A snowboard must be flat for optimum performance. The SkiVisions Snowboard Base Flattener is a powerful planing tool designed to quickly flatten and structure a convex (base high) snowboard base with a minimum of expertise, effort and potential for error. These instructions also include effective methods and tool specifications for flattening concave (edge high) snowboards.
Note the position of the M label on the Ruby Stone blade. Each Ruby Stone blade has two grit surfaces, two non-grit surfaces. It is important that the grit surfaces be positioned in the tool correctly for maximum cutting performance. However, if you position the stone in the tool incorrectly it will be evident by its reduced effectiveness. There are four cutting edges on each stone.
Is base flattening and structuring with the SkiVisions Snowboard Base Flattener expensive? NO! It is true that you have to make the initial capital investment in the tool and stone blades, but thereafter the Ruby Stone Blades are re-sharpenable with a diamond file (see instructions below) to near new performance an infinite number of times and RARELY need replacement. You can do it, we show you how!
What is unique about the Snowboard Base Flattener? Currently there is no efficient and/or effective way to flatten convex snowboard bases. Since snowboards are constantly used up on edge, the edges and the base plastic next to the edges wears away much faster than the base plastic at the center of the base, consequently the board's base quickly becomes convex (rounder). When it does, edge sets become more difficult because the board needs to be tipped progressively higher in order to reach the edge to set the edge because the board's bottom or base is becoming progressively rounder. A flatter base let you set your edge at a lower angle, and lets you keep that angle consistently. We believe that how high you need to tip your board to set the edge should be determined by the amount of base edge bevel you tune into the board (see Snowboard Edge Tuning) which you can set consistently by tuning your edges when you also keep your snowboard base flat.
How to use the Snowboard Base Flattener
The Snowboard Base Flattener is a push tool which means you push it down the snowboard base from behind the tool.
This picture shows the Base Flattener used on a ski instead of a snowboard, but the application is the same. The Base Flattener is pushed ONLY in the tip to tail direction, NEVER in the tail to tip direction. Use overlapping strokes and pull the tool back between strokes. The primary pressure is applied with your back hand on the large hump, the front hand on the small hump is primarily to guide and control the tool.
Look at the picture closely, you will notice that the stone blade is lifted off the snowboard base yet the front glide bar is on the snowboard. We recommend that when you are pulling the Base Flattener back for the backstroke that you leave the front of the tool on the snowboard base, but that you pick up the back of the tool slightly so that the blades does not touch the base at all during the backstroke phase.
The Ruby Stone Blades only cut base plastic when the grit is exposed; the grit gets clogged with base plastic and needs to be cleaned frequently by brushing with the brush which comes with the Base Flattener. ALWAYS REMOVE ANY WAX ON YOUR BOARD WITH WAX REMOVER BEFORE USING THE STONE BLADES, WAX WILL CLOG THE STONE GRIT AND WILL REDUCE ITS EFFECTIVENESS.
The 12 Inch Ruby Stone Blades
Our new 12 inch Ruby Stone Blades are the secret to the Base Flattener's performance. It is very difficult to do a flatten cut on a snowboard base by hand because the width of snowboards spreads the cutting load over a wide area, and because snowboard sintered bases are very tough, the job has been most effectively accomplished by large machinery. Well, welcome the new machine, and it works in the palms of your hands. And why do the Ruby Stone Blades work? Because the grit of the stone is very sharp, much like multiple diamonds, so it bites into the base and cuts with only the pressure you can generate by hand. It is truly the only alternative to heavy machinery for snowboards.
Also, the stones can be re-sharpened multiple times with a diamond file (see Ruby Stone Blade Maintenance below) so they aren't disposable items. Snowboard stone grinders need frequent re-dressing with a diamond dresser, and so do the Ruby Stone Blades, except you control the process and do it with your own hands.
You can do it, we show you how!
The Snowboard Base Flattener comes standard with a medium grit Ruby Stone Blade, which is good for average snow conditions and general base flattening. In addition, there is an accessory extra coarse Ruby Stone Blade for extra cutting power when flattening snowboard bases, and, for spring snow conditions.
Note the position of the Ruby Stone Blade in the Base Flattener, it is important that the lines are positioned as shown. This gives four cutting edges for each stone as it is re-positioned in the tool. Two sides of the stone have exposed grit, two sides are smooth with no exposed grit, they are the re-sharpening sides. (See Ruby Stone Blade Maintenance)
Remember to keep the Ruby Stone Blades off the metal edges or they will wear excessively, THE STONE BLADES DO NOT CUT METAL EDGES. If your edges are higher than your base, you need to use the filing techniques discussed later in these instructions titled "FLATTENING A CONCAVE SNOWBOARD BASE" or bevel the edges first with the SkiVisions Ski Sharp edge tuning tool so that the metal edges will no longer be higher than the base.
