Blackstone Flat-Bottom V Thread

[JR Boucicaut 3759]

I created a vacuum port using PVC piping which works well, just not as secure onto the machine as much as I'd like (it has a reducer on there which also has a smaller inner diameter)

[SAK 2]

I can look more into them as an add on let me know what you think.

[SAK 2]

Matt Cooke is a great team guy here he is sharpening teamate Sydney Crosby. Sorry its my form of entertainment well the NHL dispute is going on....

[jimmy 194]

He should at least have eye protection! It's save my eyes many times.

[SAK 2]

If you look Jimmy his glasses are beside the head on the machine. He is definately an intense sharpener.

[AfftonDad 88]

My X-01 arbor height has always put the grinding wheel near the top of the spinner as evidenced by the fine shine mark being almost on the bottom edge of the wheel after sharpening. Doesn't really affect sharpening but always bugged me a little. So I got the urge a couple of days ago to better center it. I took out the recessed set screw but the arbor still wouldn't move. Before tapping it with a mallet I thought I better ask someone who had moved one if it is really supposed to be that tight. Found out that there are actually TWO set screws (one in front of the other) in the recessed hole. After removing the second one the arbor moved easily (thank you's to Chiefs17 for the info that kept me from bending the shaft on my sharpener).

[lpgbackups 17]

Unlike most Blackstone X-Series owners out there, i must say that i am not a dad in his 40's or his 50's who, with 3 or 4 kids, ended up having no choice but to buy his own machine. I bought the machine for myself. Not for my kids, which i don't have, and not for my friends, which i have and which i generously help, free of cost, when they ask me. I bought my X-02 primarily for myself only. For my own enjoyment. While im still in my 20's, in the peak of my physical prime.

I had wanted to own my own skate sharpener since i was about 11 years old when i first started playing organized hockey. Every game i would ask my dad for a fresh sharpening because every time i had a fresh sharpening, i would feel 100% confident. I would control the ice. Dominate the game. Never fearing to lose my edges. I was a monster. Problem was, after one or 2 games...you feel like the perfection is fading away. After 3 games, it gets frustrating. You play with a handicap. And even when the handicap is not really there, you still have a mental handicap. Just the thought of going on the ice with non-perfectly-sharpened skates would kill me. You always need a new, fresh sharpening. Always, every game. i dont buy into 10 hours of ice thingy. For me, even as an 11 year-old 100 lbs kid, its every game. But the problem was, my dad would not always say yes. He'd say yes only about 1 time every 4 times i asked him. And who can blame him? Paying $3.50, as it was in Montreal the 1990's, for a sharpening was getting annoying for my dad who made the huge sacrifice in time and money to let his son play the game he loved. One night, i went to bed dreaming and thinking how amazing it would be to have my own freaking machine in my basement, that i could use whenever i had a game. I thought I would feel like a king. Still, I lived most of my teenage years and my early twenties, running and chasing after proshops and their rare opening hours. Many times i would drive my bike, and later my car, to an arena, and bump into a closed proshop. Many times i would bump into a line of 74 people all wanting a sharpening. Many times i said screw that, im not waiting in line. Many times i'd call a proshop to find out if they were open because i had a game in a few hours, and they told me the guy doing the sharpening was sick or not there, or not scheduled on that day. Many days i raged. Many kilometers i wasted. Many times, i had a guy doing my skates who ended screwing up his sharpening. Many times i raged when i stepped onto the ice. Many times i prayed to God to ensure the guy doing the sharpening knew what he was doing. Call me a freak, thats how i am. Can't change it.

One day i got a tax refund to the tune of 2 Grand from the generous government of Canada, and without a millisecond of hesitation i pulled the trigger on an X-02 and its new FBV technology which i had read about online a few months prior. It was like my childhood dream finally come true after a decade. I bought the stuff, received it 3 days later, feared that i lacked the technical know-how to actually operate it efficiently, but still did not waste a second into assembling my new toy thinking that i would eventually figure it all out and become a respected skate sharpener in my own right.

My rationale for dropping $2000 hard earned and hard taxed Canadian dollars on this Canadian-made bad boy were;

1- Fulfilling a lifelong dream.

