 Poster: A snowHead
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I have just bought my first pair of skis - wooohoooo!! How often do they need to get waxed and serviced? I'm assuming that I won't need to do anything before going skiing given that they are still new and presumably come waxed already?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nope, should be ready to ski on straight away.
I get mine serviced at the end of every trip - but it massively depends on how good you are at avoiding rocks and the like. Your edges should be relatively sharp to touch with no big nicks or rough bits in them. The bases should be as smooth as possible..
IMO, you could easily get away with only servicing them once every two weeks on snow, but i'm sure someone more knowledgable will pop up and give much more info. on this one.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Cheers for the info.
At the price I have just forked out for new skis and boots I am going to be staying well away from rocks and the like - hopefully!!
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Hornster, you may want to get them checked before use, it depends on how long the skis have been in stock, wax does dry out. You should have them hot waxed every 3 or 4 days when skiing, easy to do yourself or just about ski shop will do it overnight for you.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hornster, you can write off a pair of skis in 2 minutes or - with care - keep them for years. Bases are extremely vulnerable to damage on rocks, and there's no simple answer to your question - bases need servicing when there are holes and notches knocked out of them.
Otherwise, an occasional 'micro-planing' or 'stone-grinding' of the bases - which is done on a sophisticated machine that's comparable with the one that ground the bases in the factory - is needed. But it could be weeks and weeks of skiing before this is needed.
As for edge tuning, have a look at the tools available - little hand-held files, with the edge angle set. It gets a bit complicated because the edge angle the skis were made with may be a mystery, unless the ski manufacturer reveals it. Ask the ski shop who sold you the skis what 'base angle' the edges were ground to, and what 'side angle'. The idea is to replicate this with the file. Filing is a bit of an art.
As for waxing, get it done once or twice every holiday. Modern ski bases run very well on little wax in most conditions. I always carry a block of wax to rub on when the snow's really sticky (new humid snow can be a problem).
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David Goldsmith,
This block of wax that you take on holiday with you; is it a wax that just needs to be rubbed along the length of the ski base without applying any heat to it as well?
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Hornster, Zardoz is a good alternative to rub on wax. The only only thing you might like to do is to get a small sharpening stone - you can then take out any edge burrs - keeps your edges in goof nick .
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Hornster, yes exactly that. Just a block of ski wax - just buy one that's suitable for a range of snow/air temperatures - which you rub up and down the ski soles like a wax crayon. Apply quite vigorous pressure and it goes on nice and quick. No heat. A couple of minutes and you're done.
It's invaluable on a sticky snow day!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I seem to be on my own here but I would get new skis hot waxed before using them.
The factory do not hot wax and the wax coating they apply is put on with a buffing wheel and is not absorbed deep into the base.
It'll last for a few days but expect to have to top it up if skiing for longer.
The more saturated the ptex is with wax the better so start as you mean to go on and get them waxed properly.
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The more saturated the ptex is with wax the better so start as you mean to go on and get them waxed properly.
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Start as you mean to go on and wax them yourself - its the easiest of the ski maintainance jobs to do yourself. I use a travel iron, a perspex scraper, and an old nail brush to finish off with. Now I must get round to buying some edging tools so I can move onto keeping the edges sharp.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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i dont get this brushing off bit at the end...
im looking at doing my skis soon, i bought some stuff from data wax which you have to hot iron on, then, rub it off again with a scotch pad ??
whys this ?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Royal wrote: |
i dont get this brushing off bit at the end...
im looking at doing my skis soon, i bought some stuff from data wax which you have to hot iron on, then, rub it off again with a scotch pad ??
whys this ? |
The rubbing off bit is to expose the structure of the base. The base isn't smooth and polished, it has very fine grooves running down the length. These are put in deliberatley to help the ski run.Hot waxing is done to soak the wax into the base material at the same time it will clog the structure, the brushing clears it out. A short time skiing on them will have the same effect if you're not a racer so a lot of people just scrape and don't bother brushing.
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ahh, clever stuff.
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You know it makes sense.
