be perfectly even, or perfectly straight. A thicker skate blade is naturally going to sit higher in the skate holder relative to the grinding wheel, and therefore you will need to lower the skate holder to allow a thicker blade to grind on the crown of the wheel. A bent blade will not hit the crown completely down the length of the blade. If the blade can’t be straightened, adjust the levelness of the holder to allow the majority of your blade to be grinding on the crown of the wheel.

Which direction do I clamp and grind the skate?

The direction that you clamp the skate in the holder (heel to left vs toe to left) is all up to your own personal preference, the only thing that matters is that you consistently clamp the same way. For example, if you prefer clamping with the heel to the left you will clamp every skate in the holder with the heel to the left. This will make checking and adjusting for even edges much easier. Grinding against the spin of the wheel (from right to left) will remove more metal per pass, but is not ideal for applying finish. Grinding with the spin of the wheel (from left to right) will remove less metal per pass, but will apply a much smoother finish on the bottom of the skate blade. For your “grinding” passes, it is up to you which direction you prefer to grind, just make sure that you always end with a “finish” pass grinding with the spin of the wheel to apply a smooth finish to the bottom of the blade.

How many grinding passes are needed?

The amount of grinding passes all depends on the condition of the skate blade. A beat up or uneven blade is going to take many more grinding passes to reach fresh new edges than if you’ve only skated once or twice between sharpening. For a routine sharpening, 4-5 “grinding” passes and one “finish” pass should be plenty, but one trick that I recommend using is to mark the bottom of your skate blade on the heel, middle, and toe of the blade with a sharpie prior to sharpening. Now simply grind until the marker has been removed from the bottom of the blade, and all chips/burrs have been removed from the edges. Once the marker has been removed, that tells you that you have reached fresh new metal on your skate blade.

MAINTENANCE FAQ

My machine has been exposed to some moisture and has some rust spots on top of the base, how do I remove these?

To remove any rust buildup, use steel wool to buff as much surface rust off as possible. Next, wax the base with car wax (apply wax, let dry, and wipe clean). Repeat this process until the surface is sliding smoothly again. Continue to wax the base periodically to prevent any further rust buildup.

 

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