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Do I need to Wax new Ski's

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I got a really good deal and bought some new last seasons Soul 7's online during the summer.

Silly question really, but do i need to get them waxed before I use them, or is the wax they have on them sufficient?

Cheers
Bod
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
E: removed to avoid misinformation


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 26-10-17 9:45; edited 1 time in total
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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?
New skis normally come ready to go. - Complete contradiction to the first response, so not helpful at all!
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I suppose it depends where you get them, on the FAQ at glisshop, they state that all skis are shipped waxed, sharpened and ready to go


Though I did get an email from snow and rock on Tuesday offering a free wax and edge this weekend. Maybe swing by a shop on sat/sun and demand one! Sorted!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I'm with @FastCarver74, any skis I've bought have been handed to me ready to ski.

Now whether they arrived at the shop like that I have no idea but have never needed to ask...
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Sry I stand corrected, I've only bought 2 pairs myself and neither came waxed so foolishly assumed that was normal, should of thought a bit more before posting.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Bod, You don't need to wax ski's but you may want to wax skis. New skis are shipped with wax, so you can ski on them straight away. If you want to, removing the factory wax and applying your own wax will improve how they glide. So to answer your question "No".
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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!
I wax and edge new skis, don't know whether I should but I do.
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wax mine, first off a hot scrape, then some dominator renew, then several layers of zoom wax. Factory wax is only a courtesy swipe with something so I understand.
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Most factory wax is a quick lick of machine applied stuff to give a bit of shine of the display rack so waxing is a good idea but they won't explode & blow your foot off if you don't. The better you prep them the better the long term benefit.

A bigger issue is the standard of edge prep on new skis which can be anything from great to unskiable. Usual problem is unremoved hanging burrs.
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Every ski I've ever bought has been waxed and has had good edges. Mind you almost every ski I've bought has been from Völkl, with one unfortunate excursion to Atomic ( never again ), so maybe this just applies to Völkl?
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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.
I will check them over and usually re wax if the edges are good. If the factory finish is crap and a lot of them can be I will base grind and start again.
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spyderjon wrote:
Most factory wax is a quick lick of machine applied stuff to give a bit of shine of the display rack so waxing is a good idea but they won't explode & blow your foot off if you don't. The better you prep them the better the long term benefit.

A bigger issue is the standard of edge prep on new skis which can be anything from great to unskiable. Usual problem is unremoved hanging burrs.


Jon, what is your take on spray-on wax? Total nonsense or OK for a quick job?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:

OK for a quick hand job?


FIFY
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@mooney058 the whole point of wax is that it needs to 'impregnate' the base of the ski. Anything spray on will only have surface adhesion, there is nothing to push it into the pores of the base.

Just wax them properly. If there was an easy way to wax skis nobody would bother with the iron.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Steilhang wrote:
Every ski I've ever bought has been waxed and has had good edges. Mind you almost every ski I've bought has been from Völkl, with one unfortunate excursion to Atomic ( never again ), so maybe this just applies to Völkl?

Same here...except the 2 Atomic skis that I bought (and still use) were well prepared - but that was a fair while ago (Beta Ride 11.20 and SL 11). The Volkls were all Old School ones.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Old Fartbag, it was a pair or 11.20s that I had. No problem with the preparation at all. I just found that the skis went completely dead on me after about three seasons (heavy) use. Felt like a pair of damp sponges on my feet. I attribute that to the non-wood core ( I think ). Anyway, never had that happen with Völkl skis, where even my ancient P30s retained their spring for more than 10 years.
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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?
Do you need to???.....no

Should you??.....in my opinion yes

all my friends who live out in the alps would layer maybe 5+ wax treatments on their new skis before going out on them. it doesn't have to be done but by stripping off the factory / general purpose wax and deep treating with a temperature specific wax you will see a much better glide and on snow performance. People in race clubs have been known to do 20 odd treatments on new race skis.

I got new Volkls (all mountain) last year and although they looked ok (maybe a touch dry from storage in the shop) I re-waxed a couple of times before using them
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I bought mine from Snowleader.co.uk. I emailed them to ask the same question. Theirs are shipped waxed and ready to ride.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:

all my friends who live out in the alps would layer maybe 5+ wax treatments on their new skis before going out on them


@enduroaid, my word, they're a precious bunch aren't they? wink Maybe they're more serious than my friends and I who live out in the Alps!
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Wax new skis............? Are you kidding? No, never. Everyone in the know knows that skis from the factory are perfectly prepared and *sublimely waxed, "ready to go.........". Factory "wax" is, hands down, of superior quality. Its formula is top secret and closely guarded. It is the fastest, most durable wax in the world, beyond anything available on the open market, even going beyond aerospace grade. (The final touch of tuning and waxing on all skis at the factory is carried out by highly skilled and dedicated *gnomes who lovingly make certain that every ski is forever perfect) Never touch 'em. Just take 'em out and ski 'em to the hilt. Skis, be same new or many seasons on never need to be waxed or tuned, ever......, period.


Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Thu 26-10-17 20:41; edited 2 times in total
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
dp wrote:
@mooney058 the whole point of wax is that it needs to 'impregnate' the base of the ski. Anything spray on will only have surface adhesion, there is nothing to push it into the pores of the base.

Just wax them properly. If there was an easy way to wax skis nobody would bother with the iron.


from what I could gather (mostly reading about Toko products online) is that any wax just fills irregularities on a ski base (any wax - made liquid from a solid block by an iron or sprayed-on from a can) will fill gaps on a ski base and will make a micro film. The actual physical part is rather clear - liquid products fills uneven surface and make a thin film on a ski. It is the liquid form that fills the mini gaps/irregularities on a ski base, not the actual temperature that makes them impregnate a base or am I missing something? The chemical properties of different waxes then affect the durability and my uneducated guess is that hard wax is better than a spray-on?
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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!
@mooney058, ignore the stuff on the Tokyo website and instead read the Wax Science Demystified Paper in the Technical Information Section on http://www.dominatorwax.com
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mooney058 wrote:
dp wrote:
@mooney058 the whole point of wax is that it needs to 'impregnate' the base of the ski. Anything spray on will only have surface adhesion, there is nothing to push it into the pores of the base.

Just wax them properly. If there was an easy way to wax skis nobody would bother with the iron.


from what I could gather (mostly reading about Toko products online) is that any wax just fills irregularities on a ski base (any wax - made liquid from a solid block by an iron or sprayed-on from a can) will fill gaps on a ski base and will make a micro film. The actual physical part is rather clear - liquid products fills uneven surface and make a thin film on a ski. It is the liquid form that fills the mini gaps/irregularities on a ski base, not the actual temperature that makes them impregnate a base or am I missing something? The chemical properties of different waxes then affect the durability and my uneducated guess is that hard wax is better than a spray-on?


The whole reason you scrape is to get the wax off. If you were looking for a surface 'film', scraping would not be a clever thing to do, would it?
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dp wrote:
mooney058 wrote:
dp wrote:
@mooney058 the whole point of wax is that it needs to 'impregnate' the base of the ski. Anything spray on will only have surface adhesion, there is nothing to push it into the pores of the base.

Just wax them properly. If there was an easy way to wax skis nobody would bother with the iron.


from what I could gather (mostly reading about Toko products online) is that any wax just fills irregularities on a ski base (any wax - made liquid from a solid block by an iron or sprayed-on from a can) will fill gaps on a ski base and will make a micro film. The actual physical part is rather clear - liquid products fills uneven surface and make a thin film on a ski. It is the liquid form that fills the mini gaps/irregularities on a ski base, not the actual temperature that makes them impregnate a base or am I missing something? The chemical properties of different waxes then affect the durability and my uneducated guess is that hard wax is better than a spray-on?


The whole reason you scrape is to get the wax off. If you were looking for a surface 'film', scraping would not be a clever thing to do, would it?


I am way out of my comfort zone as I only bought my first pair of skis (and yet to ski them, but Japan trip is quickly approaching) and the only time I actually waxed a pair was when I was skiing with a crazy ex-racer who bought 3 pairs for 5 days skiing. But what I do remember is that we were scraping off the new wax as well, leaving a shiny small microfilm on ski's base (you could not see it, rather feel it).
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I’ve waxed several new skis. It’s an interesting process. Once you start loads of black gunk comes out in the melted wax, it takes at least a couple of wax and scrapes before it is clean. Then a quick polish of the edges with a diamond file making sure you stick to the original angles.
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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.
Thank you all for your comments. I purchased the skis from Decathlon, who i assume just sell them on how they come out from the factory.

I think I'll see how I go on the first day and then if I need them done i can pop them in for a service that evening.
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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
Ho ho a good wax argument. The secret of waxing is most people most of the time are right in their opinion. Do I wax my skis before every trip - yes. Do I stress out that I've skied 11 straight days and haven't rewaxed - no. Does having a warm wax on when temps get -20 help - not in the slightest. Is it better to go bare than chuck on a cold wax in spring slush - yes IMO. Do I always scrape rigourously - nope the rocks and grass, assorted dirt and abrasive manmade snow will get most of the lumps I've missed off fairly quickly
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