Blackstone Flat-Bottom V Thread

[notquitedeadyet 13]

X-01 owners- How is this machine holding up over time? I'm not looking to do high volume (a couple of pairs at a time), but it seems like some of the other machines (e.g. the blademaster 850 or Wissota 911) have much more industrial strength motors for almost the same price. Has reliability been an issue for anyone? I'd like to make sure I'm buying something that will last.

Thanks-

I have experience will all 3 (and others) & I will confirm that the Blademaster & Wissota are much more substantial machines.

[AfftonDad 88]

My mistake. Mods please delete.

Edited August 27, 2014 by AfftonDad

[Nealoc187 10]

I happened to be at Total Hockey the other day looking at some equipment and the 17 year old kid operating the sharpener was running the blade back and forth on the wheel really fast over a very short distance (like 3 inches) like he was scrubbing dried food left on a counter top.

I've never sharpened a skate but I did work at a machine shop for 4 years in college and my brother sharpened skates. I can't figure out why he was doing that.

[DEATHTRON 19]

Could be matching a pair of blades...

Though going fast repeatedly is never recommended.

Zach

[Chadd 916]

I happened to be at Total Hockey the other day looking at some equipment and the 17 year old kid operating the sharpener was running the blade back and forth on the wheel really fast over a very short distance (like 3 inches) like he was scrubbing dried food left on a counter top.

I've never sharpened a skate but I did work at a machine shop for 4 years in college and my brother sharpened skates. I can't figure out why he was doing that.

Usually it's just a case of being impatient and lazy.

Could be matching a pair of blades...

But doing so quickly is very likely to overheat the steel. Even if someone was trying to get a banana profile, doing it that way would likely still cause problems.

[DEATHTRON 19]

Which Is why I said going fast repeatedly is never recommended.

Zach

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

I happened to be at Total Hockey the other day looking at some equipment and the 17 year old kid operating the sharpener was running the blade back and forth on the wheel really fast over a very short distance (like 3 inches) like he was scrubbing dried food left on a counter top.

I've never sharpened a skate but I did work at a machine shop for 4 years in college and my brother sharpened skates. I can't figure out why he was doing that.

TH doesn't have 17 year old employees sharpening skates. It's not allowed.

All of our sharpeners have to go through a program in which I helped write. Obviously the goal is for them to follow it but just like anything else, if the dedication level isn't there no training program is going to help.

I can only assume he was blending steel if he's going that short, and there's nothing wrong with going against the wheel in that instance. But doing it in a constant motion, going too fast and too hard isn't a good thing.

[Nealoc187 10]

TH doesn't have 17 year old employees sharpening skates. It's not allowed.

All of our sharpeners have to go through a program in which I helped write. Obviously the goal is for them to follow it but just like anything else, if the dedication level isn't there no training program is going to help.

I can only assume he was blending steel if he's going that short, and there's nothing wrong with going against the wheel in that instance. But doing it in a constant motion, going too fast and too hard isn't a good thing.

I was just generalizing and probably exaggerating a bit how young he looked. I don't know how hard he was pressing, i only watched him for a couple seconds. Very possible it was completely acceptable, i'd just never seen anyone doing a movement like that during skate sharpening.

[AfftonDad 88]

To a 49 year old (me), anything under 30 looks 17! You have a policy that includes a minimum age for sharpening skates? Better watch out... age discrimination! I was thinking about teaching my 13 year old to sharpen his own skates. Guess I better rethink that.

BTW, I usually have an edge checker in my bag, I have seriously noticed (no lie) an improvement in STL in the past year or two on edge evenness of guys in the locker room that ask me to check their skates. To be honest I would say it is rare now that there is more than one click of unevenness.

Edited August 28, 2014 by AfftonDad

[Nealoc187 10]

To a 49 year old (me), anything under 30 looks 17! You have a policy that includes a minimum age for sharpening skates? Better watch out... age discrimination! I was thinking about teaching my 13 year old to sharpen his own skates. Guess I better rethink that.

BTW, I usually have an edge checker in my bag, I have seriously noticed (no lie) an improvement in STL in the past year or two on edge evenness of guys in the locker room that ask me to check their skates. To be honest I would say it is rare now that there is more than one click of unevenness.

I assume it is because of liability reasons. I think I recall that my brother was not allowed to sharpen til he was 18 at the LHS he used to work at.

[jimmy 194]

To a 49 year old (me), anything under 30 looks 17! You have a policy that includes a minimum age for sharpening skates? Better watch out... age discrimination! I was thinking about teaching my 13 year old to sharpen his own skates. Guess I better rethink that.

BTW, I usually have an edge checker in my bag, I have seriously noticed (no lie) an improvement in STL in the past year or two on edge evenness of guys in the locker room that ask me to check their skates. To be honest I would say it is rare now that there is more than one click of unevenness.

It is against child labor laws to have employees under 18 operate dangerous equipment, which includes sharpening machines.

[AfftonDad 88]

I guess the M4A1s that some 17 year old's carry in Afghanistan are not that dangerous!

Just kidding. I'm sure your right. I realize the US government is able to make exemptions for whatever it wants.

Edited August 29, 2014 by AfftonDad

[AfftonDad 88]

I have a question for those of you that have given this some thought (or can give it some thought now)...

