 Poster: A snowHead
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How do I decide whether I should ptex the damage over the base or not? Some scratches look superficial and cosmetic (e.g. in blue below) - do I need to ptex them or is it fine to ignore those? Some obviously requires filling (e.g. in red below). Is there a rule of thumb that determines if the scratches need ptex or not? It's a fine balance between doing what is necessary and trying to be save time...
Also what's happening in the area in green below? Does that mean I haven't waxed that area enough?
For background, my OH and I have been skiing on these skis for 5 days in some very icy condition.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@euanovsky, For the green box, from the look of it I'd say that's unscraped wax. Rub your thumbnail over it see if it comes off. If not, do a hot scrape and rewax, that should clear it...
Same goes for the rest of it. IMV none of those seem to warrant PTEX - dig out any gravel or debris and clear off any obvious burrs, lumps and hairs, clean 'em up and wax ready to go get more scars.
I've got 3 board and 2 pair of skis to do coming back from Flaine the other week dodging bits of tree, rocks and ol' Mr.Brownground everywhere. Wife picked up a ding which punched through to the core while we were away and I did a quick PTEX candle fix which seems to have held.
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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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They look like they need a decent shop service. Where they will ptex if needed. But more so they need a wax and base structure. Hard snow conditions are aggressive and strip the wax from the ski and dull the edges straight away
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| Ursoporo wrote: |
| They look like they need a decent shop service. |
Nah, they look in pretty decent nick, TBH. Ten minutes with an iron and wax is all I'd consider, or even just a spray wax and a polish. Of course, the edges may need something too, but we can't really see that and it's not the question being asked.
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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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| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
| Ursoporo wrote: |
| They look like they need a decent shop service. |
Nah, they look in pretty decent nick, TBH. Ten minutes with an iron and wax is all I'd consider, or even just a spray wax and a polish. Of course, the edges may need something too, but we can't really see that and it's not the question being asked. |
Thanks for clarifying - that's quite some difference in opinion!
Yea I thought about the edges too. I think they are still fine. Will use alu-oxide stone to remove any burrs and skip the metal filing stage to go straight to diamonds.
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Brush and a few coats of wax is all they would get from me. Did a few pairs similar yesterday and they look spot on again now. Have they ever had a proper iron wax ?
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
@euanovsky, For the green box, from the look of it I'd say that's unscraped wax. Rub your thumbnail over it see if it comes off. If not, do a hot scrape and rewax, that should clear it...
Same goes for the rest of it. IMV none of those seem to warrant PTEX - dig out any gravel or debris and clear off any obvious burrs, lumps and hairs, clean 'em up and wax ready to go get more scars.
I've got 3 board and 2 pair of skis to do coming back from Flaine the other week dodging bits of tree, rocks and ol' Mr.Brownground everywhere. Wife picked up a ding which punched through to the core while we were away and I did a quick PTEX candle fix which seems to have held. |
Thanks - you're right most of it is excess wax. I'm surprised a week of skiing in hard snow didn't remove it.
| endoman wrote: |
| Brush and a few coats of wax is all they would get from me. Did a few pairs similar yesterday and they look spot on again now. Have they ever had a proper iron wax ? |
Yea I iron wax them after every week of skiing.
Seems the consensus is not to bother with ptex - so what kind of scratches/damages warrant ptex then?
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dont look deep enough for Ptex to hold. More likely Ptex will fall out & then you have no wax!
I would use wax. Have a similar issue myself after running over a stone where it looks deeper than the damage you have posted. Going to try wax it before Ptex.
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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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Waxing will be a short term fix. A base grind and structure will level the base of the ski to the edge and structure the base for the water/ snow to flow.
If you skip the filing you’re not actually sharpening your edge.
Just my 5 cents from 20yrs experience.
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| euanovsky wrote: |
Seems the consensus is not to bother with ptex - so what kind of scratches/damages warrant ptex then? |
Deeper gouges, especially if they're not along the length of the ski, will affect performance but more importantly offer a route to further damage. I've had holes right through the base before, usually on older skis that have been over-serviced and therefore left with too thin a layer of the base material, and once they get that deep they're much more difficult to repair.
What we see on your skis is really only minor marks which may slightly affect the performance of the ski, but again, the point of waxing is more about protection - a good layer of wax on the surface significantly reduces the likelihood of damaging the base proper.
Difficult to give a precise answer to your question, as it's not just the depth of a cut, but the shape and width as well. Shop services will often grind the whole base to the depth of a minor gouge, but of course each time you do that it's reducing the ski's lifespan, so in practice it's often a question of deciding if simply waxing will give a nice flat surface which won't immediately rub off and expose the cut again. If yes, then do it, if no then get your PTex out or send it to the shop.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
@euanovsky, For the green box, from the look of it I'd say that's unscraped wax. Rub your thumbnail over it see if it comes off. If not, do a hot scrape and rewax, that should clear it...
Same goes for the rest of it. IMV none of those seem to warrant PTEX - dig out any gravel or debris and clear off any obvious burrs, lumps and hairs, clean 'em up and wax ready to go get more scars.
