Homemade Skate Sharpeners

[dw91 0]

I'm aware this is a ridiculous idea, but I've got a stainless steel table about the size of a skate sharpener (1 inch thick), a few grinders, and I'm sick of driving 45 minutes to get a decent sharpening. Plus, im on a college student budget, so the drive over sucks. From what I can tell, ive got to come up with a blade holder, grinding wheel, and some way to dress the wheel. Has anyone made one before, and if so, how did it turn out? Thanks for any positive insight.

[goblue9280 33]

The only positive insight I can offer is to save up a grand and buy a X01 from blackstone. You're talking about putting together a piece of equipment that requires tolerances in the thousandths/ten-thousandths of an inch (I'm guessing) in order to properly funcstion.... just don't see how one could rig that up at home on the cheap.

[tomh7 2]

In my opinion, making a homemade skate sharpener would cost the same if not more in time and materials than the $1000 fo a new X01. If you are a tinkerer than I say give it a shot on paper first and then decide if it is worth the effort and investment to proceed. Otherwise, save up the grand and just give Blackstone a call. Just my $.02.

By the way, I am a design engineer and a tinkerer and I have struggled to come up with a one-off solution that I think would match the quality job that the X01 or just about any other commercially available sharpener would do for less money.

[drewptwo 1]

Dremel tool and duct tape.

[VakarLajos 5]

A holder, a level horizontal wheel and a way to dress it. I'm sure it can be done. Positive. Probably cost a bunch and take a LONG time to get right.

Best of luck.

[dayroc 0]

So do a lot of you guys own the x01?

Is it worth the price tag?

how was the learning curve on sharpening your skates? (fbv style)

[rachael7 1]

So do a lot of you guys own the x01?

Is it worth the price tag?

how was the learning curve on sharpening your skates? (fbv style)

X01 is absolutely worth the price. Learning curve took a while, but not too bad. Get a spare wheel and use some old steel to start.

[dw91 0]

I might see if Wissota would sell me the spare parts to modify a grinder, as that's basically what their machine is. If not, looks like I'll be saving my pennies for a while, or trying to get some friends to go in on it together.

[vince57 4]

i know this is a really old post, was researching if anyone else had built a sharpener,

i built my own sharpener for less than £100 however i had acess to a fully equipped workshop with welding and machining equipment,

a homemade effort would not be impossible with some skill, knowledge and basic fabrication tools, e.g my table was a granite chopping board (flat hardwearing and doesnt rust) frame was welded from heavy angle iron, grinder was a cheap £25 bench unit with one end chopped off, rest was made up from odds and ends of metal stock at work. have sharpened over 100 pairs of skates with no problems ,

[Monty22 831]

Pics or it never happened.

[wetwilly17 6]

It would take a lot of work and skill as a fabricator. But we're not talking rocket science. It is definitely possible...but not worth the effort IMO.

[hockeymass 11]

The guy who used to sharpen my skates (till he passed, God rest his soul) had two machines that he built himself. He was a machinist by trade and had been building grinders and what not for years and years, though. His was a different style where you pull the wheel across the skate instead of the skate across the wheel. Best sharpening in the area.

It can be done, but it's not going to be cost effective at all unless you actually know how to fabricate machine parts.

Edited January 24, 2012 by hockeymass

[Hammers44 4]

Pics or it never happened.

+1

Any chance of putting pics up?

[vince57 4]

http://www.facebook....91&l=b225c7ffce

as a time served toolmaker and cnc programmer i found this project reasonably straightforward as a task and had some really good help from my local professional sharpener who also built his own kit. really the hard work is in getting a nice accurate adjustable holder set on a flat plate, grinder alignment should be good but not critical as the diamond will dress the radius at a consistant height provided the dressing mechanism is well made and aligned. my grinder has a fixed dressing position and a travelling wheel but i am soon going to make another grinder with a static wheel and travelling diamond. i used a modified digital tyre tread depth measuring device on my skate holder so that i can easily dial in say 0.1mm of height adjustment to compensate for slightly thinner blades or wind on a full 1/2mm for doing figure blades. Took a while to make in dinnertimes and evening at work, used welder, surface grinders, lathe , cnc milling machines to finish however been brainstorming today and recon a hardware store special might be posssible using common handtools however there would be a lot of filing and hand finishing. Buying an adjustable skate holder and making the grinder would be another option.

[seabird 0]

very cool. thanks for posting the pic.

Edited January 24, 2012 by seabird

[AfftonDad 88]

What kind of holder is that that they are using?

[JR Boucicaut 3793]

Please do not post a video like that again. YouTube is fine but I don't want our members to end up getting a virus.

[Tyler Roy 86]

I just dont see this being very cost effective without a serious background in engineering. Im sure it can be done as people have said it can but with the time and effort with cost factored in this isnt the way to go.

[vince57 4]

just finishing off 2 new grinders in the next couple of weeks, probably chuck one new one and my old one on ebay, heads up if anyone is keen, am located in manchester uk and willing to spend time training a new owner how to use it.

[Aaron26 2]

Send me a link boss, I'm UK also

[vince57 4]

Send me a link boss, I'm UK also

not finished yet , still got to make cover plates, finish grind the holder , paint etc, hopefully post some pics of my finished article when done, if i can figure out why the forum keeps k.o. ing my hosted image links.

saw a used wissota make £900 on ebay some months back so here's hoping!

[jimmy 194]

My question is, why do you guys in the UK even sharpen your skates, the ice there I wouldn't even clssify as ice! OMG is it terrible. :-)

[Aaron26 2]

That's exactly why they need sharpened, blunt skates and you'd be better off playing in a pair of trainers

[Holmes_D_83 27]

Our local ice is hideous and I've had some real dodgy sharpenings, I'd love to learn how to sharpen my own skates.

Edited July 31, 2012 by Holmes_D_83

[greyskull 21]

You guy's should try skating in Basingstoke... Jesus....

At the moment you'll need your costume and arm bands.