 Poster: A snowHead
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I've got a lightweight set of ski vices. They are doing a brilliant job of holding the ski sideways to do the edges, but I am running in to problems at the wax scraping stage.
The vices (there are two in my set) have a rubberised topping that holds the ski tight enough for to scrape the centres, but even if I re-position the ski a bit I am still finding it difficult to do the ends of the ski because if I pressure beyond the vice the opposite end of the ski lifts up. Should I just persist with moving the ski or is there something I've missed about using a set of ski vices that just has these rubberised tops?
I'm sorry if this sounds daft, but I am already looking at buying a different set of expensive vices and wondered if there was something I missed before I did so.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Can't knock you for effort
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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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There should be a middle vice to hold the ski flat resting on the rubber pads on the edge vices. It will grip the bindings
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johnE, I've seen sets with a third vice - at the time I had already spent a lot of cash on kit and got cheap vices - I think this could have been a mistake - something to grab the bindings and hold the ski still does seem to be what is missing.
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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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You could set them further apart.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Megamum, I have the double vices with the rubber securing band in the middle to the ridged grip thing as in the picture above. The band needs to be really really tight and i move the supports nearer the ends of the ski to do the scrape and brush. The ski is just not pulled down tight enough, if that is the design you have, if not that is the problem.
(i don't like the rubber band design much as I have a distant relative with only 1 eye, due to an accident with a rubber band when a child.....)
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sun 10-11-13 17:01; edited 1 time in total
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Black & Decker workmate works for me....
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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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| Megamum wrote: |
| johnE, I've seen sets with a third vice - at the time I had already spent a lot of cash on kit and got cheap vices - I think this could have been a mistake - something to grab the bindings and hold the ski still does seem to be what is missing. |
Buy once, buy right 
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Megamum, false economy, should've bought the Jaws of Beast really you know
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Best economy, pay someone to do it for you 
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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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albinomountainbadger, something very similar, but my set don't come with the third vice in the middle that takes the rubber band. However, now I've seen that picture I might be able to cobble something together with a G clamp type arrangement if I can get a hole through the top of one and use some bungey cord. geoffers, I haven't got room for the workmate in the kitchen, but the vice's screw onto the edge of my centre work surface quite neatly. I managed in the finish today with the assistance of the minimums hanging onto the opposite ends of the ski when I scraped.
I think I might have discovered what I can ask for this Christmas though!
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For scraping I just put my skis on logs or a couple of work mate benches outside. Old chairs will do just as well.
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You know it makes sense.
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Avalanche Poodle, then how do you stop them moving forward with the force of the scraping action?
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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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| Quote: |
how do you stop them moving forward
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I think they should be moving backwards
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Stand at the end, well to one side at the end, and pull down towards you. Don't push. Seems the only solution until you have a third vice.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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If you have long arms and short skis you could wedge the tail of the ski into your stomach.....bit like a rowing machine.
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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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Megamum, yes as pam w says you'll need to use your own body to stabilise the skis as they'll still want to lift, you're putting weight on a lever regardless. You'll also be pulling wax onto yourself so wear an apron.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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pam w, That might be useful with the kids skis, the trouble is they are no longer only 60cm long!! Apron - good idea certainly for that technique, though I had one on anyway!
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It's a lot easier to scrape the wax off by pushing than by pulling.
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spyderjon, yup I did lots of pushing yesterday with the kids leaning on the sksi!
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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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spyderjon, suspect that depends a lot on the person in question, we don't all have the same muscle strength (are pull ups easier than pushups?).
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| Megamum wrote: |
| albinomountainbadger, ....I think I might have discovered what I can ask for this Christmas though! |
Apparently, Father Christmas has this request in hand...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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He's a lovely man that Father Christmas! 
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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've been thinking of waxing my own skis - mainly because I'm pretty lazy about taking them into the shop so they only get done once a year. What would be the minimum kit needed and where's the best place to buy it?
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| Avalanche Poodle wrote: |
| For scraping I just put my skis on logs or a couple of work mate benches outside. Old chairs will do just as well. |
i hate waxing ski's but when the other halfs mounting pressure gets too much this is all i've ever done...with a beer, on the kitchin floor
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You know it makes sense.