2- Having the joy of having a fresh sharpening every single time i stepped onto the ice.

3- Having the freedom to choose the kind of sharpening i desired every single time i stepped onto the ice by sharpening my own skates MYSELF.

4- The Opportunity Cost of saving time by not having to go to a remote location and especially not waiting in line.

5- The Opportunity Cost of saving money is 2 folds; Saving the actual $5 to sharpen, (and i heard FBV is actually $8 in Quebec, LoL!). And saving the money of transportation (Saving Gas or Saving Bus tickets)

6- Having a personal skate sharpening shop that is open 24/7/365, that never closes and not having to pray that Shop XYZ is open on game day.

I read the manual from A to Z but It took me a while to get used to the machine. My very very very first sharpening i completely forgot (or actually did not know) to dress the grinding wheel. Needless to say i looked like a clown (Sean Avery?) when i got on the ice.

The when i finally got it right, it felt like magic. Even if it was only on a regular 1/2" hollow, i felt amazing. Somehow, i felt a superior bite and a superior, much superior glide. As if the blackstone factor alone gave me supernatural powers without even needing FBV.

i Quickly understood exactly how the machine operates, how to deal with wheels, spinners, grinder knobs etc...and honestly its very very easy to use, even for a guy who is terrible at manual or technical tasks such as myself. The only, only ONLY thing that bugs me, still to this day is the functioning of the bat gage. I have no idea how to use it properly. I emailed blackstone and spoke on the phone with them. They tried to help me but i still have no clue on how to use it. it's still a deep mystery for me. I never ever get the same value twice when i try to read it. I'm 100% sure its not defective at all but i still cant use it to save my life.

But i understand the purpose of the batgage. its simply to ensure that the blade is well aligned with the center of the grinding wheel. you dont need to be a genius to figure that out. And so i went by trial and error, and since in my case the sharpening is for myself, it is i believe a superior method to the batgage.

As a point of reference i use the trace left by the blade on the grinding wheel; Also, blackstone said not to touch the pitch (bottom wheel) since default is meant for hockey skates. So i had only the left and the right wheels of the skate holder to play with.

And visually, i try to ensure that everything is in the center, both the toe and the heel of the skate boot

All of this is meant to adjust the skate holder to ensure the ideal fit. i ended with varying positions for my skate holder. For instance, i got;

and

Now heres when the trial and error comes into play. I would try a specific position for my skate holder and then go the nearest ice to try it, which is 2 minutes away, luckily. If i felt that breaking on the left wasnt biting enough or vice-versa, i would go back home, adjust the holder, and then go back on the ice until i got the optimal value.

i ended up with the position below and i think its the optimal for my specific skates (vapors)

I think to get the optimal sharpening, two things need to be optimal.

1. The alignment of the blade with the center of the grinding wheel.

2. The right number of passes, and the right pressure applied on every pass. I found that its generally better to apply a good pressure on every pass. We have to be careful because too hard will make the grinding wheel stop cold, so i try to apply a very good pressure while keeping my limits in mind.

it also makes more sense than my previous 2 configurations, i think, because as seen from the double half-pipes, both the left and the right wheels have the same value (and therefore the same height). it wouldnt make sense to have the toe or the heel higher than the other. Of course, when you're sharpening for others, you dont have the luxury of doing a trial and error, but for my own skates, i took the time i needed and im a 1000% spot on and i love it.

Also; i dont use this little protective glass not because i think goggles are protective enough or because i was not able to install it properly, but because im a gangster.

i try to use a vaccum cleaner as often as possible to remove the dirt;

Some more accessories, always good to have;

8 Wheels, almost strictly for personal use, is that enough for you or what?

Last thing, BUT NOT THE LEAST!, for me is to try the FBV spinner. I still havent tried it because i wanted to finish my last grinding wheel which still had some life to it. Now, in a week or two, i'll go full throttle on FBV with a new wheel baby. Needless to say i cant wait!

At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, the X02 is bar none the best purchase i ever made in my life. If in another life Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Carlo Gambino and Vito Rizzuto would come to me and tell me they have an offer for me i can't refuse and tell me look; here's a brand new Bugatti Veyron, its yours for 2 Gees. I'd say no sorry, gotta get my X-02 first.