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So what is the consens here then. I have also just bought new skis. I do not wish to wax them myself and would have thought they should be ready to ski when bought. Should I get them waxed before taking them out? I am hearing different views and do not want to do the skis damage because of this.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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conor, consensus on  ? I mean I can forgive you for starting a redundant thread, but really this is too much.
You'll be fine for the first time or two -unless- you're taking them to wholly artificial (indoor included) snow slopes, in which case ask for cold temp (hard) wax.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| rich wrote: |
I seem to be on my own here but I would get new skis hot waxed before using them.
The factory do not hot wax and the wax coating they apply is put on with a buffing wheel and is not absorbed deep into the base.
It'll last for a few days but expect to have to top it up if skiing for longer.
The more saturated the ptex is with wax the better so start as you mean to go on and get them waxed properly. |
It depends how 'well' the skis have been waxed at the factory. The wax job on my Atomics was crap out of the wrapper so I waxed them a good few times (4/5 I think) to load up the base prior to use. However, the wax job on Deb's new K2's looked pretty good so I left them untouched. After just 3.5 days at LDA they now definately need waxing so they obviously weren't as good as I thought.
I'm with Rich on this. In future I'll definately wax new skis (a few times) prior to use.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 7-11-05 23:54; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hornster, I can recommend 'The Beast Tuning Video' from http://www.ski-racing.com
Re the base & side angles. All the manufacturers factory angles tend to be different. Here's a list I liberated off Epicski which I'm confident is accurate for all but specific race models:
Brand / Base Angle / Side Angle
Atomic 1◦ 3◦
Dynastar 1◦ 1-2◦
Elan .5-1.5 ◦ 0-2 ◦
Fischer .7◦ 3◦
Hart .5 ◦ 1.5-2 ◦
Head 0-1 ◦ 0-2 ◦
K2 .5 ◦ 1◦
Olin 1◦ 1◦
Nordica .5 ◦ 1.5 ◦
Rossignol 1◦ 1◦
Salomon 1◦ 1◦
Volant 1◦ 1◦
Volkl 1◦ 2◦
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Salomon 1.5 1.5
I think the ^K2 spec and the Volant spec^ are old too.
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comprex, Ta, I'll update my list although I've checked Deb's new K2 girlie skis at .5 / 1.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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spyderjon, my Volkl 5* are 1 and 2.5 deg - precision measured them myself 
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lampbus, and I thought I was sad 
There is often a surprising/alarming amount amount of variance along a single edge from the factory.
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I'd hot wax at least once myself before use then once every 2 to 3 days to keep the bases tip top. Not a fan of resort grinds unless you trust the shop as they can take far too much off. Definitely wax when your base is turning white at the edges (assuming dark base)
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I bought one of the little Toko Pocket Edge Control sharpeners for taking away with me - it seems to work pretty well for tending to edges during a trip and is very light. Anyone else used one? How do they compare with the more advanced tools?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Stop the presses! Hornster, don't touch your skis to the snow without waxing them. The only wax that any manufacturer puts on a new pair of skis is a crappy bit to pretect them during shipping. You need to clean the bases by brushing them out repeatedly and then waxing. When, I prepped my new slalom skis last year each coat of wax for the first 3 applications that I scraped out was black and I had started with a real soft yellow! Do at least 5 coats of hot wax, scraping and brushing out each time and you skis will be clean, fast and happy!
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skiottawa, I am assuming that that would mean that if I had to take my skis to a shop to get them hot waxed 5 times, they would charge me for 5 lots of hot waxing? That could be quite expensive I reckon!
Well, if I was confused before I am even more confused now with the massive difference in opinions on this subject!! The guy in the shop who soled the skis to me said that they would be fine for the first few days and then if I applied Zardoz after each use for the rest of the week, I would okay. The skis would need a full hot wax after that.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Manufacturers waxes do vary a lot. Multiple coat waxing shouldn't cost much as it is all done in one sitting, maybe take a look at your skis after the first day and see how they have fared. Btw - mine were ok on soft snow for the whole week before needing a wax, but I should really have had them done after a few days.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I'll admit that this is an often debated subject, so I'll speak only from my experience. Based on my experiences, all new skis should be waxed as the factories simply don't use a suitable wax (it won't even get you to the chairlift). As I do most of my tuning at home, I think that multiple applications to "clean" the bases will also be beneficial, but the minimum is at least one. I guarantee that your new bases are dirty if they are fresh from the factory.
