Sparx Skate Sharpener - At home sharpener

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

3 hours ago, OzziesDad said:

We have a rink here in MA that has 7 ice surfaces (and is adding two more) that has added 4 Sparx machines to take some of the load off the guys at the pro shop for those youth tourneys on weekends, and nights where its just droves of men's leagues playing.  

I would argue that the guys at that pro shop are some of the best at sharpening in the area.  However, for people that just want to get a quick sharpening, and not have to wait as long, those 4 machines are invaluable in cutting down the work load.  8 months of incredibly steady commercial use on all 4 machines, and reports have been stellar. 

What rink is that?? 

[OzziesDad 89]

30 minutes ago, oldtrainerguy28 said:

What rink is that?? 

New England Sports Center (NESC) in Marlboro, MA.

[shoeshine boy 242]

1 hour ago, OzziesDad said:

New England Sports Center (NESC) in Marlboro, MA.

I played in USA Hockey Nationals there a few years ago. fantastic facility!

[flip12 714]

5 hours ago, OzziesDad said:

We have a rink here in MA that has 7 ice surfaces (and is adding two more) that has added 4 Sparx machines to take some of the load off the guys at the pro shop for those youth tourneys on weekends, and nights where its just droves of men's leagues playing.  

I would argue that the guys at that pro shop are some of the best at sharpening in the area.  However, for people that just want to get a quick sharpening, and not have to wait as long, those 4 machines are invaluable in cutting down the work load.  8 months of incredibly steady commercial use on all 4 machines, and reports have been stellar. 

 

Is it like those self-checkout lines at Target?

[stevebalchunas 32]

On 11/5/2016 at 5:14 AM, Vet88 said:

How do you check the grinding ring for accuracy of hollow after x sharpenings? Using other sharpening systems one would dress the wheel before sharpening the blades (either to change hollow or to ensure the wheel was still true at it's setting) so how does sparx retain the accuracy of the hollow on the grinding ring?

 

 

 

The Grinding Ring maintains its hollow integrity throughout its life, mostly due to the superabrasive which doesn't wear down over the course of its 320 cycle lifespan (and you're right, it has to wear some, but those numbers are so minuscule, you wouldn't notice a change in depth even if you used an HDI to measure it). Since we're not using a traditional vitrified stone, we don't have to worry about dressing or resetting the surface to maintain a hollow shape. 

The best analogy I can think of is the traditional vitrified stone is like a chocolate chip cookie (the cookie dough is the glass that holds the chocolate chips (the crystals) together). This was always the best way for me to visualize how soft and easy it can break down. Our Superabrasive is more like a lollipop, or any other kind of hard candy OR maybe just think of it as a bunch of chocolate chips bonded together.  

Hope that helps explain our Grinding Ring abrasive a bit more for you guys. 

Edited November 18, 2016 by stevebalchunas

[stevebalchunas 32]

On 11/7/2016 at 11:50 AM, JR Boucicaut said:

Read an article this morning about the R Bar in Columbus buying a Sparx and having a beer/sharpening deal.  They bought one due to the fact that we (Total Hockey) and The Hockey Stop closing over the past year.  That being said, didn't know they moved the location.  We went there for the 2007 NHL Draft.

http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/blogs/puck-rakers/2016/11/hockey--the-city-how-the-r-bar-became-a-puck-centric-haven-for-fans.html

 

Thanks for sharing this JR... this was awesome to read about. 

[IPv6Freely 2092]

10 hours ago, OzziesDad said:

We have a rink here in MA that has 7 ice surfaces (and is adding two more) that has added 4 Sparx machines to take some of the load off the guys at the pro shop for those youth tourneys on weekends, and nights where its just droves of men's leagues playing.  

I would argue that the guys at that pro shop are some of the best at sharpening in the area.  However, for people that just want to get a quick sharpening, and not have to wait as long, those 4 machines are invaluable in cutting down the work load.  8 months of incredibly steady commercial use on all 4 machines, and reports have been stellar. 

Nice, that's awesome and makes a lot of sense to do. 

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

On 17/11/2016 at 0:00 PM, OzziesDad said:

New England Sports Center (NESC) in Marlboro, MA.

The guy that runs that shop thinks hes the second coming.  good thing he got spark pretty sure its 1000% better than his job. nice rink owners a jerk as is the pro shop owner. 

