Blackstone Flat-Bottom V Thread

[chiefs17 2]

Is there another source (US based?) to buy the 4 inch grinding wheels?   Buying 4 wheels ends up costing $27 per wheel with shipping.

 

[fawks99 0]

Does anyone have mini spinners that they don't use and are willing to sell? I bought a used x01 and it only came with 1 spinner. Let me know what you have. Thanks

[trtaylor 3]

I may have one. Away until Friday. I will check when I get back home.

[fawks99 0]

O.K thanks, the spinner I have is the 95/75. I'm interested in ROH spinners as well (1/2 or greater) I'd just like to have a few other options to go with. I have a blademaster portable as well and usually use 5/8th ROH on all of our skates.

[JR Boucicaut 3795]

Why not buy new ones?

[trtaylor 3]

On 2/6/2019 at 5:22 PM, trtaylor said:

I may have one. Away until Friday. I will check when I get back home.

 

On 2/6/2019 at 6:49 PM, fawks99 said:

O.K thanks, the spinner I have is the 95/75. I'm interested in ROH spinners as well (1/2 or greater) I'd just like to have a few other options to go with. I have a blademaster portable as well and usually use 5/8th ROH on all of our skates.

I do have 1 mini-spinner. It is a 100/50. Is like new, only having been used twice. Send me a message if you are interested in it.

Edited February 8, 2019 by trtaylor
correction

[koresh38 10]

Hi, there. I know it has been discussed before but still... Is mirror like finish achievable on X02 at all? What do our experts can say? Looks like no matter what I try I can not get the finish as good as it is done on the professional machines...

The glide is good.I am talking about visible part. Just need to know so I can let it go or continue my quest for the perfect mirror finish-)). 

[VegasHockey 1280]

52 minutes ago, koresh38 said:

Hi, there. I know it has been discussed before but still... Is mirror like finish achievable on X02 at all? What do our experts can say? Looks like no matter what I try I can not get the finish as good as it is done on the professional machines...

The glide is good.I am talking about visible part. Just need to know so I can let it go or continue my quest for the perfect mirror finish-)). 

Yes, should not be a problem. Are you using any oils or glaze? Are you doing a slow final pass? 

[koresh38 10]

12 minutes ago, Nicholas G said:

Yes, should not be a problem. Are you using any oils or glaze? Are you doing a slow final pass? 

Using Blackstone oilshine. Slow-slow final pass, light touch. In fact sometimes two passes as still have waves after the first one....

Edited February 11, 2019 by koresh38

[VegasHockey 1280]

1 hour ago, koresh38 said:

Using Blackstone oilshine. Slow-slow final pass, light touch. In fact sometimes two passes as still have waves after the first one....

Weird. What kind of steel? 

[koresh38 10]

21 minutes ago, Nicholas G said:

Weird. What kind of steel? 

Step steel black and normal. LS4, LS3, LS2, any others as I am doing my team mates as well. Do not get me wrong. I do get a decsent finish but never a mirror like.

[chiefs17 2]

On 12/7/2018 at 10:40 AM, chiefs17 said:

Is there another source (US based?) to buy the 4 inch grinding wheels?   Buying 4 wheels ends up costing $27 per wheel with shipping.

 

I ended up buying 8 wheels to get free shipping.  If anyone wants to buy a wheel for the list price plus shipping let me know.  I'm thinking it should only cost a few bucks to ship 1 or 2 wheels in the US.  List price for the wheels is $19, plus shipping.

I have 4 inch Orange wheels, and I'll probably sell 4 of them.  Send me a PM with your zip code and how many you want, I'll take paypal as a gift or buyer pays the fee.  Not trying to make money on this, just passing along the savings.

Edited February 12, 2019 by chiefs17

[hockeydad3 51]

I went from a 10 feet stock profile to a neutral pitch 13 feet single profile. On the 10 feet profile a 92/75 fbv was fine for me, my lhs suggestion for the new profile was 98/50 fbv. Wtf, way too sharp on medium-hard ice. Couldn´t stop at all and was cachting edges all the time. The profile itself was feeling fine for me. Bauer nexus N2900, 6.5D, 170 cm, 95Kg beginner level. Any comparable experiences/suggestions for FBV?

[Jscott40 0]

I’m 230 pounds and using 90/50 or 80/75, 10’ profile. If I were you, I’d try 90/75 and adjust from there.

[hockeydad3 51]

The other guy in the lhs suggested  90/50. I was scared that it would be too shallow, but he was right. Enough bite for me. The new profile is a big improvement in stability and glide and only a little loss in agility. 

[mickz 107]

On 2/11/2019 at 9:20 AM, koresh38 said:

Hi, there. I know it has been discussed before but still... Is mirror like finish achievable on X02 at all? What do our experts can say? Looks like no matter what I try I can not get the finish as good as it is done on the professional machines...

The glide is good.I am talking about visible part. Just need to know so I can let it go or continue my quest for the perfect mirror finish-)). 

How old are your spinners?

[koresh38 10]

Spinners are 1 year with the occasional use. 

