In order to skate confidently, without problems performing sliding and braking elements and maintaining balance, the blades must be well sharpened. The technique and method of sharpening depends on the type of skate and the manner of skating, but in any case, you must act carefully and carefully to ensure stability and safety on the ice.
Necessary
- - emery;
- - grinding wheel;
- - round file;
- - fine-grained bar;
- - sharpening for knives;
- - a machine for sharpening skates.
Instructions
Step 1
To skate correctly on figure or hockey skates, you need to make grooves on the blade, that is, small grooves with two ribs, which allows you to increase the pressure on the ice for better glide. But some people prefer to ride on flat blades. Determine which type of sharpening is best for you. Keep in mind that grooved skates will provide comfortable and easy skating with the ability to perform complex curly elements, as well as cornering stability and maneuverability, and flat blades allow you to accelerate well and gain speed.
Step 2
Contact a skate sharpener if you have no experience with this. Similar services are provided by public ice rinks, specialty shops or skate repair shops. Do not forget to warn the master if you do not want to make a groove, or indicate the required depth (the deeper, the more stable the skates). Please note that if your skates already have a groove, in some places you may be denied sharpening without it - not always the craftsmen have the opportunity to sharpen the groove.
Step 3
To sharpen skate blades without a groove yourself, use a regular knife sharpener, keeping it strictly perpendicular to the blade. After that, use sandpaper to remove the shavings.
Step 4
To make a groove, use an emery tool such as a guide plate or a grinding wheel. Exactly in the middle of the blade, along its entire length, make a depression even across the width. With a round file, give it the correct shape - make sure that the chute does not roll over to either side, so that the ribs are the same. For good skiing, a deviation of the shape is allowed by no more than 2-3 degrees. The depth of the groove on figure skates should be between 11 and 15 millimeters, the groove on hockey skates is usually deeper, but narrower - in accordance with the width of the blade. Remove the burrs with a fine grain block. Proceed with the second skate, making sure that both grooves are of the same depth and shape, and that a certain width is maintained on all parts of the blade.
Step 5
In order to sharpen skates for short track or cross-country skates, a special machine is needed, where the pair is attached with the blades up and parallel to each other. First, a wide block sharpens the skates - an even edge is formed, then with the help of a thin block the plane is polished to a mirror state. In this case, it is important to carefully monitor that there are no uneven edges, burrs or suspicions of a groove.