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Well, I know which shop I will never ever be going to now.

[OzziesDad 89]

16 hours ago, oldtrainerguy28 said:

The guy that runs that shop thinks hes the second coming.  good thing he got spark pretty sure its 1000% better than his job. nice rink owners a jerk as is the pro shop owner. 

Meh. I've never had a single issue or bad vibe with anyone at that facility, or in the shop, in over 10+ years of playing men's league over there.  

I've got no dog in the fight as I play out of numerous rinks in the city and metro west area here. To each their own though.  You do come off as a bit bitter though. 

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

On 11/19/2016 at 4:36 PM, OzziesDad said:

Meh. I've never had a single issue or bad vibe with anyone at that facility, or in the shop, in over 10+ years of playing men's league over there.  

I've got no dog in the fight as I play out of numerous rinks in the city and metro west area here. To each their own though.  You do come off as a bit bitter though. 

If you want the whole story be glad to tell yo but I wont smear the guy publicly like he did to me. Bitter yes and for a VERY valid reason.

[OzziesDad 89]

48 minutes ago, oldtrainerguy28 said:

If you want the whole story be glad to tell yo but I wont smear the guy publicly like he did to me. Bitter yes and for a VERY valid reason.

Except you kind of already did.  As I said, I have zero dog in this fight, just a very different experience than you.

Everyone is entitled to have their own opinion on someone else.  However, It's not productive, nor on topic, to continue this part of the discussion here.

I am scheduled to have a game next week at the NESC, and will have my skates done by the Sparx machine to see how I like it.  They somewhat need a sharpening right now.  However, I have games tonight, tomorrow, and Wednesday.  So, I am going to hold off until I am at that rink next week to get them done. 

As stated earlier in this topic, I had them done by the Sparx booth at the New England Pond Hockey Classic last year.  I believe it too tough to gauge how a sharpening feels playing on rough pond ice, as opposed to indoor ice.  So we'll see.

[DarkStar50 679]

Ozzie, just curious, what is your level of play? How long have you been playing hockey? Just trying to get a frame of reference for your upcoming impressions. Thanks in advance.

[OzziesDad 89]

21 minutes ago, DarkStar50 said:

Ozzie, just curious, what is your level of play? How long have you been playing hockey? Just trying to get a frame of reference for your upcoming impressions. Thanks in advance.

I'll be 40 years old next month.  Been playing since I was a kid.  Lived outside of Boston in a very healthy hockey community my entire life.

I mostly currently play higher C level here in MA , as I have slowed down a bit as I've entered my later 30's and can't quite keep up with the kids (in regards to speed) that permeate a lot of the A and B levels here. 

[DarkStar50 679]

Great, thanks for the info. I wish I was 40 again !! You don't stop skating because you get old. You get old because you stop skating.

[OzziesDad 89]

21 minutes ago, DarkStar50 said:

Great, thanks for the info. I wish I was 40 again !! You don't stop skating because you get old. You get old because you stop skating.

My dad is 65 and still plays at least 1x a week.  Could not agree more!

[IPv6Freely 2092]

I play pickup with an 81 year old with some of the best hands I've ever seen. Every pass he makes is right on your tape. 

I hope to still be alive at 81, let alone playing hockey! 

[sparky1 29]

So, just curious, on the sharpening rings, I am seeing a 40 sharpening lifetime?

 

Does this still hold true, or do they last longer?

[howtohockey 3]

Now that the machine has been out in the wild for a bit do we have any feedback from people who own it? Was it worth it, does it do a good job? I've been using it for a while and I really like it, I haven't had a bad sharpening yet.

[bootsmagee 15]

4 minutes ago, sparky1 said:

So, just curious, on the sharpening rings, I am seeing a 40 sharpening lifetime?

 

Does this still hold true, or do they last longer?

The rings have a 320-pass life cycle.  40 sharpenings is an 8-pass average.  In my locker room (men's league) we've been averaging 2-4 passes for most sharpenings on skates that have zero or very minor nicks/dings.  Moderate nicks/dings have been around 6-7 passes.  I haven't had to run more than 8 yet, but no one has handed me a skate with any serious damage.  I did buy the x-grind ring, which is basically just a coarser grit with no radius, in case I have to take off a lot of material to get rid of a heavy nick/ding when the time comes.  I believe 1 x-grind ring pass is the same as taking 4-passes with a standard ring, but again it leaves no radius, just a fresh flat surface.

