Razor-Tune question

[rc4]

I've read other posts related to Razor-Tune. I don't think I've seen this question answered.

Does it put asymmetric pattern on the left vs right, since you'd be going tip-to-tail, then tail-to-tip on the right vs. left side edge?

Does it not bother anyone, or am I worrying about something too minute?

 

[Dave Marshak]

I think it does put an asymmetrical pattern on the edges. That’s probably why I didn’t make World Cup.

dm

 

[Dave Marshak]

My friends who use Razortune mostly only use the medium stone. That gives good grip but it needs to be worked with fine stones for racing. That takes care of the grind pattern. Otherwise the medium stone works fine, maybe even better grip (and not noticeably slower) than a full race tune.

dm

 

[Atomicman]

Ya just flip the ski around and go tip to tail. on both edges. You always sharpen the edge closest to you unlike stones and guides where you sharpen the edge farthest from you!

 

[Atomicman]

My friends who use Razortune mostly only use the medium stone. That gives good grip but it needs to be worked with fine stones for racing. That takes care of the grind pattern. Otherwise the medium stone works fine, maybe even better grip (and not noticeably slower) than a full race tune.

dm

Funny, I just did my sons GS skis and he ran the fastest time the other night at City League.........Medium Stone!

 

[Michael Oh]

Ya just flip the ski around and go tip to tail. on both edges. You always sharpen the edge closest to you unlike stones and guides where you sharpen the edge farthest from you!

So you have the ski tip away from you, and you 'pull' the RT tip to tail. Then, you flip the ski around to have the tail away from you, and you 'push' to tip to tail?

 

[Dave Marshak]

Funny, I just did my sons GS skis and he ran the fastest time the other night at City League.........Medium Stone!

I’m not surprised. In crazy cold night hard snow, grip might be more important than low friction. Not every situation needs a perfect race tune.

dm

 

[Atomicman]

So you have the ski tip away from you, and you 'pull' the RT tip to tail. Then, you flip the ski around to have the tail away from you, and you 'push' to tip to tail?

Yep!

 

[Dave Marshak]

It doesn’t matter which direction you push the tool. The wheel always spins downward and makes vertical ridges in the side edge. You can get a smoother faster edge if you take the ridges out with fine stones, but that doesn’t improve the grip much, if at all.

dm

 

[Atomicman]

It doesn’t matter which direction you push the tool. The wheel always spins downward and makes vertical ridges in the side edge. You can get a smoother faster edge if you take the ridges out with fine stones, but that doesn’t improve the grip much, if at all.

dm

Actually , that ruins the disc finish. If you look at a new ski with a factory ceramic disc finish or a ski done on Wintersteiger ceramic side edger, it has a pattern in the edge. And this is at least partially if not wholly what makes new skis and Razor Tuned skis so grippy. And I disagree, the ridges are somewhat diagonal not straight vertical, so they would be a bit different. How much difference this makes? I don't know, but I am with the OP and would prefer they all match. You have to flip the ski around anyway,to keep the machine on the edge closest to you. So it just comes down to whether you pull or push the machine. It takes so little effort pulling or pushing that it makes no difference in and of itself.

Razor Tune's training video shows doing tip to tail and then flipping the ski and doing tail to tip. I still do it tip to tail on both edges.

 

[hbear]

The marks are theorized to create more grip based on what WC techs are saying.
Polishing them out actually reduces this grip.

 

[Dave Marshak]

Actually , that ruins the disc finish. If you look at a new ski with a factory ceramic disc finish or a ski done on Wintersteiger ceramic side edger, it has a pattern in the edge. And this is at least partially if not wholly what makes new skis and Razor Tuned skis so grippy. And I disagree, the ridges are somewhat diagonal not straight vertical, so they would be a bit different. How much difference this makes? I don't know, but I am with the OP and would prefer they all match. You have to flip the ski around anyway,to keep the machine on the edge closest to you. So it just comes down to whether you pull or push the machine. It takes so little effort pulling or pushing that it makes no difference in and of itself.

I don’t understand that. Why does pushing tail to tip ruin the finish when pushing tip to tail does not? Is it the finish on the wheel or on the edge that is ruined? The tool moves slowly but the wheel spins fast, so the angle of the tool marks should be nearly the same regardless of the direction you work. I usually find it easier to draw tools toward me, so that’s how I generally work. YMMV

dm

 

[raytseng]

What if you ski switch?

 

[Atomicman]

I don’t understand that. Why does pushing tail to tip ruin the finish when pushing tip to tail does not? Is it the finish on the wheel or on the edge that is ruined? The tool moves slowly but the wheel spins fast, so the angle of the tool marks should be nearly the same regardless of the direction you work. I usually find it easier to draw tools toward me, so that’s how I generally work. YMMV

dm

NO, Not pushing the Razor-tune tail to tip, I was referring to diamond stoning the ridges out of the side edge. I agree with normally pulling hand tools towards you, but with the Razor-Tune, you are simply moving the machine, not actually pulling or pushing metal as in a file. Just like you can use and back and forth motion with a diamond stone.

The machine is more similar to polishing then cutting.

 

[Atomicman]

What if you ski switch?

You don't need a razor tune!

 

[L&AirC]

It doesn’t matter which direction you push the tool. The wheel always spins downward and makes vertical ridges in the side edge. You can get a smoother faster edge if you take the ridges out with fine stones, but that doesn’t improve the grip much, if at all.

dm

I agree it doesn't matter which direction (they even show back and forth movements in RT's videos), but instead of breaking out stones and a side edge guide that may or may not be at the exact same angle, I chose to spring for the Fine wheel. Do I need anything more than a medium - no. Do I pretend I'm a WC tech when I'm tuning my skis - yes. Do I always have skis that are meticulously tuned and sharper than needed, yes.

When you add in changing the wheel and making two passes with the fine wheel to the sharpening process, you might add 2-3 minutes time. The fine wheel is one slow pass each side and they are polished. I've never had an issue with grip and ski quite a bit of hard pack and ice. 2-3 minutes and I have WC sharpness.

 

[Atomicman]

The marks are theorized to create more grip based on what WC techs are saying.
Polishing them out actually reduces this grip.

Exactly!