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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1128 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2008 : 5:54 PM
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Can anyone reccomend a ski maintenance tutorial or resource?
I have most of the equipment needed to wax my skis (from my old snowboard habit) including an angled edge sharpener etc, but I'm wondering about AT/Tele specific stuff.
Like for instance, I put the skins on my skis while in the warm confines of my apartment and now the glue has left a bit of itself on the base of the ski. How can I get rid of it?
Any help appreciated.
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
1048 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2008 : 7:54 PM
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| Use ski wax remover to get that off. You will not harm your bases like many think as it will just clean the surface. If you do not do a lot of work on your skis take them to Crystal Glide on the North Shore near Cactus Club. Dave will make them new again and for a very inexpensive price. On backcountry skis I only do this at the end of the season or the start as edges etc don't make a much of a difference out in the backcountry when your getting sweet powder. Keeping edges sharp etc... is more if you are inbounds skiing groomers or ice... |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1128 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2008 : 9:20 PM
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MEC seems to have some tips, although it's pretty basic.
MEC Ski Care |
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 Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2008 : 9:39 PM
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| Wax from tip to tail. Do not leave the iron in one spot, keep it moving. A proper waxing iron has a constant heat output where as a house hold iron has large fluctuations in heat. If it gets too hot you could seal your bases. Use a base cleaner before waxing or to get the glue off. Wax your DH skis after every 3 x or your back country skis after every time or 2 if you can. Apparantley the glue from the skins will lessen the durability of the wax. Buy your own Ptex candles, you will save a shit lot of money on minor repairs. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1128 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2008 : 9:48 PM
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Where do you guys wax? (haha that sounds a bit odd)
I'm in an apartment with no bench, so I'm trying to think of ways I can secure my skis for work. I remember scraping the wax off being a very messy business.
I might have to see if I can rig something up in my underground parking. |
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Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2008 : 10:12 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by eeyun
Where do you guys wax? (haha that sounds a bit odd)
I'm in an apartment with no bench, so I'm trying to think of ways I can secure my skis for work. I remember scraping the wax off being a very messy business.
I might have to see if I can rig something up in my underground parking.
I put a large sheet on the kitchen floor. I put two chairs spaced apart from each other and put a small sheet on each chair. I span the tops of the chairs with the skis and work it like that. You need to find the right spacing to not knock the chair(s) over. This works quite well for me. I keep the brakes out of the way with a butter knife lodged in them. Put brakes in the upright ski position. Jam butter knife through the front portion of the brakes and over the top of the ski. Might need to use some force to get it in there. Use the thick part of the knife so it does not snap. Clean up is as easy as folding the sheets onto themselves. Might need just a bit of a vacuumm after, but no big deal.
Remember, if the wax or iron is smoking the heat is up too high. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1128 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2008 : 10:33 PM
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Hmm... good idea T2C. I will try make use of some of the chairs. I'll pick up some wax remover from the co-op and give it a go! I think I might even have an old p-tex stick around too.
The only problem I see with getting this sorted out is that my girlfriend will have me waxing her skis too! |
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Ladner, BC
Canada
1179 Posts |
Posted - 02/29/2008 : 01:13 AM
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I got a nice gash on my thumb about 18 yrs ago sharpening a pair of old skis my friend wanted to borrow. Late at night, big trip to Whistler the next morning..didn't take the time to use the workbench and vice.
The friend was a no show, and my thumb was too sore to grab a pole, but I still had fun at the cabin =)
oh there's a moral to the story I think.
...i've been known to go years without waxing skis, not usually an issue for me but sometimes it's nice to be able to keep up with people.. like on those really long run outs on blackcomb....
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Surrey, BC
Canada
1036 Posts |
Posted - 02/29/2008 : 08:28 AM
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I ski every ski until it turns itself into a rock ski, until it delams (yeah, yeah, I know, delaminates), until it gets a couple of core shots, etc.
Maintenance, what maintenance?!
Aha, just find the reason why I am so slow going up & down the slope!!
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Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 02/29/2008 : 09:17 AM
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| I notice a difference from the 1st day waxing to the 3rd day since waxing. Take care of your skis and they will take care of you. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1461 Posts |
Posted - 02/29/2008 : 1:46 PM
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Vancouver Ski and Board Services offers tuning courses. There's not much to it. They have excellent facilities of base grinding and I think they have the only full size snowboard base grinding machine in Vancouver. A good base grind makes a huge difference with sintered bases in wet conditions especially on snowboards. But that is beside the point...
I don't know anything about base texture and skins though. I think you have to be extra careful to remove all of the excess wax so that it doesn't just pull off into the skin glue. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Telemark tips has a good tuning guide.
http://www.telemarktips.com/Wax.html
and edge tuning guide
http://www.telemarktips.com/Edgetuning.html
I've been meaning to ask... Does anyone here use XC grip wax on their backcountry skis? It's mentioned in the Telemarktips article above. They say it's good for rolly terrain where skins aren't quite necessary. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1128 Posts |
Posted - 02/29/2008 : 2:45 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by hafilax
Vancouver Ski and Board Services offers tuning courses. There's not much to it. They have excellent facilities of base grinding and I think they have the only full size snowboard base grinding machine in Vancouver. A good base grind makes a huge difference with sintered bases in wet conditions especially on snowboards. But that is beside the point...
I don't know anything about base texture and skins though. I think you have to be extra careful to remove all of the excess wax so that it doesn't just pull off into the skin glue. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Telemark tips has a good tuning guide.
http://www.telemarktips.com/Wax.html
and edge tuning guide
http://www.telemarktips.com/Edgetuning.html
I've been meaning to ask... Does anyone here use XC grip wax on their backcountry skis? It's mentioned in the Telemarktips article above. They say it's good for rolly terrain where skins aren't quite necessary.
Awesome! Thanks for the links. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1325 Posts |
Posted - 02/29/2008 : 2:50 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by hafilax
I've been meaning to ask... Does anyone here use XC grip wax on their backcountry skis? It's mentioned in the Telemarktips article above. They say it's good for rolly terrain where skins aren't quite necessary.
I know some people (eg. ScottN) who carry a wax kit for this sort of thing. I haven't ever actually done it myself though. |
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207 Posts |
Posted - 02/29/2008 : 4:03 PM
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quote:
I've been meaning to ask... Does anyone here use XC grip wax on their backcountry skis? It's mentioned in the Telemarktips article above. They say it's good for rolly terrain where skins aren't quite necessary.
Friend of mine used to (maybe still does) get through most of the winter with special blue wax on his bases. Seemed to get him up and down most terrain in most conditions. Certainly feasible for places like Diamond Head. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1426 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2008 : 11:46 PM
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Kick wax is good in flatter terrain. The bigger your pack, the flatter the terrain needs to be to make it worthwhile, since once you slow down to plodding pace there's no advantage to the wax. Downhills are fast, but not quite as fast as no kick wax. Unlike with skins, it's easy to turn your skis going downhill if they are waxed with grip wax.
Personally I've used kick wax in the following areas:
Fat Dog (Manning Park)
Diamond Head
21 Mile creek (for the uphills while returning to whistler village)
Garibaldi Lake
Logging road approach to the Tchaikazan Valley
Homathko Icefield crossing (including ascending most of Mt Grenville on wax)
Also, I think you could do the ski approaches in the Callaghan Valley (to Callaghan Lake, etc) pretty fast on kick wax. The first hill is on the steep side but it should be manageable if you get the wax right. |
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AT ski maintenance - bases, bindings, boo boos
