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May, 2025

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Taking edges out of skis

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cultrara
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 46,849
Has anyone done this and know how to do it without ruining the rest of the ski? I have a pair of skis I use for urban that I would like to take the edges out of so I can hit all aluminum rails on my campus.
12 years ago
11 1
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.squirrely.
Posts: 7563 - Karma: 7,546
i had some edge that already ripped out just from skiing and i took pliers and ripped the rest out probably wasnt good for the skis but idk how else you could do it
12 years ago
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NH_OPERATOR
Posts: 1070 - Karma: 2,883
Removing the edge completely is ruining the ski unless you were somehow planning on gluing them back in after, which wouldn't really work that well. I wouldent pull the edges unless you were only ever planning on using them for urban in the future and nothing else.
12 years ago
1 0
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cultrara
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 46,849
Thats the plan. I could put rivets in them
12 years ago
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7294 - Karma: 18,716
Robots would catch even worse. Just round the edges as much as you can with a file. That will be much better then ripping the edge out. The edge goes into the core so if you rip it out the ski will fall apart pretty quick. You can really round the edge off so it has no effect
12 years ago
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cultrara
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 46,849
Robots? The edges are completely detuned, but since they are harder than aluminum they still catch on rails
12 years ago
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NH_OPERATOR
Posts: 1070 - Karma: 2,883
Are you worried about catching edges or scratching the rail? I cant imagine your concern is catching your edge on the rail because people hit wood and PVC rails all the time which are both way softer than aluminum with out an issue.
12 years ago
0 0
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cultrara
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 46,849
Catching my edge. I've hit pvc with no problem. However, when I hit a kinked aluminum rail I always dig into the rail at the kink.
12 years ago
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7294 - Karma: 18,716
Robots haha damn auto correct. Anyway I was trying to say just really round your edges. You can round them so they are lower then your base. That way there is no way you can catch as you are sliding on thr base rather then your edge. I used to use a wintersteiger base grinder to really round edges fast, but you can do it by hand with a file, just takes a while.
12 years ago
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
i dont know much about ski construction etc but i used to have some edgeless skis

i feel like it might be best to try to only cut out the underfoot sections so you still have edges on your tips/tails which will help with edging obv but also will probably postpone the skis falling apart

so maybe cut sections out and rip them out with pliers or whatever?

eating shit on alum rails sucks, i know that from experience, so itd be nice to have some skis to hit alum street rails on
12 years ago
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25444 - Karma: 13,856
Edges do a lot of good to keep a ski together over multiple impacts on metal. If you do take em out underfoot:

- you will have to cut the base that overhangs the edge teeth. Can be done if you just get a cutter and go 1-2 cm offsetting the edge. Pulling the edge out laterally will leave a gap and the base material will catch worse - better to just cut it and try to preserve a good strong base/core meet.

- you will have to find a way to smooth a steel edge end on an inside corner. Angle grinder and grind disc handy?

- epoxy the crap out of the thing. You will fuck up somewhere, hope these things are so trashed that whatever you do won't end the project. Epoxy all gaps and wipe smooth.

- you are required to post pics
12 years ago
3 1
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7294 - Karma: 18,716
^ the other way to go is to remove a section of base completely underfoot as well as the edge. What we did then was take a new section of base and wrap the ski. We glued the base to the core but then wrapped the base up over the sidewall and screwed it into the top sheet. Quick grind to flatten it all and they looked ok. Skied like shit obviously but was a fun experiment, but one I would not recommend any one try.
12 years ago
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GeorgiaJibber
Posts: 1608 - Karma: 1,354
Im pretty sure ninthward made and edgeless urban ski, forgot what they were called though.
12 years ago
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cultrara
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 46,849
I think I'll just detune them as much as possible. It isn't worth the effort to potentially ruin my urban skis. If I find a supper cheap pair of skis I'll remove the edges and post pics
12 years ago
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Miclovin
Posts: 1045 - Karma: 706
get moment frankenskis
12 years ago
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,410
If you have an angle grinder with a high grit flap wheel, then that's your ticket man. Makes for buttery smooth sliding edges.

P.S.@TomP. Aha, I follow quite a bit of your posts and advice in GT, and man, you have some of the worst autocorrect luck ever. It die alllll the time because of it.
12 years ago
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Balbertt
Posts: 1585 - Karma: 4,723
just take a fine file to your edges. Only do underfoot though, unless you are B&E and all you do is nose and tail press. Dont go crazy either, do little bits at a time and ski it to see if you need to do more, its easy to do too little but when you do too much its bad.
12 years ago
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