Stone grind new skis?

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Stone grind new skis?

Postby davey » Fri Feb 26, 2021 6:46 pm

Just curious what are people's experiences with the flatness of new skis for various brands/models. I've found some new skis(I think it was a Dynastar) which were either slightly concave or convex) such that I felt the need to do a stone grind. Just wondering if this is normal or not. Thanks.
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Re: Stone grind new skis?

Postby BrettBPotter » Fri Feb 26, 2021 10:15 pm

Most people have never filed a base or side edge and have little idea as to how inaccurate new skis are shipped. Many have never even checked a set that has been done even by a legitimateshop. I'm a weirdo about my edges (both base and side). I also don't really care for these automated grinders run by night crew techs. In Mammoth I use a shop where I actually speak to the guy that is doing the grind!. I have way to many skis as I have issues for sure. My slalom and cherished sets, are just ground (NO EDGES AND NEVER EVER A BASE EDGE). Powder sets I have ground and edged but always start with 1/2 on the base and 2 on the sides. And believe me, you'd be surprised at how all over the place these can be.
In short, 50-75$ for a flat grind is cheap compared to skis.
Yes, grind them.
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Re: Stone grind new skis?

Postby HeluvaSkier » Sat Feb 27, 2021 5:54 pm

Depends on the brand and the where the ski falls within the manufacturer's line up. With a lot of FIS product, you'd be a fool to mess with the factory tune and base grind... Consumer product can be a crap shoot though.
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Re: Stone grind new skis?

Postby Max_501 » Sun Feb 28, 2021 8:10 am

I start with a true bar and check the skis right out of the wrapper.

Concave (feels railed): If any part of the edge is higher than the ptex base then I'll do a quick base edge file. If the ski is only slightly concave I'll ski it and see how it feels. The snow where I ski is very aggressive because of the volcanic material that gets mixed in with the snow so I get a light base grind with each run and that wears down the outside 1" much more than the center because of the tipping.

Convex (feels pivoty): Unless it's just a very small amount I'll have a convex ski ground the minimum amount to get it back to flat. This is because I wear the edges so much faster than the center so a ski that is convex out of the wrapper will be a pivot stick in no time.

For me, choosing the right base structure for the conditions is nearly as important as flattening the base.
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Re: Stone grind new skis?

Postby Ken » Sun Feb 28, 2021 2:55 pm

Back when the Supershape line first came out with 4 models my new Rallys were really off. They'd dart one way or the other. They were concave. I was told that some factory tuning gets done before the epoxy was fully cured, and that they cupped as they finished curing. A good base & edge tune, and they were lots of fun for years. My Stöckli Laser AX weren't bad like that, but they just weren't what I expected. Just a little grabby, side to side, and not quite right. The structure was so deep that light showed in the grooves of the structure under the true bar. Not cupped, just not "my" structure. A base grind fixed it, and they're sweet.

So...Feel how they ski. Get a true bar and use it to look at the bottom flatness. If they need the work, they'll be much better after the tune.
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