Originally Posted by Sincraft

If you are like me, you will research this to the point of nausea as the information out there is uber conflicting.

First, what grit diamond stone do you have. What brand DMT, Diaface, Swix etc?

What tool? Does it do varied angles or fixed at the angles you suggested?

Be careful what you read out there. And what you buy.

Here is what I definitely know about edge tuning, finally, after learning as much as I could in a short period of time:
- Edge tuning kits are a giant waste of money loaded with brightly colored goodies that most shops push, and do more harm than good.
- Those little edge guides they include, usually only include a file and aren't a standard size for standard size files, stones
- Edge tune from the side only, only do the base rarely and as lightly as possible using diamond stones, no files.
- don't use files to tune your board (this is why those little tools are garbage)
- use files to set new bevel angles. be careful here and think this out. If you set an agressive angle, you cant get material back! you will have to have an agressive base grind or sidewall cut or both to get the angle you liked before back. Many people inadvertently are riding 5 degree base angles because their base is higher than their edge without a grind. This is from my understand mostly because people base tune every time, often, and use only files.
- use a course grit diamond stone to fix edge repairs, then move to the file in the spot that needs repaired, then progress up to a finer stone, and if you want an even finer stone. The coarse grit stone softens the damage up to allow the file to remove the rest, then the progressing stone polish it up and tighten up the edge.
- If no repair, just start with the fine diamond stone, then if you want go finer. Knock down any curled burrs created by side tuning on the base with a very fine diamond stone or another stone product like an arkansas stone or ceramic stone, gliding it down by hand. LIGHTLY pass your stone down the base edge along it's bevel, NOT ON THE BEVEL.
- Finish your tip with a fine gummi stone at a 45 degree angle, a few medium pressure strokes , LIGHTLY pass the gummi stone down the length of the board along the edge to knock down more burrs from tuning earlier, then hit the tail with a few medium pressure strokes. This is the only time you should put a product on the edge itself. No other product should touch it.


I would highly recommend Ski Wax Snowboard Wax Tuning Tools RaceWax.com Read up on that site, and buy your stuff there too. Great people, great advice and even better prices (the best I found for everything I purchase...20%-40% cheaper on moonflex stones!) - no I do not work for them! They also have a nice multi angle tool for those of us that dont want to worry about getting 3-4 side angle clamps for different skis/boards/family/friends etc

Also, watch this video. Yes that is a kid showing you the PROPER way of tuning an edge. All of the other videos are crap and many had me cringing watching them as they rubbed a file back and forth on the edge of both the side and base.
YouTube - Edge Tuning-So Easy even an Adult Can Do It

Funny, but it's one of the only videos that I've seen that actually has the proper method listed. This is after readying many articles from many of the top shop techs out there, many of which have written books. While you get alot more crazy about tuning, this is the process that should be the basis for a good tune.

To answer your original question though, if you deal with icey conditions, that stuff is HARD and will round your edges in no time. If no major damage, I would do a quick pass or two with the fine grit diamond stone before you go out, light passes, side only. Every 3rd time, of say 4+ hours riding at least on each day, I would do what the kid does in the video.

About once a month, hit the base edge with a fine diamond stone, in that mix.

In two years, have your base checked for flatness, have it ground down by a good quality shop and have them set the bevel on the base while they are at it. Inspect it before you leave with a truebar and you should be all set.

oh and finally, for rust, use a gummy stone to rub that stuff off the side edge or , just go over it with the fine diamond stone should knock it off. You are using 50% water and 50% denatured alcohol mixture when you use your stone arent you? If not, you are kiling your stone.

Just my opinions of course, but from what I've read, this is scripture.

Originally Posted by pdxrealtor

Good info..... I think my edge file tool is a 88*/90*.

With my BG I use the 88* on the side and the 90* on the base.

Wrong or right?


At this point my edges have huge chunks missing from riding, so I'm headed to the board shop soon.