TR: Edge Tune

www.edgetune.com

Okay, here's the report from my 1st use of my new dremmel tool based edge tuner, the edge tune.

Unpacking the edge tune


The instructions for use are quite detailed, however I will admit that I did re watch the 3 minute video clip on their website a couple of times to make sure that I was both doing the assembly correctly and also the final adjusting and use on the edge. IMHO, a few pictures to accompany the text would be a great help

All set up


What this really shows is the extra brass strips and extra 1/2 degree spacer strips that are included. All you need to do is swap in/out the brass strips and you can quickly adjust the amount of bevel you want for the pair of skis you're working on. I was able to remove and switch out a brass strip from the chasis of the edge tune in less than 20 seconds

The "victim" One of my wife's old Rossi Mountain Viper's that hasn't left my basement in about a decade!


The 1st pass


The left say 1/3rd of the edge I didn't touch, hence its dark appearance from 10 years of sitting in the basement. The right 2/3rds or so with its shiny finish was the result of my 1st few seconds of use of the edge tune. It took me less than a minute to get the guide screws adjusted in the chasis so that just the tip of the ceramic stone in the dremmel was just touching the edge. The guide screws slide along the sidewall

1st pass along the tail


I figure that when I get up to VT and have a ski mounted on a real tuning bench in a real ski vise that I will be able to finish an entire edge in 45 seconds or so. The finish that the ceramic stone puts on the edge is very smooth and sharp and definitely has that "hockey skate edge radius" profile! The one thing that I did notice, and granted it may of had as much to do with the fact that this ski had some seriously burred edged and hadn't seen a file in over 10 years, but even my wife when I showed her the results commented on how their was a slight "lip" on the base side of the edge that i'd want to give a quick pass or 2 with a gummi stone along the base before hitting the hill

All in all, the edge tune made a good 1st impression on me. I'll be real curious (and seeking out some slick stuff ) this weekend to see how the esults perform on the hill!

Nice report, Doc. It looks really cool. I don't have time this a.m to read the info and/or watch the video....can it do the base edge too?

marcski said:

Nice report, Doc. It looks really cool. I don't have time this a.m to read the info and/or watch the video....can it do the base edge too?

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This is only for use on the side edge. Their recommendation for the base edge (starting with either a freshly stone ground or brand new, "flat" base edge (a base bevel of your choice is fine too) ) is to just give the base edge a few passes with either a fine diamond stone or gummi stone to maintain it's smoothness. The way that the edge tune sharpens and gives the side edge a "hollowed"/radiused out edge similar to a hockey skate blade edge, they say that filing of the base edge isn't needed (just keep it smooth and polished with a stone), and based on the first impression that I had last night, I would totally believe that!

That sounds sweet. I love my dremel! Anything with that many rpm'S is cool!

marcski said:

That sounds sweet. I love my dremel! Anything with that many rpm'S is cool!

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Crank the dremmel up to maximum RPM's (the Edge Tune folks actually tell you in the instructions to run it at 30-35k RPM's whch after checking my dremmel owners manual was speed setting 6 out of 6 on my dremmel ) and go for it!

I will admit that at first seeing all the sparks flying off the edge took a bit of getting used to, but then the inner 6 yr old child in me kicked in and it was more like "COOL! sparks!" :lol:

That looks pretty cool Jeff. Keep us posted.

I don't know if I'd go for the hockey skate edge. Seems it would wear off faster making you sharpen the edges more often.

Gonna try and keep an eye on this and see if it goes on sale over the summer.

It looks pretty cool but I'm not sold on the concave edge shape the stone creates. Seems to me that would make the edge more susceptible to damage from rocks, etc.

WoodCore said:

It looks pretty cool but I'm not sold on the concave edge shape the stone creates. Seems to me that would make the edge more susceptible to damage from rocks, etc.

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It seems like it's making a 3* edge to a 5* edge (just a guess) at the actual edge. Very sharp but high edge angles wear out faster. Also, there is such a thing as too sharp.

Keep posting on your results - very interested in this tool.

OK, you gotta make me spend more money!

WoodCore said:

It looks pretty cool but I'm not sold on the concave edge shape the stone creates. Seems to me that would make the edge more susceptible to damage from rocks, etc.

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goldsbar said:

It seems like it's making a 3* edge to a 5* edge (just a guess) at the actual edge. Very sharp but high edge angles wear out faster. Also, there is such a thing as too sharp.

Keep posting on your results - very interested in this tool.

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I read the website and it can do a normal edge too.

On second taught, it looks nice, but nothing like a hand job.

andyzee said:

On second taught, it looks nice, but nothing like a hand job.

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I love a good hand job. The machines are a bit rough.

Hawkshot99 said:

I love a good hand job. The machines are a bit rough.

