So had a first attempt at a home wax, certainly looks better than they did but I have a couple of bits where it looks a little bit peeled. Not sure if I didn’t work the wax in enough to the base or if it was too cold when I did it - or the other way in that I haven’t scraped enough off. What do you reckon - more than happy to start again. https://imgbox.com/mRWBnTwx here’s a photo of it [img] https://imgbox.com/mRWBnTwx[/img]
Thanks Rich
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
ok, this is pretty simple. Your sharpener isn't sharp enough. Also (which I find has a huge effect) is that the skis should be indoors (at room temp) over night before scraping.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
or you did not scrape / clean the base properly before waxing
Thanks probably yes to both of those. Plastic scraper feels dull, probably didn’t clean the old wax off well enough and they were also cold. Is it worth stripping them back and starting again or can it be touched up
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Rich D, I would do them again. The benefit being you will clean the bases, and have a consistent treatment likely to both perform better and last longer. It makes a big difference to wax at room temperature, and allow the skis to cool completely at that temperature (I.e. to cool slowly), at least 90 mins between hot waxing and scraping.
Do it again. Need a good base so wax is not sticking to dirt. Plus you get experience.
Personally I clean in the morning, wax in the afternoon & scrape the next day. Storing indoors (not a shed or garage) at each interval.
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Perfect thanks I’ll give them another go with those points in mind.
After all it is free
After all it is free
There's still too much wax left on them as well - keep scraping and then brush to finish.
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Try hot crayoning on next time rather than iron dripping to reduce the amount of wax you're putting onto the base. You still get good coverage, but there is less to have to scrape off (and less waste).
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Thanks for all the tips guys
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I store my board with an unscraped finish, but regarding cleaning I tend to do a sacrificial hot wax. Scrape, wax and scrape again. If your scraper is blunt you can pull it against your edge to sharpen.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
The base pores havent opened to take the molten wax
Your not getting the right stable heat into the base material and up through the construction of the ski/brd.
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Yes was using a waxing iron - but I did it outside and it was freezing, I don’t think I did enough passes to warm the bases up.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quick one I suppose - what skis are they, assuming they have a sintered base? Extruded bases don't take on wax like sintered - it just sits on the surface rather than being absorbed.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
When in freezing rooms the iron wattage makes a difference along with warming the Ski or Board up beforehand as you suggest .
You get alot of ideal warm workshop waxing info doing the rounds but very little doing it in adverse temp conds with no workshop using cold temp wax.
This is when the better irons really matter .
I wouldnt even bother with a 800w iron when you have a choice.
Poster: A snowHead
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Hmm….the talk of ‘base pores opening up’ is a bit of magical thinking. Sintered bases simply have gaps between the strands of plastic into which the wax flows, they don’t have ‘pores’ in a biological sense. If the heat hasn’t melted the existing wax in those gaps, then you’ll just get superficial layering of wax, with the layers loosely adhered.
No one has mentioned the type of wax. Is it Toko white universal? That nearly always does that ‘flaking off’ kind of thing, in my experience.
1 look at application temp which is recommended for wax
2 use an iron with a thick base and good thermostat for a consistent temperature
3 apply to a clean base
4 apply using constant motion to avoid overheating base, but not so fast a motion that the melting is superficial or undertemp
5 use a sharp scraper (holmenkol do a relatively cheap scraper sharpener)
Oh - another thought - have the skis been used on dry slope? The heating lends curve to the base sometimes - and can also create ‘base burn’ which stops wax adherence.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Opening pores or gaps in the base strands or base structure or otherwise.... you can describe it however you like but you still need the right stable heat to impregnate the base which is the DIY point at home or in resort.
If the top sheet is warm from constantly moving the iron around on the base then thats ok but doing so may take time depending on if your at room temp or in minus 10 .
A hot box works on the heat principle its the right heat thats key .
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 26-01-23 23:38; edited 1 time in total
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?
I definitely didn’t iron for long enough especially as it was around minus 2. I’ll have a better effort this weekend. Thanks for all the pointers - I was probably guilty of all of them
@Tirol 164, …yes that’s exactly right…if the ski is REALLY cold then the gradient from the surface to the top layers of PTEX can just be too great for proper adherence….
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Just got back from a week in 3valleys. I took on board the great advice and scraped them back and rewaxed them then scrapped with a sharper scraper. The skis were great and ran brilliantly. Thanks all.
@Rich D, great…it takes time to build up craft knowledge of waxing and edging.
This is one of the best videos I have seen, although we forego the use of branded tape and just use plastic sheet and elastic bands over the bindings to stop metal swift entering the bindings when filing the edges….
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@valais2, I think my wax block will last 10 times longer than his with the amount of wax he melted.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Two questions about the video:
Why does he take the bindings off first?
What temperature should the iron be at?
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@johnE, You don't have to take the bindings off.
Most waxes will tell you what temp the iron should be at, but the rule of thumb is that the wax should not smoke off the iron - so if it is, turn the iron down until it stops.
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@MogulMonkey, …indeed…good on many aspects, profligate with the wax. We crayon on wax, then lay a few drops per 10cm section, and that’s all good. You can still get a nice wet pool with that much, as you suggest.
I think they use a bare ski devoid of bindings just for clarity or ease in the video. Technique re ‘with bindings’ = use thick elastic bands to pull brake up and out of the way, if filing edges put thick black plastic wrap around bindings with elastic bands, proceed.
RSideways is right re temp, all good wax has a temp marked on the package, but we simply have the iron hot enough to pool the wax properly and indeed well below smoking temp.
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