A gummy stone is a sort of rubber stone that feels like a very hard eraser. Once you're done sharpening, a gummy stone is used to remove any last little burrs and give the edges a final polish. Run the gummy stone gently along the length of the base edge once or twice and then repeat along the side edge.
When should I use gummy stone?
This soft gummy stone is used for de-burring edges and removing rust from edges of your snowboard or skis. If you like your board or skis to be catch free, de-tune 2" north and south of the contact zones, 4 points of contact. Use a Gummy or a Ceramic Stone.
Do you need a gummy stone?
Gummi stones are essential for final stages of sharpening, de-burring and polishing of the steel edges. They are also one of the first things you should get when assembling a ski edge tuning kit.
What is a gummy stone made of?
Made of finest and highest quality aluminum oxide, rubber impregnated, this stone can remove rust and micro-burrs from your ski and snowboard edges in just a few moves. Used for years by professional ski teams, now it's available to recreational skiers and snowboarders.
What can I use instead of a gummy stone?
A smooth rock, nail file, or even the metal poles of a ski stand will work pretty good for just taking the 'edge' off your edge... as such.
28 related questions foundShould I wet a gummy stone?
They should be used wet in order to preserve the life of the stone. Some people add a tiny bit of washing up liquid to the water in order to better lubricate the stone. Keep them clean by wiping them regularly on a clean rag or some kitchen roll while you're using them.
How often should you wax skis?
It's recommended you wax your skis every 5 or 6 times out. The reason being the base of your ski is very porous (similar to your skin) with lotion (wax) you'll have a better running surface. This will allow for increased glide over all snow conditions, less leg fatigue and increased speed.
How often should you tune your skis?
In general, it's good to tune your skis after about every 20 days of riding. Again, however, this varies for every user. If you are the type of skier or snowboarder who tends to beat your skis up a lot more than the average rider, you might need a tune-up more often.
Can you detune with a gummy stone?
Gummy stones are often overlooked when starting side-edge and base-edge work. Swix Gummy stones are an efficient way to detune (slightly dull) the tip and tail area, and to remove micro-burrs from filing.
How do I tune my ski edges?
For best results, begin with a ski that is stone ground flat. Hold the ski in a vise with the base up and use a Base BEAST and an 8" mill file to establish your base edge bevel. Begin on the far edge with extended arms and pull file toward you with 8-12" strokes. Rotate the ski 180° in vise to work on the other edge.
How do you fix rusted ski edges?
Let skis dry individually, as edge to edge contact will promote rusting. If there's rust on the edges, simply rub it off with a gummy stone or some steel wool. Apply a heavy hand wax, and leave it on until you're ready to go skiing again.
How do you clean Swix diamond stone?
We recommend water or a 50/50 water/alcohol mix on diamond stones for lubrication and to wash away the ground material. Always rinse your stones with water/alcohol after use. Water/alcohol will remove the metal filings left on the surface that could rust and dries faster than pure water.
What angle should I tune my snowboard?
A standard edge tune is 90 degrees, though for more aggressive carving or hard snow you might opt for 89 degrees or less. (If you're really serious about your edges you can even adjust the angle of the base edge too, though this level of precision is usually the realm of racers).
Is it OK to store skis standing up?
DO STORE IN DRY AREA Your skis and boards could be stored standing upright on the tails or on their sides in a damp free environment. A great storage place could be under your bed, or in the corner of an interior closest in the house. DO NOT store in the garage, damp basement or attic.
What happens if you don't wax your skis?
Over time, without wax, the base of a ski or board will start to dry out and whiten, almost like the black is fading. As it continues to dry, it shrinks. In extreme cases, the base can shrink away from your edges, making them prone to blowing out of the ski on a rock or hard ice.
Can you wax skis yourself?
Hold the hot iron upright with the point or one corner facing down. Press the wax to the iron, moving it around on the hot surface. This will start melting the wax, dripping a small stream onto the ski or snowboard. You don't need full coverage here, you'll spread the wax over the entire base in the next step.
Do you wax or sharpen skis first?
Minor edge work is easy to do at home, but extensive repairs and sharpening are best done at a ski shop. Always finish up your tuning by waxing your skis. It's also recommended that you wax your skis throughout the ski season even if you're not doing base or edge repairs.
Can ski edges be too sharp?
If you're experiencing such jerkiness, your skis' edges might simply be too sharp. They will improve as the edges dull, but waiting until they dull is frustrating. Take them back to the shop, and ask the tech to dull the edges with emery paper or a gummy stone.
Where do you detune skis?
So for shaped skis find the contact point of the tip and tail (you can do this by placing the ski on a flat surface and marking the sidewall at the points that the ski contacts the flat surface) and detune from contact point forward on the tip and contact point backward on the tail.
What is tuning a snowboard?
Tuning includes waxing, sharpening the edges and a few other things. To tune the board first take off the bindings. This will make the process much easier because the board needs to be flipped upside down. Tuning vices will also make the process much easier, but they are not necessary.
How do you use a diamond stone on a snowboard?
Start with a 325 to 400-grit diamond stone for side edges, and a 400-grit hard stone for base edges. Use them with a bevel guide and make light overlapping strokes from tip-to-tail. Then repeat the process using finer (600 grit) stones to repeat the same process, finishing with light, full-length tip-to-tail passes.