BE SURE TO ALWAYS CLEAN THE WAX OFF YOUR BASE WITH WAX REMOVER BEFORE USING THE RUBY STONE BLADES, WAX WILL CLOG THE GRIT AND RUIN THE STONE.
Base Structuring Decisions
The medium Ruby Stone Blade that comes standard with the Base Flattener is a good general use structure for all snow conditions. However, in fresh powder a finer structure is preferred which can be achieved with the medium grit blade just by using it with very light pressure, which then imparts a lighter structure to your base.
There is an accessory extra coarse Ruby Stone Blade which is for older and high moisture snow conditions such as in the spring.
If you flatten your base with the extra coarse Ruby Stone Blade, you should then re-structure the base with the medium stone to remove the extra coarse structure, unless of course you are using the board in old snow or spring conditions.
There is a complete discussion of base structuring under the Ski Base Flattener section under the category "Base Structuring Decisions".
Ruby Stone Blade Maintenance
Re-sharpening the Ruby Stone Blades is very quick and easy but you need a good quality diamond file to do it properly.
This is the SkiVisions diamond file. It is a very coarse 100 grit file used to aggressively re-dress the Ski Sharp stones and the Base Flattener Ruby Stone blades. To maximize its life DO NOT USE IT ON THE BASE FLATTENER STEEL BLADE AND DO NOT USE IT ON SKI OR SNOWBOARD EDGES, IT IS WAY TOO COARSE FOR EDGE WORK. When the diamonds are worn out, the diamond file can be replaced on the handle.
Re-sharpen the Ruby Stone Blades under running water with a diamond file holding it very flat against the blade and rubbing it back and forth the entire length on the stone blade using equal pressure and strokes along the length. Pay particular attention to the line markings on each side of the blade, they tell you which side to sharpen. DO NOT SHARPEN THE EXPOSED GRIT SIDE, IF YOU DO THE GRIT WILL BE PERMANENTLY LOST.
If you look closely at the stone in this picture, you can see both the grit on the top side of the stone and the non-grit side which is smooth and multi-colored. What this picture is particularly designed to show is the grit on the very edge between the grit and non-grit side, see the roughness of the grit on that edge, that is what cuts the plastic and imparts the structure. That grit edge is restored to near new condition every time you sharpen the Ruby Stone Blades, which is why they last a very long time. But don't drop them, they are stones, they are brittle and can break. AGAIN, DON'T SHARPEN THE GRIT SIDE, IF YOU DO THE GRIT WILL BE PERMANENTLY LOST AND CANNOT BE RECOVERED.
Flattening a Concave Snowboard Base
On all new snowboards there will be some concave (edge high) sections. The Snowboard Base Flattener cannot be used on concave boards, the stone blade cuts only base plastic, not metal edges (which will also damage the blade from excessive wear from rubbing on the metal edges) so the high edges need to be corrected. Besides, boards with concave bases perform poorly.
The concave problem is generally only on new boards. Since snowboards are used primarily up on edge, the edges and base plastic next to the edges wear more quickly than the base plastic at the center of the base, thus eliminating the concave condition of the base through use.
Contrary to popular belief, it is easy to flatten a concave snowboard base with one basic tool and some simple techniques. Even a beginner can do it as long as they take their time and follow these rules.
First, the tool. The one on the bottom is a monster file, a 12 inch DOUBLE CUT bastard file with a tang, the one on the top an 8 inch DOUBLE CUT second-cut file with a handle instead of a tang, a much finer tooth file that is easier to use, less prone to error, and leaves much better finish on the base and edges.
It is critical that the file be a DOUBLE CUT file. This picture shows a file with both single cut teeth and double cut teeth, the double cut teeth are the cross-cut pattern. Only double cut teeth will cut base plastic efficiently, single cut teeth will not cut base plastic at all.
So what is the difference between using the two files? The big one cuts material very quickly and leaves very rough finish on the edges and base plastic. If you use a big, coarse file like that, you will need to do a fair amount of base work with the Snowboard Base Flattener afterwards to clean up the mess. Also, you will need to do a fair amount of work with the Ski Sharp to clean up the bad finish on the edges which it leaves. With that said, we use them because we know how to, they are the quickest at flattening bases and we know how to clean up the mess they leave efficiently. Also, if you make a mistake with it, it can take a lot of work to correct it. Needless to say, files like that are for experienced tuners. Generally, you are much better off with a finer double cut file, like a 10 inch second cut rather than a bastard cut.
