basic tuning techniques using some basic affordable hand tools ?

[Tony S]

My skis are taken only in groomers with lot of base snow, No rocks and ETC , so That why I probably did not need it. I do 99% Carving , so Trees , Rocks and ETC is not my cup of the tea .

I am SO so sorry. Really. Feel like I just criticized someone's choice of beverage only to find out he's fighting alcoholism.

Fortunately for you, participation in PugSki is tantamount to a twelve step program for powder haters. Don't worry, no one will rush you.

Shoot. Did it again, didn't I? Anyway, apologies.

 

[NE1]

Fortunately for you, participation in PugSki is tantamount to a twelve step program for powder haters.

Many of us are not so much powder haters as powder deprived dreamers.

 

[Scruffy]

100% agree unless it is really old skis and lot of damage on side wall. If you chnage skis every few years, I would say I never had need to do this. You may see some ABS on file after few years here and there but that it not big of the deal. Just use small metal brush and clean it from file, one for Home depot work very good for $2.
It is not that I am not handy and do not know how to do it, but I watch lot of Race tuning videos and never seen they do this .
One thing I always do and never seen in any video , I use black marker and Evey half to 1 inch i make line on edge ( steel part) , then go with your file , when you remove it you DONE, nothing else do not need to do.

Here is the one video of professional tuner form Austria , he never use it at all, he did not even use File angel tool:

Here is my unprofessional ( so take it for what's it's worth ) materials science opinion on why you need to cut back the sidewall before side filing: It's not that the sidewall material is harder than the steel edge and cannot be shaped by the file during filing. It's precisely because it is softer that it is resistant to filing cleanly is where the problem lies. It has more elasticity than steel, so if it's gumming up your file it is resisting the files teeth for a clean cut, and is micro stretching and tearing. As it stretches, heats and then tears it is larger than the teeth void and when it rebounds inside the void it now has a hold inside the file teeth void. Thus the softer sidewall will actually hold your file away from part of the steel edge near it and mess up your edge angle. If you're filing with a 3* edge guide and applying even light pressure and the sidewall obstructs the files easy passage along the steel edge and pushes/tilts your file off the 3*, what part of the ski steel edge do you think will get more pressure and thus cut a shallower angle?

 

[KingGrump]

On the topic of sidewall planing. What is he cleaning off the bench at 25:14 after an edit? It looks to me like sidewall material. Despite not showing sidewall planing in the videos, I believe that it is being done.

That is a Swix side wall cutter on the bench next to the yellow sand paper.

 

[Dwight]

Not an expert, but I play one.(Not really)

Every Head ski that I have tuned, needed sidewalls removed before getting a good tune. I don't have an official sidewall cutter, I use to use a chisel and now I have moved up to a panzer file and 7 degree angle guide.

 

[KingGrump]

Next up in the arms race. Electric side wall cutter.






Total overkill for the home tuner, but WTH.
Looks like fun but man when you screw up...

 

[Dwight]

I'll just find the right bit for a cordless router.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Next up in the arms race. Electric side wall cutter.

...

Total overkill for the home tuner, but WTH.
Looks like fun but man when you screw up...

QFT (emphasis mine)

 

[Jacques]

Next up in the arms race. Electric side wall cutter.

View attachment 82734

View attachment 82733


Total overkill for the home tuner, but WTH.
Looks like fun but man when you screw up...

In the wrong hands this could be a killer! Ha ha. I need to make a new tuning video with this,

 

[KingGrump]

I'll just find the right bit for a cordless router.

The bits associated with both units appears to be custom. They supply the spec and the tool fabricator do a custom milling for them. The bits run about $250 each.

The bit for the Makita based unit is a flared solid carbide spiral cutter with a radius on top. Available with either a 4 or 7 degree flare. Never seen one like that available commercially. Pretty sure it is a custom milling.
I am not very comfortable with the guide mechanism. It does not use a full router bushing. The guide appears to be a very small and flimsy looking metal flange at the end of an adjustable block inset into the base. The base is custom with provision of additional shim to be installed underneath. The vac attachment is nice. The additional micro adjustment rotary collar looks really robust.
Very aggressive looking bit. Especially if the ski have couple sheets of titanal. I know titanal is much softer than carbide, but like most aluminum alloys they have a tendency to be grabby. Perhaps that is why the tuner is doing climb cutting with the trimmer. If he feed the trimmer from left to right, the bit would pull the trimmer into the work piece. Probably will overload the small guide flange. Climb cutting will push the trimmer away from the work. Resulting in a much less aggressive cut. The tuner will have to deliberately push the trimmer into the work to get a good cut.
When I am working with shapers and routers, I strongly dislike climb cutting along with hand feeding. I always use a power feeder when the operation calls for climb cutting.
The Carrot unit appears to be a better design in both machine and cutters. The machine costs twice as much though. Takes a lot of side wall trimming to make that back. The bit is about $250 also.

Think I'll stick to my cheap a** Toko sidewall cutter.

 

[Dwight]

I do see the bits for around $90. Don't think I would actually use one skis. I'm sure once you get enough practice, it works well. Though it doesn't take much time to do it manually.

If I really wanted a faster way at home, I would create a custom sanding belt for it. But I prefer to keep my ski work and woodworking work separate.

 

[Jacques]

Advanced hand tuning. Use the speed control to speed it up. 1.75X works pretty well.

 

[Atomicman]

One reason not to get a sidewall planer is they can be exceedingly difficult to use and get the desired results. It is one tool to DEFINITELY use on test skis first. Setting the depth, angle, type of blade, etc. is different for every ski depending on the sidewall characteristics and material of each ski. We use a GrindRite belt edger set a couple degrees higher than the edge bevel in the shop. Fast, easy and pretty much guaranteed NOT to ruin the sidewall. An at home solution that I like 1000 times better than a sidewall planer is using a panzer in a file guide that is a few degrees more than the edge bevel you are going to set.

If you can find an FK/SKS siewall planer...it is by the far the best. I have owned just about every style. It is so easy to use and solid as a rock. I think Slidewright.com

 

[Marin]

I am SO so sorry. Really. Feel like I just criticized someone's choice of beverage only to find out he's fighting alcoholism.

Fortunately for you, participation in PugSki is tantamount to a twelve step program for powder haters. Don't worry, no one will rush you.

Shoot. Did it again, didn't I? Anyway, apologies.

It is not that I Hate or anything like that, I apologize if I present like that , I just do not like it . I can ski in powder and anywhere else , any condition.BUT Curving on hard pack groom snow is my favorite skiing , and something I enjoy.
I have lot of friend that do powder and I go with them time to time, but I rent skis for that time, My skis are not built to do any good in deep powder , so even if I want to i would have hard time with my skis to ski in powder.
Some people like Mercedes and some VW , it is not about they hate other cars , it is just what people like .

And I love to see when people skiing in powder and to my that is Art of the skiing , but like I said it is not my cup of tea.