 

[koresh38 10]

Hi there.

Got rid of the waverness as per my post above. Doing slower and steadier passes which helped massively. Also doing passes from the heel and for me it works better. 

Have another topic which want to ask about…

Came upon goalie skates with 4mm blades. Very difficult to sharpen on my X02. Had to adjust a lot and use more of the wheel than normal.  Just wondering if someone with more experience can give useful tips on goalie thick blade sharpening procedure. 

1. Which wheel to use?

2. Do you normally apply more pressure than on player skates?

3. From your experience does the central knob normally need to be adjusted forward or back?

Thank you. 

[JR Boucicaut 3795]

Two things need to happen -

You have to adjust your yoke bolt to give it clearance for the 4mm steel.  What I do on my holder is put a spring between the bolt and the yoke, then determine the height for regular steel.  Once that's done I put a notch on the top of the bolt, so that I know where to turn it to after I do goal steel.  The other benefit to this is that the spring will keep the bolt in the same place every time, so I never have to tighten it - just put the skate on and put the clamp on and pull.

From there, it should be about 6-8 clockwise clicks to drop the holder.

Wheel is the same.  

Pressure is the same, but you'll need more passes to cover the thickness, and you must be very careful around the heel and toes.

 

[koresh38 10]

5 hours ago, JR Boucicaut said:

Two things need to happen -

You have to adjust your yoke bolt to give it clearance for the 4mm steel.  What I do on my holder is put a spring between the bolt and the yoke, then determine the height for regular steel.  Once that's done I put a notch on the top of the bolt, so that I know where to turn it to after I do goal steel.  The other benefit to this is that the spring will keep the bolt in the same place every time, so I never have to tighten it - just put the skate on and put the clamp on and pull.

From there, it should be about 6-8 clockwise clicks to drop the holder.

Wheel is the same.  

Pressure is the same, but you'll need more passes to cover the thickness, and you must be very careful around the heel and toes.

 

I guess if I have the new X-14 TRI LIE HOLDER I can skip the first part? It already has a spring there... Shall see how it works. Thank you!

[koresh38 10]

Also anyone tried The Black Magic Hand Hone from Blackstone. Is it suitable for coated Step steel? Is it worth the money?

https://blackstonesport.com/en/product/black-magic

[JR Boucicaut 3795]

22 hours ago, koresh38 said:

I guess if I have the new X-14 TRI LIE HOLDER I can skip the first part? It already has a spring there... Shall see how it works. Thank you!

Perfect.  So what you want to do is set some steel on there, clamp it, then carve a notch on top of the bolt.  (I always have mine at 6 o'clock)  

So now, all you have to do is unclamp and slide the boot or steel out.  You won't have to mess with that bolt at that point.

Now if you have to do some goal skates, turn the bolt clockwise to accommodate the 4mm steel - chances are the notch will be either at 9 o'clock or 12 o'clock - then you'll be able to clamp.  Adjust your holder, then reset it all when you're done.

[kr580 2]

Looking to get my own X02 for my own skates, friends and maybe as a side sharpening business. The nearest FBV place is 2 hours away so I'd have some pretty good opportunities. Anyway, I had some pre-purchase questions I'd appreciate any input on from someone who owns/has experience with one of these machines. I've read through this thread but there's just so much it's hard to pick up on what i need.

1. Is there a basic set of FBV spinners you'd get if you wanted to cover all bases as concisely as possible? For example replacements for 3/8", 1/2", 9/16", 5/8", 3/4", 1".

2. Which wheel colors do you use? Is Ruby still the best general purpose one?

3. Is the upgraded X-14 holder worth it over the basic X-12 version? Is it just the spacing difference to be able to fit more holders in the jaws?

4. Any other tips, tricks or accessories you wish you knew before you bought it?

 

Thanks in advance.

[JR Boucicaut 3795]

The common offerings are: 90/50, 90/75, 100/50, 100/75.  Get the 95 variants to bridge the gap (95/50. 95/75)

I use Ruby myself.  

Eh, it all depends if you're sharpening kid's skates.  For now, the U-12 is fine.

Not really.  I've had that machine for what, 10 years, without any problems to speak of.  I'm going to most likely upgrade at some point to a full portable or a single head.  

[koresh38 10]

Kr580, 95/70 is quite popular too. From my small experience (kids and my teammates) FBVs are not for everyone. Had to buy 9/16, 5/8, 3/4. Keep it in mind if you want "side sharpening business"  

Ruby is my favorite. Buy one extra for training purposes. My first two finished in no time-). When you get a grip the wheels will hold for longer.

Upgraded X-14 holder is more versatile if you ask me. But I do not understand much in them so no help on this one.

You will need an edge level, honing stone and Fine Shine. (I just bought the Accessory kit - was cheaper than buying separately). They also have Black magic honing stone for coated steel but I have not tried it yet. Again, you might need it for some clients (I use leather one at the moment).

Have my X-02 for a year now. Like it more and more. Enough for my requirements (3-5 pairs a day max).