I've got 3 board and 2 pair of skis to do coming back from Flaine the other week dodging bits of tree, rocks and ol' Mr.Brownground everywhere. Wife picked up a ding which punched through to the core while we were away and I did a quick PTEX candle fix which seems to have held. |
Yes I have a few to do between our skis as well 
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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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| Ursoporo wrote: |
If you skip the filing you’re not actually sharpening your edge.
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I think I've come to the same conclusion as well. I posted a thread recently on doing the edges https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=162476 Basically I'm trying to prolong the ski lifespan by not taking out too much material but I realised today I couldn't just use alu-oxide + diamond stones. Without metal files, I just can't achieve the same smoothness in the edges and I can still feel some burrs when I run my fingers through.
Is there some middle ground, e.g. are there some files that are less abrasive/aggressive than a metal file (i.e. replacing the step 2 in the link above with something a bit more gentle)? I aim to touch up my edges say every few days of skiing (though conditions dependent) then once a season I can give the edges a proper sharpening?
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Are you a World Cup skier? If no, the bases are fine and just need waxing. If on the off chance you are, you need a new pair from your sponsor.
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You know it makes sense.
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@anarchicsaltire, haha no just an amateur who wanted to know more about how to service skis! Who knows one day I may start of side hustle servicing skis for others. I find it therapeutic!
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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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| euanovsky wrote: |
| Ursoporo wrote: |
If you skip the filing you’re not actually sharpening your edge.
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I think I've come to the same conclusion as well. I posted a thread recently on doing the edges https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=162476 Basically I'm trying to prolong the ski lifespan by not taking out too much material but I realised today I couldn't just use alu-oxide + diamond stones. Without metal files, I just can't achieve the same smoothness in the edges and I can still feel some burrs when I run my fingers through.
Is there some middle ground, e.g. are there some files that are less abrasive/aggressive than a metal file (i.e. replacing the step 2 in the link above with something a bit more gentle)? I aim to touch up my edges say every few days of skiing (though conditions dependent) then once a season I can give the edges a proper sharpening? |
A tip I had from a ex us ski team tech was mark the edge with a sharpie. File till no ink left on edge. Probably two passes. Hardly any material taken off and sharp, then diamond file to polish and seal the edge always from tip to tail.
But seriously a grind and structure once a season at the start will set you up for the winter and the ski will perform like new.
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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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For the touring / backcountry pair I'd say they're in remarkably good condition (especially given how thin last season was!  ). I wish my 7 day old pair were in that good a condition. I wouldn't bother with ptex in general for those - it won't fill shallow scratches. The only bit I'd take a look at is the second ski to the right near the bottom of the photo - if that scratch near the edge is any deeper than a mm or so, it's worth filling.
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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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| euanovsky wrote: |
| ..Seems the consensus is not to bother with ptex - so what kind of scratches/damages warrant ptex then? |
The scratches or damage needs to be big enough to hold the ptex.
It sounds kind of stupid, but that's how I do it. So the original green/ red analysis looks about right to me. My own board bases are generally in pretty good condition because I mostly ride in BC where you don't get rocks and stuff, and if I'm in the back country like now, when the snow pack is low, I'm using rentals so someone else can fill them if I make a mistake.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Can't see the core so the bases are fine 
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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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In general:
1. If it runs 'down' the ski - ignore it.
2. If it runs 'across' the ski and is more a kiss than a gouge - ignore it.
3. If it's 'across' and more than cosmetic - ptex it.
4. If it goes upto the edge - try ptexing it (but might need a shop as candle ptex might not hold).
5. If it goes through to the core - shop job (unless you have all the tools).
And when I say 'shop job' ideally you want a shop that will hand repare them, not repare/chuck through the base grind machine. You only need a base grind when the bases have worn below the edges (you can see clear daylight under a flat edge placed across the ski). Any other time and you're just throwing away a slice of your base/edges - though it does make the bases look nice.
A quick Google suggests a pair of skis only has material for ~6 base grinds in their life...
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Look worn out to me. I’d say you need some new skis
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| BobinCH wrote: |
| Look worn out to me. I’d say you need some new skis |
That is what I would tell my wife!
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| Mjit wrote: |
A quick Google suggests a pair of skis only has material for ~6 base grinds in their life... |
No idea where your Google searching. My K2 Poachers are 6 years old, about 14 weeks in and get a base grind - belt and then stone - before every holiday and they don't look close to thin yet.
20-30 machine services in my experience depending on how "heavy" the service is.
6 base grind and they're done is b**locks
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@andy n netty, you may have accidentally bought a pair of skis destined for the rental market. They are made with more base material to survive more grinds and consequently are heavier to start with. Well, that's what I was told a few years ago.
Personally I can't see anything wrong with the OP's skis. Golden rule of thumb, never grind unless absolutely necessary because it does reduce the life of the skis.
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@gixxerniknik,
as I worked in a ski shop at the time I highly doubt I bought a rental pair lol. I can assure you I'd know the difference!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ski servicing threads seems to be the new helmet threads
I agree with the general consensus for the OP - no ptexing required. Just a good wax.
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