The only negative thing i can find in this whole deal is the horrible French grammar and spelling mistakes found in their user manual.

I give them A+ on their report card for physics and engineering but a big and sincere F for their French class.

Edited October 10, 2012 by lpgbackups

[chiefs17 2]

damn damn..

im pretty sure they were mislabeled... i have been using these spinners for 2 years and they definitely feel like FBV.

when i bought my X02, it came with 100/50 and 90/75 according to my order. but the labels i got on my 2 spinners were 1/2 and 90/75.

i dont believe ive been playing with a regular 1/2 hollow all along....i mean, i saw a huge difference as soon as i tried it.....it feels so good that ive been promoting the 100/50 radius as a "sick sharpening" on these very forums.

You were probably feeling the effects of using Fine Shine. I have yet to see a shop use any sort of dressing for the last pass. I believe it gives a superior finish compared to no dressing. This is likely the majority of the perceived increases in speed between using your own machine at home and getting your skates done at a high volume shop. (Except for Jimmy, I know he offers the service)

[chiefs17 2]

As far as the Batgage goes, don't concern yourself with getting the pointers to a certain line every time. The pointers need to match each other, that is what shows you that your edges are even. For example, if the left pointer is at line 2, the right pointer needs to be at line 2. You could push down a little harder and change which lines the pointers line up to, but they should still be at the same line relative to each other.

You need to hold the skate completely upside down, then clamp the Batgage on the blade. I like to push down on the center portion of it (right where you see the 2 screws in your picture) a couple of times to make sure it's not getting hung up, this will re-seat the device and usually give you an accurate measurement. The black pointer section of the Batgage needs to be able to to slide freely on the posts, as well as against the body of the device. I oiled every part that needs to move freely. Don't over do it, just 1 or 2 drops of light machine oil is all that you need. Once it's oiled and moving freely, when you push down on the center portion it should snap back from the spring compression. Try doing this a couple of times as you are reading the Gage. That's how I know I'm getting an accurate measurement, and nothing is hanging up.

Oh yeah, and I felt the same way growing up. I think you are not alone when it comes to your skates, especially in this forum.

Good luck.

[DEATHTRON 19]

Another 20 something with a blackstone (x01) for personal consumption.

My one and only question: How many wheel redressings will my mini spinner approximately live for? Mine looks like it has lost the "grit" esque coat on the outside of it, though I have not felt a degradation in performance.

Zach

[Chadd 916]

It would depend on how hard you hit the wheel with the spinner.

[AfftonDad 88]

My first spinner went REALLY fast, but that was because the little bent washer was putting too much drag on the spinner and it wasn't really spinning (until I flattened it... you can read about people doing this earier in this thread). I asked the question a couple of years ago of "how do you know when your spinner is done for" and the response I got was something to the effect of "when it catches fire". That was the person's way of saying that you'll know because you'll see a lot of sparks coming off when dressing because bare metal will be exposed on the spinner. So under that criteria, I haven't used up any more spinners since then. I've probably gone through 20 or more wheels. But I have 6 different hollows of which I typically use 3 (really mostly just 2). A couple of weeks ago someone made the comment that they had used their spinner through 3 wheels, so it was about 75% used up. That comment was a bit surprising to me because I have gone through way more than three wheels per spinner and I still don't have bare spots. I haven't noticed any difference in the "feel" of my sharpening, so I think my spinners are still good. I didn't get a response when I asked if anyone knew if there was any truth to that 75% comment.

A lot of times the diamonds don't look as sparkly due to carbonization (and probably some fine shine) on it. The guys at Blackstone said that's no big deal and you can wash it off with water if you like.

[SAK 2]

LPG that was great and why we do what we do. My only advice to you is to at least test drive the Bugatti.....

LPG that was great and why we do what we do. My only advice to you is to at least test drive the Bugatti.....

[Chadd 916]

You were probably feeling the effects of using Fine Shine. I have yet to see a shop use any sort of dressing for the last pass. I believe it gives a superior finish compared to no dressing. This is likely the majority of the perceived increases in speed between using your own machine at home and getting your skates done at a high volume shop. (Except for Jimmy, I know he offers the service)

We used to use it at my shop. It's cheap and lets you provide a better finished product to the customer. A lot of shops view it as an added expense that isn't needed.