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My thoughts exactly,

Want one!!!

drjeff said:

This is only for use on the side edge. Their recommendation for the base edge (starting with either a freshly stone ground or brand new, "flat" base edge (a base bevel of your choice is fine too) ) is to just give the base edge a few passes with either a fine diamond stone or gummi stone to maintain it's smoothness. The way that the edge tune sharpens and gives the side edge a "hollowed"/radiused out edge similar to a hockey skate blade edge, they say that filing of the base edge isn't needed (just keep it smooth and polished with a stone), and based on the first impression that I had last night, I would totally believe that!

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drjeff, what do you use for the base edge. I'm looking at guides and not sure what to go for, Typically I will just go over them with a stone, do have an inexpensive base edge guide I use maybe once a year. However my problem is this, I'm using the Skivisions Base Flattening/Structure tool and although the metal insert should work fine on the edges, I believe the edges themselves should be filed down. Look for a good guide, any suggestions? For now, this seems to be a favorite:

andyzee said:

drjeff, what do you use for the base edge. I'm looking at guides and not sure what to go for, Typically I will just go over them with a stone, do have an inexpensive base edge guide I use maybe once a year. However my problem is this, I'm using the Skivisions Base Flattening/Structure tool and although the metal insert should work fine on the edges, I believe the edges themselves should be filed down. Look for a good guide, any suggestions? For now, this seems to be a favorite:

Click to expand...

AZ - what I use for my base bevel is another ski visions product, their ski sharp. Before I got my edge tune, I used a coarse stone in the base insert holder and a file insert in the side insert holder, I had my ski sharp set to a 1*base/3* side bevel combo. Now I have taken out the side edge file insert and just have the base edge coarse stone insert in for any deburring and/or polishing of my base edge. Seems to work well so far.

The file guide you put a picture up of would more than likely do the same thing quite well. Since I already owned my ski sharp and the fact that the ski sharp has 3* of adjustability verses a file guide that doesn't have any adjustability, i'll probably stick with my ski sharp for the options that it gives me (not that i've changed my base edge bevel preference in about 20 years )

drjeff said:

AZ - what I use for my base bevel is another ski visions product, their ski sharp. Before I got my edge tune, I used a coarse stone in the base insert holder and a file insert in the side insert holder, I had my ski sharp set to a 1*base/3* side bevel combo. Now I have taken out the side edge file insert and just have the base edge coarse stone insert in for any deburring and/or polishing of my base edge. Seems to work well so far.

The file guide you put a picture up of would more than likely do the same thing quite well. Since I already owned my ski sharp and the fact that the ski sharp has 3* of adjustability verses a file guide that doesn't have any adjustability, i'll probably stick with my ski sharp for the options that it gives me (not that i've changed my base edge bevel preference in about 20 years )

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Yeah, ski sharp looks interesting, have been considering it for awhile, just hate to invest in another edge sharpening product. I think I presently have a Toyo, that goes for like $70+ and works good on the side, but no base. So you really like the Skivisions product?

andyzee said:

Yeah, ski sharp looks interesting, have been considering it for awhile, just hate to invest in another edge sharpening product. I think I presently have a Toyo, that goes for like $70+ and works good on the side, but no base. So you really like the Skivisions product?

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I've had both the ski visions edge sharpener and base planer for well over a decade each, and prior to that I was a decade plus hand file/file guide guy for another decade or so. Their edge sharpener is a very good product for about 99% of self tuners out there -in maybe an uber elite racer might want a fresh hand file and a precisely machined file guide, but those folks usually already have a service tech tuning their skis for them!

My ski visions edge tuner has held up great, and just like every now and then you need to get a new, fresh hand file and/or stone for a file guide, every now and then I order a new set of file and/or stone inserts for my ski sharp (usually about $10-$15 a pair depending on what insert you're ordering)

In all honesty, the dremmel driven edge tune is the 1st edge tuning product in a long time that I actually wanted to get, and so far i've been very impressed with it, and my family has been telling me how much better their skis are holding, even to the point where my wife now is looking for the slickest patches on the hill, just because she can hold on them where most folks are skidding!

drjeff said:

I've had both the ski visions edge sharpener and base planer for well over a decade each, and prior to that I was a decade plus hand file/file guide guy for another decade or so. Their edge sharpener is a very good product for about 99% of self tuners out there -in maybe an uber elite racer might want a fresh hand file and a precisely machined file guide, but those folks usually already have a service tech tuning their skis for them!

My ski visions edge tuner has held up great, and just like every now and then you need to get a new, fresh hand file and/or stone for a file guide, every now and then I order a new set of file and/or stone inserts for my ski sharp (usually about $10-$15 a pair depending on what insert you're ordering)

In all honesty, the dremmel driven edge tune is the 1st edge tuning product in a long time that I actually wanted to get, and so far i've been very impressed with it, and my family has been telling me how much better their skis are holding, even to the point where my wife now is looking for the slickest patches on the hill, just because she can hold on them where most folks are skidding!

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I think Jeff was inhaling some wax fumes last night with a few cold ones!. Either that or its really cold and windy out there this morning.