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| Valkyrie wrote: |
| I've been thinking of waxing my own skis - mainly because I'm pretty lazy about taking them into the shop so they only get done once a year. What would be the minimum kit needed and where's the best place to buy it? |
depends how little you want to go.
I've been known to wax my board with wax from tea lights using the bottom of a frying pan, scrapping using a credit card and a kitchin scourer.....
ghetto service 
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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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It's a false economy. To avoid the problems above, and buy all tools and supplies, you're probably looking at the equivalent of fifty shop waxes. And there are only so many times you can fill gouges with wax, so you'll be going to the shop anyway.
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Poster: A snowHead
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And there are only so many times you can fill gouges with wax, so you'll be going to the shop anyway.
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Aren't gouges and scrapes on the ski bases good for breaking the suction between ski and snow - the more scrapes the faster the ski 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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crypto, you're thinking of stickers; the more stickers the faster the ski. Thats why when you buy new skis the manufacturers have put labels on the bases. A lot of kids put them on the top sheet but that's to be aerodynamic in the snowpark.
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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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I wax my own ski's. Bought a cheap electric travel iron off Ebay works a treat though admittedly the ski's sap the heat from the iron and I occasionally need to wait for it to heat up again. I'd buy a full size cheap electric iron next time with a temperature control. The rest of the stuff, scrapers, wax etc is fairly cheap. Gouges in the base are filled with plastic welding strips and a soldering iron, again, very easy to do. My edge sharpener was the most expensive bit of kit but that's only for consideration if you want to fully service your own ski's. I enjoy doing it so its not just about cost. What's a service cost these days... £30? I've spent no more than £80 to enable me to service my own.
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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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| Megamum wrote: |
| Avalanche Poodle, then how do you stop them moving forward with the force of the scraping action? |
Skis are not just a straight plank. The tips stop them moving. As I am applying downward force I just make sure the tip is butted up against the thing I am resting it on. Never had them move. In fact, as I have twin tips I can scrape from both ends if I so wished 
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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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| albinomountainbadger wrote: |
| It's a false economy. To avoid the problems above, and buy all tools and supplies, you're probably looking at the equivalent of fifty shop waxes. And there are only so many times you can fill gouges with wax, so you'll be going to the shop anyway. |
Is a shop wax not about a tenner? Side edge guide, file, wax, old iron and a scraper must be less than £50 so about 5 shop waxes, after that it's just wax. I find different skis have different durability, my Volkls have been pretty bomb proof but even the ones that scar more easily don't get a base grind more than every few years, for general skiing I would have thought sharpness of edges and waxed bases would have more impact than how smooth the base is.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The vices are the most expensive part, then the iron; budget hundreds just for pro versions of these. Decent brushes can also cost a fair bit. Of course if you can get your dogs to stand still long enough you can also put the skis on their backs and rub the candlewax in with a bit of toast before scraping it off with a credit card.
lynseyf, far too many variables on how, where and when people ski to respond to that in any meaningful way.
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Oh don't forget your gloves, semi nudity and beer:
Getting your hair or boobs burnt on the iron is sadly an occupational hazard, one that increases in likelihood with consumption of beer. May explain why there are fewer female ski techs than male ones.
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| albinomountainbadger wrote: |
The vices are the most expensive part, then the iron; budget hundreds just for pro versions of these. Decent brushes can also cost a fair bit. Of course if you can get your dogs to stand still long enough you can also put the skis on their backs and rub the candlewax in with a bit of toast before scraping it off with a credit card.
lynseyf, far too many variables on how, where and when people ski to respond to that in any meaningful way. |
If you can get the dogs to stand still long enough, you can surely train them to wax AND brush as well?
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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 bought a pair of race SL skis for £75 this summer, and the kind chap chucked in a couple of alloy travel stands and a hold all with approx £200 quid worth of tuning kit. What happens when a racer gives up the sport 
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FAQ
Wax on at the moment, so I'll give it a go when I take it off - thanks 