Any knowlegable ski tuner will tell you the same thing. In fact, after buying a new pair of slalom skis late season 05, I sank 10 coats of was into the bases before I touched them to the snow. This helped to saturate the base with wax and to clean all of the factory dirt (which was alot) off the bases... Fact: frequent waxing will improve the performance of your skis.
You may not be preparing a pair of race skis and your mileage may vary, but, I even performed this procedure on my wife's skis when she bought them and (beginner skis) and alot of dirt came out -AND the bases are now well saturated for future waxings. Waxing will not only protect your bases and make your skis faster, but it will make them turn easier as well. My advice is to find an expert ski shop with a race department to have them service your skis, my reasoning is that although you may not be leaving them with "race" skis, the technicians at a race shop will have the best training and equipment. A bad tune can ruin good skis. Lots of people ski on dry, unwaxed skis and have lots of fun and probably don't now any different, but I am meticulous with my skis and any skier will see improved results in their skiing and a longer useful life from their skis by waxing regularily, sharpening edges and (maybe annual) stone grinds/depending how much snow time you get. Also, never let anyone use a belt grinder on your skis.
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skiottawa, welcome to snowHeads .
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You know it makes sense.
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skiottawa, welcome to snowHeads .
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Thanks Alastair! Nice to meet you/
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I know many people get heated over the servicing methods discussion - but...
Those who apply multiple layers of wax in order to service your skis - do you brush off or just scrape between applications? Do you apply wax on wax - or remove any surface traces using wax remover before applying another coat?
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Poster: A snowHead
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IanB, just scrape unless switching wax temps, then brush off also.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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+1 comprex, and I'll add that minimal use of wax remover is best because it will really dry the base out.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks 
When I get back my local ski shop has told me to pop in early on a Saturday morning when they're not too busy and they'll take me though servicing.. but I think, as I wax my skis now (tending to do what you said - scrape and brush unless I've skiied on them), I'm going to get asked to wax peoples skis next week!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
Well, if I was confused before I am even more confused now with the massive difference in opinions on this subject!! The guy in the shop who soled the skis to me said that they would be fine for the first few days and then if I applied Zardoz after each use for the rest of the week, I would okay. The skis would need a full hot wax after that.
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Confused? Me too. I was told exactly the same think in EB. Although, I'm sure that when I bought my first set of skis from S&R I got a complimentary wax before they gave them to me.
Anyway, I just bought Nordica Hot Rod Nitrous skis and I asked Nordica what I should do. They say:
"Factory wax is mainly a protective wax for the time the ski's spend in transit, the wax at the factory is probably only a basic wax and will wear off after a couple of days. It would be best to give them a proper waxing before first use."
With this in mind, I think I will take them out for a day when I get to Winter Park (  ), then get them waxed on the first night.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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[quote="conor"]
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Anyway, I just bought Nordica Hot Rod Nitrous skis and I asked Nordica what I should do. They say:
"Factory wax is mainly a protective wax for the time the ski's spend in transit, the wax at the factory is probably only a basic wax and will wear off after a couple of days. It would be best to give them a proper waxing before first use."
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Nice to have a manufacturers statement on the issue, the thread now seems to have done a full 180 from its start point.
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I suspect that one problem is that some suppliers prep and wax the skis before sending them out, wheras others just attach the bindings
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My personal opinion is that if you are spending £500 on a pair of skis, then the shop should fully prep them for you so that they are ready for a week in the mountains. I think it would go a long way to building a good relationship with customers.
Having said that, you'd think they'd throw in a ski bag as well?
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Having said that, you'd think they'd throw in a ski bag as well?
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...and perhaps a week's lift pass?
well, it's worth a try 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I wouldn't want the lift pass without the who holiday 
Now that would be an incentive to shop anywhere.
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on the subject of this - would it be worthwhile for some very nice experienced person to volunteer the time to do a snowheads guide to ski servicing? I know I'd find it very helpful as would many others!
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FAQ