The important part of using files like these is how you use them, they MUST be used flat against the base or you take the chance of over-beveling the base side of the edge, resulting in the need to take down the entire base of the board to remove the excess bevel. That is not fun. Nor can it be done quickly.
The trick to keeping the file flat on the board is by placing one hand directly on top of the surface you are cutting, by placing one hand there you stop yourself from unconsciously angling or rocking the file side to side, the hand holds the file flat to the base. Also, the pressure on the file is applied through the hand that is on the file, NOT THROUGH THE HAND THAT IS HOLDING THE TANG, if the tang hand is pressured then the file will not be used flat to the base. What this means is that the file is PUSHED with the hand that is on the file, the left hand in the picture, not the hand that is holding the tang. The hand holding the tang is just holding the file steady. The hand that is on the tang is only for the purpose of helping to maintain control of the file.
When using a file, the tang position must be at the back side of the cutting direction. Another way to say it is that, let's say you are using the file in the tip to tail direction, the tang is closer to the tip than the tail. If the file is used with the tang reversed it won't cut and the problem will be obvious.
The file teeth of a double cut file will quickly fill with metal shavings and plastic and will stop cutting so they need to be cleaned out frequently with a metal brush. You can use the brass brush that came with the Snowboard Base Flattener, it works great for cleaning out files.
Flattening snowboards is done one edge at a time, that is, each edge separately. A snowboard is too wide to flatten its width all at once, and there is no reason to do so anyway. However, since the tang needs to be hanging off the board (see the picture above), the board needs to be constantly rotated in your vise because you should only take one pass down one edge with the file, rotate the board in the vise, then one pass down the other edge with the file, then check progress with your true bar, before continuing. Doing too little at a time is far better than too much. Also, and this is an important point, by rotating the board in your vise and doing each edge in a rotating pattern, you won't accidentally do too much work on one edge before starting on the other edge, getting out of balance. By rotating edges constantly, each edge is always staying in balance with the other edge as you make progress. This may make the process take a little longer, but you will always be staying in balance and not making a mess.
The critical technique when flattening a base is to constantly check base flatness with a true bar so that you track your progress without over-doing it. True bars are best used with strong background light such as a drafting lamp that can be pointed down the base from the tip (see the instructions for the Ski Base Flattener for a picture and description). You then read the light that comes through between the true bar and the base which makes if easy to see exactly how flat the base is. You can also use a window in daylight in a darker room for the strong background light.
Another approach to flattening concave base sections, IF THE CONCAVITY IS SHALLOW RATHER THAN DEEP, is to use an accessory hi speed steel blade in the Base Flattener. This is the 6 inch accessory hi speed steel blade, if you want to use this technique you will need to grind off the corners as shown in the picture so they can't dig into your base.
When using the steel blade on concave edge sections, the Base Flattener is used ONLY over the edges as shown in this picture. This method is also described in the Ski Base Flattener instructions under the "Three Zoning" section. The application here is to use the steel blade ONLY on the high section of the edge and base plastic next to the edge. It will remove edge metal and base plastic easily and quickly, but remember, a little goes a LONG way, check your base flatness frequently, and don't over-do. If the base is very concave and in need of lots of work, you are better off starting with a file as described above until the base is approaching flat, you can finish with this technique and a hi speed steel blade for a precise finish.
Safety Rules
It is VERY important to polish off the burr that is left when you work on metal snowboard edges; the burr can be very sharp and can cut you easily. We recommend the SkiVisions Ski Sharp for such purpose, or, you can polish the edges by hand with a stone.
Maintain a firm grip on the Base Flattener when running it off the tail of your board so you don't drop it.
Your board must be held in a vise when using the Base Flattener.
This picture shows the Base Flattener used on a ski instead of a snowboard, but the application is the same. The Base Flattener is pushed ONLY in the tip to tail direction, NEVER in the tail to tip direction. Use overlapping strokes and pull the tool back between strokes. The primary pressure is applied with your back hand on the large hump, the front hand on the small hump is primarily to guide and control the tool.
Look at the picture closely, you will notice that the stone blade is lifted off the snowboard base yet the front glide bar is on the snowboard. We recommend that when you are pulling the Base Flattener back for the backstroke that you leave the front of the tool on the snowboard base, but that you pick up the back of the tool slightly so that the blades does not touch the base at all during the backstroke phase.
