Diamond file: freehand or in an edge guide?

Hi all, I’m just tuning up my snowboard edges (2nd hand board) which had some small surface rust spots and a nick in one spot. I’ve detuned the tip/tail and I was planning on lightly going over the base and edges with a pocket stone (theres a few areas of black residue after the rust was removed) before lightly sharpening the edge with a file guide.

Then polishing up the base and edges with a diamond file which led me to the question .... should I just freehand this step or use the diamond file in the file guide to hold it nicely on the bevel angle?

I’ve watched the Boardworld video and read up as much as I can about edge tuning but its my first time actually doing it myself.

Thanks in advance!

If ya got a file guide that can fit the diamond stone ya may as well use it, I reckon!!!!!

Yeah, thats what I was thinking but thought I might check in with the brains trust

As long as ya trust this brain that is!!!!!

I’m with Mizu on this one. If it fits into the guide, it’s more precise and you might as well use it.

But the order is generally: diamond stone to deburr (and remove rust), sharpen with the file, then polish with the stone.

If you’re not using the file, I would still use the diamond stone then the gummy stone. This is assuming the diamond stone is harder than the gummy stone (which it usually is).

I’m assuming your stone is somewhat soft? Also, do you know if your diamond stone is fine or coarse? It should say on the packaging.

Ok, thanks rider.  I’ve got a gummi which is soft, grey and course I believe. I’ve also got a hard stone which is medium and the diamond file which is fine (325 grit).

Can I still polish with a course gummi? or finish with the diamond file in that case?

If the gummy stone is soft, I would still use it last. I can’t see/feel what you have, so you might need to make a judgement call on it. It really depends on the actual stones. If it’s quite gritty, then the fine diamond stone is *probably best used last. Generally, you want to use the softest/finest stone last to polish. Harder/coarser stones to deburr first, then file, then softest/finest stone to polish.

That said, a fine diamond stone can be very good to polish with. Again, it depends on the actual stone. A very fine diamond stone is great for polishing. I wasn’t sure whether you had a fine or coarse diamond stone. I wouldn’t use a coarse diamond stone to polish; rather it’s used at the start to deburr.

Thanks heaps guys, greatly appreciated. Yeah I went over it again with the gummi and to my untrained eye it all looks pretty shiny and sharp now. When I get to the snow I’ll have to take more notice of some of the other edges around so I can get more a feel for it.

The only thing annoying me now is a shallow groove in the base on the tip side of the front foot which has put a small knick in the edge about 5cm in front of the front binding toeside. Nothing I can do about it tho so I’ll just have to see how it rides. The rest of the edges look sweet and maybe I’ll get a base grind later in the season.

Thanks heaps again, Boardworld rocks!! 

You’re welcome mate!

A small nick here and there wont matter too much!!!!!

Just make sure they aren’t “hooked” so they don’t rip ya gear/gloves/someone else’s forehead!!!!!

Hehehe, yeah its only a small snick (not hooked) so it’ll be fine .... otherwise polished up nice. Now for a wax…. another first time job.

Its great to learn this stuff for yourself, especially when I’ve got 2 boys snowboarding too (soon to be 3 once the 4yr old works out that he’s the odd one out!!)

Money saved on wax means more beer!!!!!

I like waxin our boards!!!!!

I use a guide for my diamond stones. it takes away any inaccuracy of free hand filing