[stick&puck 1]

Unwrapped my X-01 last night gave it a quick test run love the unit.

Mark at Blackstone was great and provided top notch service.

Time to get some practice on the unit now

[stick&puck 1]

Took sometime today to make an exhaust system for the X-01, follow what other members have done for their units. Works like a charm

[eriks334 1]

Thank you to everyone that has posted pictures, I was able to make a great vacuum system for my xO2 and Bladmaster machines!

[chiefs17 2]

OK, so what's the consensus here for grinding wheels. I see Blackstone now has Ruby and Pink, in addition to the original Orange. I'm buying some new wheels and want to know what everyone likes best. This is for an X01 machine.

Thanks.

[SAK 2]

Thank you to everyone that has posted pictures, I was able to make a great vacuum system for my xO2 and Bladmaster machines!

Great job!

OK, so what's the consensus here for grinding wheels. I see Blackstone now has Ruby and Pink, in addition to the original Orange. I'm buying some new wheels and want to know what everyone likes best. This is for an X01 machine.

Thanks.

I like the original orange however the ruby are gaining popularity. Ruby is a bit harder than the orange.

[rachael7 1]

OK, so what's the consensus here for grinding wheels. I see Blackstone now has Ruby and Pink, in addition to the original Orange. I'm buying some new wheels and want to know what everyone likes best. This is for an X01 machine.

Thanks.

Orange is a great wheel, but a lot of the guys that have time in on big machines seem to like the ruby (myself included).

[eriks334 1]

My garage set-up. Used PVC pipe with Shut Offs on each machine to direct the vacuum to the machine being used.

My Blademaster SPB850, the Wissota Form Dresser works great for using FBV. I wouldn't Sharpen a pair of skates without using my Maximum Edge blade square. A MUST HAVE for any skate sharpening machine.

My Blademaster BRC2005. Can be a cross grind or sharpening system. Has a port on the side for vacuum. the port is the same as a central vacuum port that would be in the wall inside a your home or business. I havent really found any type of connection that would fit the PVC pipe and connect to the vacuum port perfectly, but a PVC reducer seems to do the trick. I am saving up for the Mark 6 profiling system, very expensive. I am hoping that i cant do blade profiles for $50 once I purchase it. The BRC2005 has the removable front bar to allow for the Mark 6 to attach.

My Blackstone Xo2. I was able to find this rubberized multi adapter for the back of the machine to connect the PVC pipe. I wish I knew where it came from because I have read on this forum that many of you have had trouble finding a good connection method

I purchased the carry box for the Xo2 it a while back, it fits beautifully, but I don't like to keep it in the box when its home. I use a couple sheet rock screws with washers to secure the machine to the table. It runs at such a high RPM that it vibrates hard and sometimes can shift on the table without being secured

My Vacuum and Skate holders. I was really upset when I purchased my Xo2 and found that the machine was much lower than the other machines on the market. Luck has it, the machine I purchased came with 2 blackstone x series tri lie holders, 1 child and 1 adult, so I can still sharpen any skate with the Xo2. I was hoping to be able to use the Blackstone holders across the board, as well as use my current holders with the Xo2. Live and learn. I still love my Xo2 just as much as the others.

Also, with the shop vac I use the "muffler". It doesn't really kill the sound, but it eliminates the force of air that races out of the back

Thank you to everyone on this board for all the pictures and information on setting up a good vac system. It’s been a great addition to my workshop! I coulden't have done it without everyones help!

[stick&puck 1]

Eriks334 that is a killer setup, nice work.

[Fire Walker 22]

I ordered my x-01 today. Hopefully I pick up how to use it quickly.

[chiefs17 2]

Eriks334 that is a killer setup, nice work.

Agreed. You have some serious equipment for a home setup. I see you are in CT too, welcome to the board!

[Chadd 916]

Orange is a great wheel, but a lot of the guys that have time in on big machines seem to like the ruby (myself included).

For me, ruby is just what I know best and my default selection. Even those of us who like advancements like the FBV tend to be somewhat traditional and resist change at times.