Learning to service my own skis

A snowHead

I would like to learn how to service my own ski's and a little bit ago ScottyDog sent me a link to a page where this was offered but when we came to book it we were told the web page is out of date and I can only now book the qualification one which the focus is about getting a job doing it rather than setting yourself up for doing this at home Sad

I am aware of Puste Office but that is a bit further away than I would like (but will fall back on that), however can anybody recommend anywhere closer? I live south of Salisbury (North of Ringwood).

Thanks

A snowHead

It's well worth the visit to see Jon, @NickyJ - hard to imagine anyone doing it better.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I intended to do something like that, but circumstances robbed me of the time and money to do it.

But.

There are quite a few good vids on you tube that show you how. Even how to do p-tex repairs. I wouldn't tackle a serious gouge myself, but with a £45 pound kit (scrapers, files, edge stone, edgeing tool, some p-tex, brass brush and wax), a cheap iron from argos ( £8 ) some lint free cloths and base cleaner (datawax one, can't remember how much, but was about £6 I think, give or take) I now do ours no probs.

I made a work bench out of two 10" long off cuts of railway sleeper sized wood fixed to a board about 100cm long, end on with a central 25mm wide slot cut in about 8cm deep from the top of them so I can work on the skis edge on too. I lined the tops of the blocks and inside the slots with old car innertube rubber, so the skis don't skid about.

Whole thing works well.

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NickyJ, You could maybe ask if the owner of Ski Bitz would be prepared to teach something, he is also a coach at Southampton dry slope.

It is worth looking at the Piste Office website, spyderjon picks stuff to sell from multiple manufacturers.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

perhaps we could arrange a convenient location somewhere central and Spyderjon could do a 'group session' followed by a few beers?

would of course require a suitable location but I don't think it's beyond the collective wisdom to arrange and of course subject to the host agreeing a suitable location and price.

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@NickyJ, "fall back" on the piste office option -I made the drive up from bristol, well worth it Smile

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

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We keep a list of tour operators or retail shops abroad that look for new ski/board technicians on an annual basis. This list is given out to all attendees on day 1.

We are also the UK representatives for both Wintersteiger (the worlds no 1 brand of ski/board repair machinery and workshop products) and Holmenkol (the world’s oldest wax brand). We supply the UK retailers with products from both companies and service the machinery on an annual basis.

We put no age limit on who attends (within reason) so whether you are looking to learn how to maintain your own equipment, wanting to go and work abroad or wanting employment in the snow sports industry within the UK, we run courses that are ideally suited to your needs.

The most popular course is the full 3 day course covering ski/board repair work and boot fitting. However we are willing to cater for individual needs or create a course that is tailor made for a group or organisation. This also includes a race preparation to a world cup standard which is above and beyond what is covered in the standard courses.

@NickyJ,

I think the race team at SnowTrax do a session for the parents of the racing kids. Might be worth asking them.

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@anything_technical,
You're even further away from Nicky than Jon is.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Whatever option you take to learn to service your skis, you'd need a workbench, and mine works well and cost nowt, if anyone wants pics, pm me an email address and I will take and send some.

snow reports

@thecramps, you can't say that without posting pictures. We do have a work bench in the "garage" (which is main reason it can't have a car in!) however it is covered in junk so will need to clear it up to get some good work space. I also presume the vice we have it will also be useful, but that is part of what I am hoping to learn.

@NickyJ, I don't know how to post pics here, sorry, but happy to email some to you.

You know it makes sense.

@thecramps, the way I have done it is to upload to somewhere like photobucket and do the img tag to that. I think proper snowheads like you can also upload images directly onto here as well into the media are iirc

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I have registered on snowheads media zone, will work out the rest tomorrow. Hope it helps when I do it.

A snowHead

If you're heading to any of the ski shows, worth a look there. I was at the Earls Court one a few years back and stumbled upon the Jib Tuning stand. They were doing demos and as it was quiet at the time, they went through everything in a lot of detail, base cleaning, p-tex, waxing, edge agles etc. answering questions from the few of us there.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

You'll need to Register first of course.

I tried, still a bit to learn about this picture malarkey, will get there eventually.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

https://snowheads.com/the_zone/showphoto.php/data/1243/medium/IMAG0246.jpg

After all it is free

... and I see that you can't keep the wife away either! She's left her shirt iron on your lovely bench. wink

@bobski62, ?

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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

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@thecramps,

I think that's a great idea

Just been to see spyderjon this afternoon. Well worth the drive and an overnight stay. Really interesting, confidence building, and good fun. Also Jon makes an excellent cup of tea.

You know it makes sense.

@fatboyski, it works, isn't that all that matters? I know it fails rule 1 ( the rules ) but it cost nothing and cost is why I wanted to service our skis in the first place.

Eagle eyed viewers may have also noticed the wooden sole plates to keep the brakes out of the way. They are made from an old bunk bed.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

You can embed the full image by selecting the text in "Medium Image"

A snowHead

@Gaza, aha, many thanks

A snowHead

I should add that the roll cab under it isn't part of it, it's just somewhere handy to use it for me.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Thanks all, the only reason I am hesitating to commuting to something so far away, is my time is not my own (I have two childre age 5 & 9 now) this is something I have asked for as a birthday present which is partly to cost but mainly to have hubby give me the time to go and do this. A few hours is one thing......

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I don't have a garage/workshop and the garden shed is stuffed so I have to use an area at the side of the house. It can be be described as a large 'lean to' multi purpose area as it serves as a log chopping area (hence the splinter) log store, tool store, etc. When we demolished some old buildings at the back of the house that were part of the old school there was an extremely heavy metal table in what was the outside toilet block. No-one has been able to figure out what it was or what it was used for but it has come in very useful. I clamped a bit of floorboard using a couple of C clamps bought from Amazon and on to this I've added 2 Vola vices.

The biggest drawback to my set-up is the very hard dryslope waxes I use don't like the cold conditions outside and can be a pain to apply. I'm also not sure about the iron I have. Unlike other irons I've seen the Vola iron does not have a smooth surface and in some ways resembles a domestic iron although the 'holes' are not steam holes you get on a domestic iron. I think these cause some issues in smoothing the 4MATTWAX I use on Oscar's races skis. That should be almost glass smooth but the iron seems to cause a ripple on the surface.

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@spyderjon, ...and the chocolate mini rolls!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

+1 for Jon!!

After all it is free

Jon has many recommendations, and should I get time and money, a proper lesson with him would be ace. I am just proposing a cheap alternative.

The only thing stopping me is the fact that I have nowhere to put a bench. And also the suspicion that, no matter how brilliant Jon's tuition, I'd still make a pig's ear of the whole thing. I can't even sharpen a kitchen knife efficiently. Embarassed

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@Hurtle, You don't need a bench. The ones in the pictures above probably won't fit into a suitcase anyway so it is a good idea to be able to do without so that you can service skis during a trip.

Help!!

Learning to service my own skis

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