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are new skis ready to use

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hopefully not a daft question as i assume that they are ready to use straight from the shop. however as i now own a nice shinny new pair of ski's will they benefit from having a hand wax and edge tune? will a good hand wax before they are used be beneficial for the longer term of the ski?

I can only liken this to new tennis rackets and i always stripped out the factory string and put the right string in and at the correct tension.
thanks
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
No, they need to be lovingly bonded with first.

I find a nights' spooning usually does the trick.
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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?
Wax - depends where you get them from. I think spyderjon waxes and hotboxes them, but a good friend found that his brand-new Scott Missions (a few years ago) slowed down to a halt in wet spring snow while I was still flying around.

Edge tune - I would tend to assume that most new skis would have a decent edge angle. To date this theory has been disproved by two pairs of Praxis which were unskiable before extensive detuning and two full services.
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@clarky999, already done that. Smile
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@MogulMonkey,

Depends on the ski and where you bought them from.

Questions to ask yourself.
Does the ski have the correct edge and base angles for you ?
Have the skis got the correct wax for the snow conditions you will be skiing.

Race skis generally are not ready to ski unless the shop has pre tuned them to the specifications you gave them
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Wot Clarky999 said.
With new skis I have always just used them*. You don't need to do anything at all. I ski quite a lot and usually only sharpen the edges once a season, depending on what piste conditions have been like ( you don't need edges in powder ) & hot wax them maybe once every ten days or so. That's it.

*I still have a pair of Völkl P30 that are in useable condition from around 1997!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@MogulMonkey,
Quote:

however as i now own a nice shinny new pair of ski's will they benefit from having a hand wax and edge tune?



Assuming you have not bought Factory Race skis, just normal skis from Slush and Rubble or whoever. In that case they will run better if you wax them -- but's it's not obligatory. Edges will have been done by the factory so should not need looking at.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Put bindings on them
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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.
I take Zardoz Notwax with me as back up!
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Personally I would edge tune them while they are new so that when you tune the edges in the future you will know your edge angle guide matches your ski. I did this with some atomic slalom skis last night - the factory edge was shocking on one of the edges. Now I will be able to keep a nice edge witha diamond stone.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
As already mentioned race skis are supplied untuned. That's because racers tend to have specific requirements on the base/edge angles they want. Cutting that in by hand is a process more loving than taking the said skis to bed.

Assuming that they have been tuned you can work out the angle by running a marker pen along the edge and then lightly running a very fine diamond file or whet stone at different edge angles. At the matching angle the file will take off all the ink. This is most likely to be 88 degrees for recreational skis but it could be a bit different.

M
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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.
Mogul Monkey will learn over time that while skis today are a far cry in their finished form from the factory to that of years before............., thusly not varying in finished quality., e.g. railed base, bad edges, sidewalls, etc., they still need to be critically checked/inspected at time of selection from the rack for base trueness, edges and general overall continuity - matching. If all that conforms go forward with the purchase. No factory is within a position of rendering any set of skis slope ready no matter what they claim. Any set of skis, assuming all is right in terms of conformation should be at a minimum very lightly gone over on the base by hand - in other words lightly tuned, structured and then properly waxed.
I also recommend a light sealant or wax (automotive) on the entire top surface, bindings too.................. This may seem silly but it honestly aids in snow buildup, not to mention that 'new car shine'. The girls love it........................
That said, again maintain the skis throughout the season, all other equipment as well which is so often overlooked. At the end of season fully tune the skis, wax but do not take off from base, leaving on over the entirety of the summer, fall - ready to be finished come winter, turn out the bindings to zero and store in open air (preferably independent, on their side), never ever in any case.


Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Tue 9-12-14 17:58; edited 3 times in total
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Quote:

turn out the bindings to zero

Why?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Why? Simple. It takes the load off the springs which, under extended load - load over a long extended period of time "weaken" and do not apprioriate true DIN setting.
You record the setting and return precisely to said setting at beginning of season. Test for function and release in all direction.

I also recommend cleaning and inspecting the bindings and if need be lubricating pivot points with a high quality grease such as a "plex" variety, certain other areas of the binding with a polymer lubricant such as Dumonde Tech chain lube. Brilliant stuff.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Bindings have springs in them. If a spring is stored under tension there is a theoretical possibilty of the metal in the spring creeping and changing shape, thus changing the performance of the binding and rendering the DIN scsle innacurate.

I have never worried much about this point.

a) my bindings are all set up ready to use during the season (nov-may). So windng them all down and back up would only increase the time spent loaded by a factor of 2. In engineering terms that's not a big factor unless you have a structure operating very close to the margin.
b) there doesn't seem mch empirical evidence that binding springs deteriorate at all fast even when stored without turing down to zero. The springs sre sufficiently over-engineered that any creep which takes place is pretty insignificant.
c) a slight deterioration of spring strength means a slightly reduced release force. Unless you are in no-fall zones a very slight increase in the risk of a pre-release is not a big deal.

It's not wrong to do it. But it's not likely to be a game changer. And it's a hassle. I have over 25 pairs of skis in the family to service so I don't bother. Takes long enough to do the storage waxing without making the job more complicated.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@equinoxranch,
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@equinoxranch,
Quote:

Why? Simple. It takes the load off the springs which, under extended load - load over a long extended period of time "weaken" and do not apprioriate true DIN setting.


If this were in fact true then steel bridges would start to sag, reinforced concrete would start to crack as the tension steel creeps and steel framed buildings deform. And these structures are much closer to the yield strength of steel than the springs in your bindings.
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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?
It's always recommended to turn a torque wrench to zero when not in use for the exact same reason......................
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Doesn't mean it's valid or invalid though. There's plenty of folk advice that's baseless or only applicable in certain circumstances. I'm pretty sure the slacking off of bindings has been comprehensively debunked as is the coating the bases in wax to 'store' them. Edges on the other hand like a bit of wax to keep rust down but even still that rubs off on the first run. Knock yourself out though as plenty of people enjoy the various little rituals.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@johnE, sounds like a civil engineers wise words! Me too wink

@HoneyBunny, watch that Zardoz stuff, it gets on your gloves then goggle lenses and ruined a brand new pair of Oakleys for me! rolling eyes
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