I have three 50 depth spinners (90-50, 95-50 and 100-50). As expected 95-50 has more bite than 90-50, and 100-50 has more bite than 95-50. And that makes sense to me. But 95-50 feels like it is "slower" (more drag) than 90-50 to me. Since the depth is the same (50) there shouldn't be an increase in drag due to the depth. And since the 95 width is actually WIDER than the 90 flat width, this would theoretically increase glide which you would think would make it feel "faster". Is it just "in my head" that 95-50 feels like it has more drag and is slower than 90-50? If not, what do you think the explanation is for this?

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

Even though they are the same height, there is a wider flat on the 95 as opposed to the 90, making that inner angle of the edge more pronounced. It will dig into the ice harder/deeper, providing more drag.

[AfftonDad 88]

Even though they are the same height, there is a wider flat on the 95 as opposed to the 90, making that inner angle of the edge more pronounced. It will dig into the ice harder/deeper, providing more drag.

I thought that might be the reason, but it seemed unlikely to me that the runner wouldn't already be dug in all the way to the flat and therefore "resting" on the flat in both cases. Thanks!

Edited August 30, 2014 by AfftonDad

[joepaw 0]

OK. What would be faster then.....100-50 or 90-75?

My son skates on 100-50 and overall likes it but was wondering if I went to a 90-75 it would be little more speed/glide?

[shoot_the_goalie 281]

Digressing a bit, but just saw that Blackstone has a new edge checker on their website. Does anyone know the price? Is it worth it over the bat gauge? I finally figured out how to work the bat gauge, so I can get decent results with it, but it still is not without it's inconsistency issues.

[AfftonDad 88]

OK. What would be faster then.....100-50 or 90-75?

My son skates on 100-50 and overall likes it but was wondering if I went to a 90-75 it would be little more speed/glide?

You can't really change two of the variables (width and depth) and make a definitive statement about which one is "faster". You would do yourself a favor to compare different widths within the same edge depth. In other words 100-50 vs 95-50 vs 90-50 vs 85-50, OR 100-75 vs 95-75 vs 90-75 vs 85-75, etc. If you are changing both edge depth and flat width, you really have to try them to see how they feel. However, I would think that most people would agree that 90-75 has less bite than 100-50 (if that means faster to you). Having said that though, even on the same edge depth it would be difficult to say which one is "faster" overall because you may loose some ability to push (and corner) as you go more shallow. A loose analogy might be, If someone asked you which was faster, a heavier car or a lighter car (assuming everything else was the same) most people would say the lighter car. However, if the lighter car didn't have enough weight to get traction and accelerate, the heavier car might be faster.

Digressing a bit, but just saw that Blackstone has a new edge checker on their website. Does anyone know the price? Is it worth it over the bat gauge? I finally figured out how to work the bat gauge, so I can get decent results with it, but it still is not without it's inconsistency issues.

I just bought one recently (it wasn't on the website yet... it was before the new site). It was $125. I couldn't get my (first generation) batgage to work. So I then got the BR100. I recently got the Butterflygage so that I wouldn't have to tape the magnetic piece anymore. Comparing to the original batgage, in my opinion there is no comparison (butterflygage is much better).

Edited September 8, 2014 by AfftonDad

[mnpucker 33]

Quick question, when you install a spinner do you insert it with the stamped ROH notification side up (where the ROH is imprinted) or the other?

Also do any of you have problems determining what FBV your spinners are due to wear? The stamped numbers have worn down on a couple of mine to the point I cannot tell what they are.

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

It's the bottom on mini-spinners. So the open bearing part meets the drag cap.

It's the opposite on the standard machines.

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

It is against child labor laws to have employees under 18 operate dangerous equipment, which includes sharpening machines.

Is that just in the US? As it is not the case here in Canada? Would that also go for working on a farm? (Kind of curious and sorry off topic.)

[shoot_the_goalie 281]

Another side question: How do you know when a mini-spinner is no longer good? Blackstone customer service told me after 5-6 grinding wheels (depending on frequency of dressing), but are there physical signs to knowing when it's time to replace a spinner?

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Another side question: How do you know when a mini-spinner is no longer good? Blackstone customer service told me after 5-6 grinding wheels (depending on frequency of dressing), but are there physical signs to knowing when it's time to replace a spinner?

Flat spots or shiny spots when it has been pressed too hard against the grinding wheel.

[AfftonDad 88]

Another side question: How do you know when a mini-spinner is no longer good? Blackstone customer service told me after 5-6 grinding wheels (depending on frequency of dressing), but are there physical signs to knowing when it's time to replace a spinner?

Five or six wheels!!!??? If that's the case I'm WAAAAYYY overdue.

I asked the same question a long time ago earlier in this thread and I believe it was JR that said that you'll know when the spinner is done because it will have a bare spot(s) worn through the diamond coating and it will throw sparks when dressing. I have only had one spinner do that... my first one... and it happened in only a month. That was before I found out from here that there is initially too much drag in the drag cap and you have to flatten the washer a little. Having said that, I lost one of my spinners recently (rolled behind some cabinets that I'm not about to empty and move) and had to get a new one and when I put it on I realized that it dresses the wheel much more quickly than the old ones. Although, I use one of the old ones on my skates at it still feels exactly like it always has. So I'm not switching to a new one yet.

[jimmy 194]

Is that just in the US? As it is not the case here in Canada? Would that also go for working on a farm? (Kind of curious and sorry off topic.)

I think it's related to the machinery. They've gone so far left in this country, kids under 18 can't even operate a tomato slicer if they work at a restaurant.