The Ruby Stone Blades only cut base plastic when the grit is exposed; the grit gets clogged with base plastic and needs to be cleaned frequently by brushing with the brush which comes with the Base Flattener. ALWAYS REMOVE ANY WAX ON YOUR BOARD WITH WAX REMOVER BEFORE USING THE STONE BLADES, WAX WILL CLOG THE STONE GRIT AND WILL REDUCE ITS EFFECTIVENESS.
Note the position of the Ruby Stone Blade in the Base Flattener, it is important that the lines are positioned as shown. This gives four cutting edges for each stone as it is re-positioned in the tool. Two sides of the stone have exposed grit, two sides are smooth with no exposed grit, they are the re-sharpening sides. (See Ruby Stone Blade Maintenance)
This is the SkiVisions diamond file. It is a very coarse 100 grit file used to aggressively re-dress the Ski Sharp stones and the Base Flattener Ruby Stone blades. To maximize its life DO NOT USE IT ON THE BASE FLATTENER STEEL BLADE AND DO NOT USE IT ON SKI OR SNOWBOARD EDGES, IT IS WAY TOO COARSE FOR EDGE WORK. When the diamonds are worn out, the diamond file can be replaced on the handle.
Re-sharpen the Ruby Stone Blades under running water with a diamond file holding it very flat against the blade and rubbing it back and forth the entire length on the stone blade using equal pressure and strokes along the length. Pay particular attention to the line markings on each side of the blade, they tell you which side to sharpen. DO NOT SHARPEN THE EXPOSED GRIT SIDE, IF YOU DO THE GRIT WILL BE PERMANENTLY LOST.
If you look closely at the stone in this picture, you can see both the grit on the top side of the stone and the non-grit side which is smooth and multi-colored. What this picture is particularly designed to show is the grit on the very edge between the grit and non-grit side, see the roughness of the grit on that edge, that is what cuts the plastic and imparts the structure. That grit edge is restored to near new condition every time you sharpen the Ruby Stone Blades, which is why they last a very long time. But don't drop them, they are stones, they are brittle and can break. AGAIN, DON'T SHARPEN THE GRIT SIDE, IF YOU DO THE GRIT WILL BE PERMANENTLY LOST AND CANNOT BE RECOVERED. 
First, the tool. The one on the bottom is a monster file, a 12 inch DOUBLE CUT bastard file with a tang, the one on the top an 8 inch DOUBLE CUT second-cut file with a handle instead of a tang, a much finer tooth file that is easier to use, less prone to error, and leaves much better finish on the base and edges.
It is critical that the file be a DOUBLE CUT file. This picture shows a file with both single cut teeth and double cut teeth, the double cut teeth are the cross-cut pattern. Only double cut teeth will cut base plastic efficiently, single cut teeth will not cut base plastic at all.
The trick to keeping the file flat on the board is by placing one hand directly on top of the surface you are cutting, by placing one hand there you stop yourself from unconsciously angling or rocking the file side to side, the hand holds the file flat to the base. Also, the pressure on the file is applied through the hand that is on the file, NOT THROUGH THE HAND THAT IS HOLDING THE TANG, if the tang hand is pressured then the file will not be used flat to the base. What this means is that the file is PUSHED with the hand that is on the file, the left hand in the picture, not the hand that is holding the tang. The hand holding the tang is just holding the file steady. The hand that is on the tang is only for the purpose of helping to maintain control of the file.
The critical technique when flattening a base is to constantly check base flatness with a true bar so that you track your progress without over-doing it. True bars are best used with strong background light such as a drafting lamp that can be pointed down the base from the tip (see the instructions for the Ski Base Flattener for a picture and description). You then read the light that comes through between the true bar and the base which makes if easy to see exactly how flat the base is. You can also use a window in daylight in a darker room for the strong background light.
Another approach to flattening concave base sections, IF THE CONCAVITY IS SHALLOW RATHER THAN DEEP, is to use an accessory hi speed steel blade in the Base Flattener. This is the 6 inch accessory hi speed steel blade, if you want to use this technique you will need to grind off the corners as shown in the picture so they can't dig into your base.
When using the steel blade on concave edge sections, the Base Flattener is used ONLY over the edges as shown in this picture. This method is also described in the Ski Base Flattener instructions under the "Three Zoning" section. The application here is to use the steel blade ONLY on the high section of the edge and base plastic next to the edge. It will remove edge metal and base plastic easily and quickly, but remember, a little goes a LONG way, check your base flatness frequently, and don't over-do. If the base is very concave and in need of lots of work, you are better off starting with a file as described above until the base is approaching flat, you can finish with this technique and a hi speed steel blade for a precise finish.