 Poster: A snowHead
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I've repaired minor gouges successfully with a candle, but after this season's PSB I had some core shots and other more major damage to repair. Cue skimender pistol, to weld new ptex in. Read the instructions, watched the YouTube videos, got cracking...and now I have shiny rubbery ptex that doesn't scrape off, feels tacky and will need to be cut out. Clearly I've done something wrong, but what? My guesses are not getting the base hot enough to start with (though why that would leave rubbery ptex, I'm not sure) or the fact that my workshop is at a steady 13 degrees, so not that warm.
Any ideas? If I can't fix the bases myself, I'm left with a very expensive shop repair bill - I'm in Sweden - or skis that are rock skis at best. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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As I said to the ski man at Nanshan ski resort "Your ptex is rubbery", and he replied "thankyou velly much."
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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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@mgrolf, I use a heat gun to get the base up to temperature, it just changes texture then stop! The Skimender takes about 5-10 minutes to get really hot, patience is the key, turn it on while you prepare the gouge, that'll take 10 mins anyway by the time you cut out the damage, undercut it, degrease with base cleaner and warm with the heat gun........
That said, are you sure you haven't mixed up your glue gun sticks if you have one?!!!
Never had a rubbery bottom in 30 years of fixing skis..........
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@mgrolf, the large diameter ptex rods used in repair pistols and the ptex strips used with Base Doc type welders produce a lot tougher repair compared to a candle as there's no additive to help the candle burn and there's no carbon/contaminates from the burn in the repair. This makes the repair unsuitable for dressing down with a metal scraper as its likely just to tear/drag etc. Instead use a sharp 25mm chisel held as flat to the base as possible.
The trick to getting a good 'welded' bond (after 15 mins warm-up time & de-greasing the repair area) is to heat the repair area/gouge until its slightly tacky (with maybe a whiff of smoke) before you pull the trigger & then gently move the ptex around for 15/20 seconds (no downward pressure) so that the heat permeates fully though etc. If it's a long repair do it in short sections (no longer than 2cm) to ensure that the heat is maintained.
On a core shot you'll first have to use the hot tip to melt/weld in a very thin layer of metalgrip to act as a primer/foundation layer as ptex won't stick to the core material or metal edges etc. Once cooled chisel off any excess metalgrip that's come out of the gouge. Then weld in ptex over the top however you must not pre-heat/melt the metalgrip like you would a regular repair & only move the ptex around the perimeter of the core shot & not over it.
Metalgrip is quite a rubbery product so if you've used too much or not trimmed off the excess then that's probably what you're experiencing.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sun 4-02-18 18:45; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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^ this, without greasing the repair area..............I also use a car body filler rasp to remove the excess, need to angle it about 45 degrees so it doesn't rip out the new ptex.
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@spyderjon, thanks. It's not the metalgrip, that went on without problems and I trimmed it back with a chisel. Maybe not enough heat? I'll try again...
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| KenX wrote: |
| ^ this, without greasing the repair area.............. |
LOL. Was posting on my phone and typed de-greasing but the predictive text was having none of it!
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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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Closing the loop on this one, I tried again but indoors (at about 20 degrees rather than 13) and produced nice, hard repairs. As a very unscientific test, I also squeezed a bit of ptex from the gun onto a metal scraper and left it to cool in the cave at 13 degrees. This bit was rubbery again, so it seems as though the temperature makes a difference.
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