Base Grinding

[Cornbiscut]

I just finished my first pair of skis and they turned out pretty good. I will post pics soon...

I am ready to ski but I need a base grind.. has anyone used a benchtop belt sander for this? It seems like it would do the trick but I wanted to check and see if anyone has done this before I completly wreck my new skis.

[Wannabebuilder]

search. U can't use a regular belt. The plastic heats up it needs to be lubed/cooled. and you have to use silicon carbide belts I think. Regular aluminum oxide will clog supper quick.
Others may have more info but this is what I have gleaned from the intertubes.

[G-man]

Yep, silicon carbide works best on plastics. A benchtop belt sander works pretty well, but, without lubricating/cooling water, the belt won't last as long and you'll need to keep moving the ski base forward and back to avoid generating too much heat in any given area. I start with 60 grit, and generally work down to 180... goes pretty quick and generally leaves a 'hairless' smooth finish that seems to hold wax pretty well. If a few hairs do remain, a hand sanding block with some damp wet/dry 180 grit sandpaper will usually get rid of the hairs.

A 'real' base grind, or stone grind, leaves tiny little grooves in the base that supposedly help reduce surface tension between the base and the moisture in the snow surface, thereby improving glide characteristics... that is, as long as you use a brush to clean the wax out of the little grooves after applying a fresh coat of wax. So... when we use a belt sander (rather than a base/stone grinder) to clean up and flatten out our bases after pressing, I'm not sure what we should officially call that... it's not really a base 'grind'... or is it? Maybe I should just turn off this computer and go to bed.


G-man

[Cornbiscut]

thanks for the info, this time of year it's hard to find a shop that is still open for a grind. I will look into a silicone belt for the sander. seems like it should work with the right touch.