How to Dress a Skate Sharpener Grinding Wheel

Skate blades are not sharpened in the same manner as a knife blade. Sharpening ice skates is a complex process designed to shape the blade to match the skater's needs, abilities and to help them compensate for any skating faults. A grinding wheel adds the appropriate radius and angles to the blades at the beginning of the season and maintains the blades during throughout. The grinding wheel must have a fresh and even surface before being used or the desired result will not be achieved.

Things You'll Need

  • Grinding wheel and machine, table-top model
  • Single-point diamond dresser rod
  • Water
  • Micrometer (if needed)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Mount the grinding wheel to the grinder. The grinder must be a table-top model and not a portable hand-held machine. Properly secure the wheel.

    • 2

      Clamp the single-point diamond dressing rod to the table using the supplied clamping arm of the machine only. Do not use C-clamps or any other device as it will not remain secure during the dressing procedure.

    • 3

      Adjust the angle of the diamond dressing tool so it is at an angle between 5 and 15 degrees to the flat edge of the grinding wheel. Make sure the tool is with angled away from the direction of the turn of the wheel--that is, if the wheel is spinning to the left, the higher end of the tool should be its right end.

    • 4

      Start the machine and adjust the speed to 20 to 25 m/sec (or slightly less).

    • 5

      Dress the wheel by moving the clamp arm toward the wheel and allowing the wheel and diamond dressing tool to make contact. Each full revolution of the wheel will grind 0.03 mm off a standard grit stone. Fine-grit wheels will lose approximately 0.005 to 0.01 mm of their surface.

    • 6

      Run water over the grinding stone as the process of dressing the wheel continues. This prevents heat from building up. Dress the entire surface of the grinding wheel until it is "fresh" and even.