[bootsmagee 15]

36 minutes ago, howtohockey said:

Now that the machine has been out in the wild for a bit do we have any feedback from people who own it? Was it worth it, does it do a good job? I've been using it for a while and I really like it, I haven't had a bad sharpening yet.

My team has only run 20 sharpenings through ours (plus a few others for friends, kids, etc.) but so far I haven't had any negative feedback; everyone has been happy with the results.  I have resharpened at a different hollow for some based on their feedback, but once they get the bite that they like they have been happy.  The ease of experimenting with different hollows is one of my favorite parts of having it.  I learned that 9/16 is perfect for me; no more getting used to how hard my skates "bite" after a fresh 1/2" sharpening.   

I recently picked up a 1" ring for our goalie and just sharpened his skates AFTER our last game Sunday night.  I'm looking forward to our next game to see how he likes them.  Before buying the ring, he said 3/4" is what he typically goes with.  Then I asked if 3/4 felt good after a fresh sharpening or if they had too much bite...his answer was "They have too much bite, but it wears in quickly."  I explained that they should feel comfortable right off the machine and that this wear-in process isn't how it's supposed to be.  Hence the 1" ring.  But I still have to see what he thinks, hopefully we made the right call.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

I've been extremely happy with mine. To go along with what @bootsmagee mentioned, not having an adjustment period after a fresh sharpen is wonderful. Although in my case the adjustment wasn't from the wrong hollow so much as just going for so long without getting them done that they felt night and day when I'd eventually get them sharpened. So that's where the consistency thing comes in for me. 

I have absolutely no doubt that an expert sharpener would do a better job overall. But since I don't have one of those near here, I will take the consistency knowing what it will feel like every time I step on the ice any day. And even if I did have one nearby, I still like that I can do mine before every skate (even if sometimes it's just 2 passes). So really, even if an expert sharpener was available, I'll still take the convenience and consistency any day. 

If I wasn't a beer leaguer I might feel differently and want the absolute best no matter the cost or convenience, but for me this is just a better option across the board.

[colins 246]

17 hours ago, IPv6Freely said:

I've been extremely happy with mine. To go along with what @bootsmagee mentioned, not having an adjustment period after a fresh sharpen is wonderful. Although in my case the adjustment wasn't from the wrong hollow so much as just going for so long without getting them done that they felt night and day when I'd eventually get them sharpened. So that's where the consistency thing comes in for me. 

I have absolutely no doubt that an expert sharpener would do a better job overall. But since I don't have one of those near here, I will take the consistency knowing what it will feel like every time I step on the ice any day. And even if I did have one nearby, I still like that I can do mine before every skate (even if sometimes it's just 2 passes). So really, even if an expert sharpener was available, I'll still take the convenience and consistency any day. 

If I wasn't a beer leaguer I might feel differently and want the absolute best no matter the cost or convenience, but for me this is just a better option across the board.

 

I'm on my 2nd 1/2" ring and still have about two-thirds life left on a 5/8" ring. I picked up an edge checker about two weeks ago - now that I've edge checked all my steel and made a one or two click adjustment on my alignment to really dial in my edges to less that .001" difference in height, I can't say I'm lacking anything on my Sparx sharpenings vs. taking them to a pro shop now. It's damn near perfect.

 

colins

[JAG 20]

The rink I'm at doesn't have a pro shop or sharpener.  The woman who runs the adult league purchased one (mainly for her teenage son), and she brings it to the rink and asks for donations if you sharpen your skates on the machine.  I've used it 2 or 3 times.  I have to say I'm not that impressed.  I felt really awkward on my skates at first, and even after "getting used to it", it just didn't feel right.  I don't know if it is the machine, the hollow I selected, or maybe she didn't put the skates in the machine correctly (I can't imagine how... it seems pretty idiot proof).  

I'm going to be shipping my steel out to get profiled and sharpened by a professional.  If the sharpening is as good as the reviews say, I will definitely continue to ship them out.  If not, I guess I can get used to the Sparx sharpening.  

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Interesting. Sounds like the wrong hollow or possibly that she hasn't aligned it correctly after she physically moves it.