Whether ice skating is fun or serious sport for you, skates need to be well sharpened. The smoothness of sliding, the speed of skiing, the speed of stopping and stability on ice depend on this. If you notice that you start to slip when accelerating or stall sideways when cornering, then the blades of your skates are dull.
Necessary
Fixing machine, sandpaper, sharpening bar, file
Instructions
Step 1
See a professional. A specialist with all the necessary tools must be present at the rinks. Their prices are quite affordable, and their craftsmanship allows you to avoid problems with the further use of skates. In addition, with serious hockey or figure skating, it is better not to experiment with self-sharpening.
Step 2
If you decide to do everything yourself, then first decide if you need a groove on your skates. The blades are sharpened in two ways: with and without a groove along the edge. The second method is suitable only for amateurs with a good level of training. It will be difficult for beginners on such skates to brake and turn, and athletes will lose in maneuverability. Professionals, as well as those taking their first steps on ice, are better off sharpening a grooved blade, although this will require more effort.
Step 3
To get a well-sharpened skate without a groove, fix it tightly with the blade up on the machine. Take a special sharpening stone for knives and drive this stone along the side of the blade perpendicular to its base. Iron chips can be removed from the ridge with sandpaper. Make sure both skates are sharpened equally.
Step 4
Use a round file after securing the blade to get two perfectly straight grooves. The correct shape of the groove will have to be cut by hand. The file number depends on the thickness of the blade and the hardness of the steel. The depth of the groove should not exceed 0.5-0.6 mm. The resulting burrs are removed using a fine-grained block. When you're done sharpening, take a close look at your grooves. They should be of the same depth throughout the rib and the same on both blades.
