Do your own ski service with the grinding device ES 2000PLUS
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 in the metal industry – from southern Germany. raze-cat is its own brand, which has meanwhile established itself with many other tools in ski service.
Together with experienced service personnel and industry specialists, a grinding device for ski service was developed that was meant to revolutionize the tedious and time-consuming manual work. Meanwhile, well-known manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon with similar products, with raze-cat being one of the pioneers in this field.
Construction of the ski edge grinding device
The edge grinding device impresses with its compactness and solid workmanship. All parts are made of stainless steel or anodized aluminum. An electric motor drives a grinding belt via a shaft. Guided securely by two rollers, the grinding belt runs over a crowned belt system. The focus was placed on secure belt guidance as well as on an angled belt run, which leads to a perfect and burr-free grinding result.
The grinding belt change is done via spring tension and can be performed easily and quickly. 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 in between and are therefore not rubbed into the base. The device thus glides easily and without effort over the ski.
The adjustment of the grinding angle is done via the support using an adjustment screw with locking. The angle can be adjusted steplessly and securely fixed in any position. Thus, half or odd degree values are easy to achieve.
Grinding ski edges with the ES 2000PLUS
Edge grinding with the ES 2000PLUS is easier than it might seem at first glance. The ski or board can be ground in all positions, with the angled position proving to be the most practical. The ES 2000PLUS is center-of-gravity optimized and stays securely and by itself on the ski, which is in the angled position! No corrections or other balancing are necessary.
FOR THE ES 2000PLUS
Before switching on, the device is briefly relieved by slightly lifting it, then it is placed on the edge and you can get started. At a speed roughly equivalent to waxing, the edge is now worked on. The device takes care of everything else.
The result is astonishing already after the first grinding process - a uniform and clean grinding pattern over the entire length without steps and burrs. Since very little edge material is removed during the grinding process, depending on the desired sharpness of the edge, it is not a disadvantage to repeat the process a second or even third time.
The low time expenditure is very comfortable! About 5 seconds are estimated per grinding process. With 2-3 grinding processes (if at all necessary) on each side, including turning the ski, the total grinding time is about 1 minute per pair of skis! For grinding the skis of a family of four, including clamping the skis, depending on the effort, about 15 minutes are needed. No rework of the edges is necessary. Compared to the rather tedious manual work, this speaks for itself.
It is also convenient that the sidewall does not necessarily have to be removed. This is done by the grinding belt with grit 120. However, due to the dirt generated, it is advantageous to remove it before the grinding process.
Grinding belts for the ES 2000
The grinding result can be refined with the various grinding belts from raze-cat (a total of 6 types), depending on the requirement.
The grinding belts are offered in various grits and packaging quantities for every requirement. The belts with 120 and 240 grit are the standard belts, which cover almost all needs in the athletic sector. The grinding belt Track 400 is a universal belt in the finer range with longer durability. The belts with 600 and 1000 grit allow very fine grinding up to polishing, which covers the needs in the professional sector. The edge removal with the belts of grit 120 is about one hundredth of a millimeter. In comparison, a stroke with a medium coarse file showed almost 10 times the removal.
Regarding the durability of the grinding belts, it can be said that a new grinding belt achieves the best result. Through extensive tests and feedback from many users of the ES 2000, about 3-4 pairs of skis per belt are given as a guideline. Due to the low cost of a grinding belt, the costs for edge grinding with the ES 2000 from raze-cat are enormously reduced.
Racers were among the first customers of raze-cat and still achieve competitive results in training and competition today. In the athletic alpine sector, among freeriders and telemarkers as well as snowboarders, the electric ski edge grinding device ES 2000 is becoming increasingly popular. Since 2012, the current ski edge grinder ES 2000 has been on the market worldwide, replacing the previous model ES 1000.