- Posts: 1230
- Thank you received: 0
How do you wax your skis?
- Marcus
-
- User
-
Marcus, try cleaning your bases by hot scraping. only use solvent if you really need to remove *all* wax, for example before patching a gouge.
Good deal Doc, I'll try that tonight. Thanks!
Skye -- interesting perspective... Don't know that it would have occurred to me to try that. I'm making some short (8 inch) kicker skins from my next pair of wall-to-walls for those rolling exits...
m
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Jim Oker
-
- User
-
- Posts: 901
- Thank you received: 0
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Charles
-
- User
-
- Posts: 388
- Thank you received: 0
I typically use just two types of hot wax, CF7 for winter and CF10 for summer, with decisions required about which one to use during the transition periods. I don't clean the bases with solvent very often because it doesn't usually seem necessary (pollen being an example). I hot wax with a Value Village iron, non-steam kind (holes bad), and I set it in the middle of Rayon. I sometimes sand the base before waxing, especially if I'm going to use solvent.
I usually carry a little bag of wax tricks. This has a chunk of CF10, a chunk of F4, and a little tub of Maxiglide, as well as small pieces of rag, a scraper, a cork (from a wine bottle), and a piece of scrubber pad. The Maxiglide also works well on the top of the ski and bindings to prevent the buildup of snow.
One useful trick I've discovered for skis with black bases is that they heat up quickly if aimed right at the sun. This allows me to do a "hot wax" in the field, as the skis usually get hot enough to easily melt the wax, which I rub in with fingers or rag, let cool, then scrape. I think this method is more durable than simply wiping Maxiglide on the bases when there are problems in the field.
This trick is also very useful for my Fischer Outtabounds waxless skis, which have a black base and a somewhat unusual (for fishscale skis) negative pattern. That is, the fishscale pattern is milled into the base of what otherwise would be regular skis; most other brands seem to have a positive pattern (sticks up) which is virtually impossible to hot wax. The problem with the negative pattern, however, is that if one hot waxes it, all of the little divots fill up with wax, and it is difficult to get it out. So even at home I usually stick the skis out in the sun and then lightly wipe a piece of wax over the fishscale area. When it melts, I smear the wax around and let it soak in, and then while still hot I use a rag to wipe the excess wax out of the divots. If I'm doing this I usually just go ahead and put some wax on the rest of the ski as well as a refresher, and that way I don't have to do an iron hot wax as often.
Larry, I've wondered about what happens to that wax in the bases as well. From the links you provided it sounds like it is best to let the skis cool slowly so as not to "squeeze the wax out" - never heard that before. Not sure I need to get one of those bags yet.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- gregL
-
- User
-
- Posts: 669
- Thank you received: 0
Ps for Greg: so do you use a heat bag after your super fancy wax jobs? Gotta have one I suppose to go with your new Trabs.
Sorry, Larry, no Thermobag yet . . . but I do have 2 backup Value Village irons.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Lowell_Skoog
-
- User
-
- Posts: 1460
- Thank you received: 16
I wax my skis with whatever cheap wax I have laying around (a chunk the size of a Cadbury bar lasts me several years) using a travel iron that I picked up decades ago. The iron has no temperature control - I just unplug it when it starts to smoke and I swipe it over my skis real fast.
In spring, I typically avoid waxing for the reason that Sky mentioned. A slightly dirty, dry base provides just enough "suckage" (a term my brother Carl coined) to facilitate low-angle, skins-off touring.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Lowell_Skoog
-
- User
-
- Posts: 1460
- Thank you received: 16
5. Choice of wax. The really well equipped skier is never without six different waxes to match the six recognized varieties of snow, viz: cream of wheat, talcum, spun sugar, bromo-seltzer, marshmallow, and Alaska baked pudding.
[...]
7. How to remove wax. (a) from the skis: let it wear off. (b) from hands, clothing, nose, back of sofa, rug: let it wear off.
[...]
9. Wax for conversation. This is the most important aspect of waxing, and to be employed successfully the following points should be kept in mind: (a) never admit anyone else's favorite wax is any good... (d) argue violently with your friends; they too like to think they know all about wax, and nobody but a curmudgeon would voluntarily spoil their fun with a show of indifference.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.