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#1
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explanation of base grinding
hey guys-
could somebody explain to a relative noob the importance of base grinding? i feel like i have a good handle on waxing and edge tuning, and their various effects on performance. however, this is not the case for base grinding. how exactly does it work, and what do the different techniques (structures? what are these?) affect your ride and board life? thanks -tucker |
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#2
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Base grinding can be done on 2 different types of machines. There a belt
grinding machines and stone grinding machines. The primary purpose of base grinding is to affect the manner in which the base interacts with snow. If your base is scarred up from hitting a lot of rocks or grinding a lot of rails, it will be rather slow. Large gouges in the base can cause more drag on one side of the board causing you to drift in one direction. Filling these gouges and then base grinding the board will restore the board to a more normal function and help make the board glide faster on the snow. Belt grinding machines are less expensive than stone grinding machines and therefore tend to be more common. They are in essence a wide belt sander that the board is passed over. They have water jets in them that spray the belt with water to cool the base and lengthen the life of the abraisive. Stone grinding machines have a wide stone much like the stone on a bench grinder. They are also wet machines. A stone will provide a bettetr finish than a belt machine in many cases. This is because the stone will cut the base material more efficiently. A belt tends to tear at the base, leaving stringy hairs attatched to the base. Stone machines can also be dressed with various patterns. These patterns can then be cut into the base of the board. These patterns affect how the base interacts with the snow. The basic purpose of these patterns (called structure) is to help break the vacuum that can develop between the base and wet snow. By cutting channels into the base of the board, it is much more difficult to generate the suction that can occur with a very smooth surface. Both belt and stone machines can leave effective structure in the base. A stone machine can however produce a variety of structures and depending on the opperator will usually produce a better result. If you are looking for more speed while racing, a good stone structure is a must. If you plan to spend most of your time in the park, then a belt finish is probably more than adequate. For most recreational riders, stone finishes are nice, but not really necessary. Unless you're looking for the most speed your equipment can provide, you will most likely do just fine with a belt grind. Hopefully that's a good start for you. -- Sean Martin Donek Snowboards Inc. http://www.donek.com/ phone:877-53-DONEK "Tucker Cunningham" wrote in message ... hey guys- could somebody explain to a relative noob the importance of base grinding? i feel like i have a good handle on waxing and edge tuning, and their various effects on performance. however, this is not the case for base grinding. how exactly does it work, and what do the different techniques (structures? what are these?) affect your ride and board life? thanks -tucker |
#3
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For most recreational riders, stone finishes are nice, but
not really necessary. Unless you're looking for the most speed your equipment can provide, you will most likely do just fine with a belt grind. Hopefully that's a good start for you. I will agree with Sean that a belt grind, *done by a competent technician*, is more than adequate for most anyone who isn't racing. But... In my experience, the local ski and snowboard shops with decent technicians tend to have stone grinders. That said, the Doneks that I've bought (and demoed) have had very nice base finishes, and if Sean is doing them with a belt (which I've heard he does) he's doing a hell of a job with them! Mike T |
#4
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Mike T wrote:
For most recreational riders, stone finishes are nice, but not really necessary. Unless you're looking for the most speed your equipment can provide, you will most likely do just fine with a belt grind. Hopefully that's a good start for you. I will agree with Sean that a belt grind, *done by a competent technician*, is more than adequate for most anyone who isn't racing. But... In my experience, the local ski and snowboard shops with decent technicians tend to have stone grinders. That said, the Doneks that I've bought (and demoed) have had very nice base finishes, and if Sean is doing them with a belt (which I've heard he does) he's doing a hell of a job with them! Mike T thanks much guys, that was exactly what i was hoping for =) |
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