Do-it-yourself ski servicing with the ES 2000PLUS grinder
The electric ski edge grinding device from raze-cat has been successfully on the market since 2007. The grinding device is developed and produced by Steidle Drehteile GmbH – a system supplier to the metal industry – from southern Germany. raze-cat is its own brand, which has now established itself with many other tools in ski service.
Together with experienced service staff and specialists in the industry, a grinding device for ski service was developed that was intended to revolutionize the laborious and time-consuming manual work. In the meantime, well-known manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon with similar products, with raze-cat was one of the pioneers in this field.
Construction of the ski edge grinding device
The edge sander impresses with its compactness and solid workmanship. All parts are made of stainless steel or anodized aluminum. An electric motor drives a sanding belt via a shaft. The sanding belt runs safely guided by two rollers over a curved belt system. The focus was on safe belt guidance and an inclined belt run, which leads to a perfect and burr-free sanding result.
The belt is changed using spring tension and is quick and easy to carry out. The support with which the ES 2000PLUS ski edge grinding device rests on the ski is unique. Only five sliding elements touch the ski. Dirt and dust fall through between them and are therefore not rubbed into the base. The device therefore glides easily and effortlessly over the ski.
The grinding angle is adjusted via the support using an adjusting screw with a lock. The angle can be adjusted continuously and securely locked in any position. This means that even half or odd degree values can be easily achieved.
Grinding ski edges with the ES 2000PLUS
Edge grinding with the ES 2000PLUS is easier than it may seem at first glance. The ski or board can be ground in any position, although the lean position has proven to be the most practical. The ES 2000PLUS is center of gravity optimized and stays securely on the ski in the lean position, all by itself! No corrections or other balancing is required.
TO ES 2000PLUS
Before switching on, the device is briefly relieved by lifting it slightly, then it is placed on the edge and you can begin. The device is then moved over the edge at a speed that is roughly equivalent to waxing. The device takes care of everything else.
The result is astonishing even after the first sanding process - a uniform and clean sanding pattern along the entire length without any steps or burrs. Since very little edge material is removed during the sanding process, it is no disadvantage to repeat the process a second or even third time, depending on the desired degree of sharpness of the edge.
The short time required is very convenient! Each grinding process takes around 5 seconds. With 2-3 grinding processes (if necessary at all) on each side, including turning the skis, the total grinding time is around 1 minute per a pair of skis! Grinding the skis of a family of four, including clamping the skis, takes around 15 minutes, depending on the effort involved. Reworking the edges is not necessary. In contrast to the laborious manual work, this speaks for itself.
Another nice thing is that the sidewall does not necessarily have to be removed. This is done by the 120 grit sanding belt. However, due to the build-up of dirt, it is advantageous to remove it before sanding.
Sanding belts for the ES 2000
The sanding result can be refined with the various sanding belts from raze-cat (6 types in total), depending on requirements.
The sanding belts are available in different grits and packaging quantities to suit every requirement. The 120 and 240 grit belts are the standard belts that cover almost all needs in the sporting sector. The Track 400 sanding belt is a universal belt in the finer range with a longer service life. The 600 and 1000 grit belts enable very fine sanding and even polishing, which covers the needs of the professional sector. The edge removal with the 120 grit belts is around a hundredth of a millimeter. In comparison, one stroke with a medium-coarse file showed almost 10 times the removal.
Regarding the durability of the sanding belts, it can be said that a new sanding belt achieves the best results. Through extensive testing and feedback from the many ES 2000 users, around 3–4 pairs of skis with one belt are recommended as a guideline. The low cost of a sanding belt reduces the costs of edge grinding with the ES 2000 from raze-cat enormously.
Racers were among the first customers of raze-cat and to this day they achieve competitive results in training and competition. In the alpine sports sector, among freeriders and telemarkers as well as snowboarders, the electric ski edge grinder ES 2000 is enjoying increasing popularity. The current ski edge grinder ES 2000 has been on the market worldwide since 2012, replacing the previous model ES 1000.
