Removing Skin Glue from Skis

Removing Skin Glue from Skis
    During spring skiing in warm weather, the glue from my old G3 skins gets transferred from my skins to my skis.  I've found an effective technique for removing this troublesome glue from my ski bases using only rags and an iron.  
     Equipment Needed:  
Iron and sock rags (made from worn-out medium weight cotton socks with an absorbent, fluffy, terry cloth or towel like inner surface)
 
     Technique:  
1.  Each worn-out medium weight cotton sock is cut length wise (through the holes in their heels) into two sock rags. 
2.  The iron is heated to a temperature that is slightly hotter than the temperature I have used to wax my skis.  
3.  Note that the sock rags have a smooth outer surface and an absorbent inner surface.  I place the absorbent inner surface of the sock rag on top of the glue that is adherent to the ski base and place the heated iron on the smooth outer surface of the sock rag.
4.  Note that the surface of the hot iron never touches the ski base.  
5.  I press and slightly move the iron on the sock while counting at a moderate speed to twenty (the "ironing time"). 
6.  I then immediately wipe off the softened glue with the heated rag.  
 
    I determined the optimal "ironing time" by starting with the shortest time that would barely melt the glue.  I then quickly removed the rag (with one quick glue wipe) and immediately placed my bare hand on the surface of the heated ski base to be sure that the ski base did not get too hot. Then I slightly increased the "ironing time" and repeated the process, to determine the optimal "ironing time" that would soften up the glue without excessively heating the ski base. I also continued to check the temperature of the ski base again periodically throughout the entire process.   
 
    I have never used petroleum based solvents to remove skin glue.  However, I'm guessing that this technique may be a little more time consuming than using petroleum based solvents, since I needed to touch up multiple areas, when the first ironing did not remove all the glue.  However, when I was finished, I felt that the ski base was quite clean.
     I hope this technique is helpful.  
 

I've had similar success with the brown paper bag + iron technique followed by a scrape. I've since abandoned this - white gas on a rag is fast and effective.

Thanks, Snowboy, for your helpful suggestion.  -  Ken

Solvent on a rag will remove skin glue (and, notably, pollen) but also wax. Heat, if used judiciously, leaves wax behind. I've used a heat gun and rags.

On the other hand, once I'm all set up it does seem to be just as easy to do the solvent/rag thing followed by hot waxing. As often as not, the glue sticks to bases in the first place because they need waxing.

I'm very glad this post showed up towards the top of my web search! I've tried both the old sock + iron method and the hot water + scraper method, and I gotta say that the old sock +iron method is amazing! Thank you for sharing it and for figuring out the optimal time to apply the iron to the sock and ski. Totally worked.

Best to all. Be safe.

Being a gear-head I really enjoy reading threads like this. I wonder, though, all the methods mentioned would appear to necessitate waxing your skis after the glue is removed. If hot waxing removes skin glue, pollen, etc., can't you just skip the cleaning step?

Hot waxing doesn't remove glue. All of the methods described above remove wax as well as glue. If glue is sticking to your bases you likely need a good hot waxing (to prevent glue remaining on base) and you might need to reglue skins (due to gummy hydrolyzed glue). 

I have always used solvents to remove glue from my base. Then I thoroughly wash and dry then hot wax.