 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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I use a cheap dry iron (no steam holes) I got from Comet (I think) for about £8. Just keep the temp as low as possible, and watch what you're doing!
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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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Have used all three options and eventually went for Ski iron after old iron packed up only because I could not find a new cheap dry iron with no holes when I want one fairly quickly. Tried the travel iron option but the one I had would not get hot enough to melt the hard wax I was using for dry slope prep.
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kevinrhead, does the wax for dry slope prep have a higher melting point than the real snow equivalent? Also any preference between the three specialist irons?
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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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ScottyGBR - I've got the Toko wax mouse and it works well.
Specialist waxing irons have thicker bases (for more even temperature distribution) and their thermostats are more accurate than household ones. As Wear The Fox Hat says, you can use a household iron, but you need to be cautious.
I'm sure sypderjon will be along any moment...
...listen to his advice - he's a top bloke 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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PhillipStanton, I had read that about specialist waxing irons - I guess I dont mind forking out the extra £30 as long as I'm getting a product that is worth it, rather than one which has had its price bumped up because its "technical".
Another problem I have since encountered is that I have had a mare trying to find a dry iron that doesn't need heating over an open fire  . Given that I only have a week before heading out for the season I may be forced into buying a proper one.
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ScottyGBR,
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does the wax for dry slope prep have a higher melting point than the real snow equivalent? Also any preference between the three specialist irons?
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Yes we use a very hard wax - to counteract the heat build up.
Like kevinrhead, I've got a specialist one, for the same reason. If you are mostly waxing for snow then Wear The Fox Hat, 's type of iron will do fine.
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ScottyGBR, I use a simple flat sole iron I bought from Comet. They seem to be quite difficult to find tho. I use it for waxing the bases of my skis and my daughter's skis each week before a session on our local dry slope. I keep the temperature low and haven't seen any problems over a period of 18 months or so. I also use the iron to prepare for trips away on snow. For normal dry slope use I don't do anything other than sharpen the edges, apply the wax and remove it from the edges - we are looking for protection here and the Dendix takes off most of the wax in no time. For my daughter's dry slope racing and when on snow I scrape the wax off and condition with a brush with brass bristles. I have used a variety of low temperature waxes for the dry slope but I think Datawax is probably the best.
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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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Toko wax iron for me, but it does get used a lot and was only £50  in S+R sale last year.
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ScottyGBR, Yes the hard waxes like CH4 and Polar X have a much higher melting point than snow waxes,they would be the sort of waxes you would use for very cold conditions on snow. I can not remember the make of my ski iron,it was the only one my local shop had in on the day I needed it. The temperature range is much less than in a domestic iron and certainly in mine even at the top temperature it just melts the hard waxes I imagine there is therefore less likelyhood of damaging the bases with excessive heat.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I think if you're waxing occassionally then there's no point going to the expense of buying a specialist iron. But if you're going to be out for a season then it's probably a good investment - which is why I bought a specialist one.
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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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I found my old houshold irong in use by my husband on his skis. It will do fine until we buy a real ski waxing iron, which is on my list of things I want for christmas.
I use a cheese grater to put a dusing of wax over the whole ski base then use the low heat and melt it into the base. Using a cheese grater saves on wax consumption and gets great(or should I say grate) coverage.
Note to self:
Replace cheese grater and iron before pressing favorite blouse and inviting guests over for fine italian meal with freshly grated parmesean.
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You know it makes sense.
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Of those three, the big Toko in the middle has by far the best sole plate and thermal control. The Dakine has better heat control than the Mouse but the sole plate is a sort of cheapish pressed jobbie.
All three do better than a clothes-style iron shaped like a fat flat arrowhead because they scatter the molten wax far less and they don't trap the CH8 in the holes so that when you go to CH4 there isn't a cloud of smoke. The cupping of molten wax acts both to carry heat to the work better and as a thermal inertia reserve so that the temperature swings in the sole plate as the heater element switches on and off are less.
Of those three, I'd go Dakine unless you can find a Holmenkol unit (shaped much the same) and, if waxing delicate flex-matched XC skis, go right to the Swix T72 or its digital equivalent without passing go.
Snowhot I use a drum grater as well. The table-top clamp-down style useful for walnuts not cheese, since CH4 is much harder than parmesan.
I took the suction base off and use a C-clamp though.
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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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ScottyGBR, Send Spyderjon a PM, he will be able to sort you out with the correct gear.
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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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I used a cheapo no holes cloths iron for a while - then splashed out on the £70 middle one.
It makes the job much easier, keeps the heat at the right temps and doesn't grind on the edges. It's pretty god quality kit.
If you want a flat cloths iron you can find them on Amazon.
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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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My little travel iron heats up, but then goes cold, then hot... so I can only astually wax for 30 secs out of each 3 mins. Damn thermostat and thin base plate 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I use the Toko Wax Mouse - excellent
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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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marc gledhill
Can't get much better than that 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Jesus; my spelling.
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ScottyGBR, I've replied to you PM.
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spyderjon, I was waiting for a funny quip from you about your clientel 
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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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Just got my spyderjon DVD this week as well. Not had a chance to watch it fully yet. I've glanced at the price list, but I don't recall seeing a ready made starter kit
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sage, Tomsk, I didn't get a DVD
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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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You know it makes sense.
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spyderjon,
Edging tools need to go on my Christmas wish list.
Please could you PM your suggestion for the gear I need for routine edge touching up on Head C260i skis (05-06 models).
Not looking for workshop tools really just a pocket sized thing for touching up.
Thanks again for the great advice
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Spyderjon, I have been waxing my skis for the past couple of years, and fiddling with the edges, going from the memory of an evening demonstration in S&R many years ago. As I'm just going to invest in shiny new toys, I think it may be a very good idea to get some up to date info! Is it possible for you to send me a DVD and price list, I'm in France at the moment.
Cheers, Paul
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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AxsMan, Thanks for the kind words. Look forward to meeting up with you in Tignes at Christmas.
PaulS, I've PM'd you.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Tomsk, Proprietory base/side tape is a low tack PVC tape that you pay mega bucks for but it's really not worth the money. It's designed to protect the base from edge debris when tuning the base & for protecting stopping edge debris/wax etc getting in the bindings & on the ski top sheet. It's also supposed to be thin enough that if you apply it to the base it doesn't affect the angles of the guide, however I have my doubts about that which is also why I don't put tape on the base. If you're side edge filing correctly the swarf always falls on the top sheet side of the ski away from the base & if a cutting fluid is used when polishing it contains the particles (keeping them off the base) ready to be wiped off the diamond file/stone at the end of the pass - therefore making base tape unnecessary
I also regulary brush down the edges during filing with a paint brush to reomove any swarf etc.
However, before commencing any tuning I apply 50mm masking tape on the sidewall of the skis which virtually encapsulates the bindings to protect from debris & wax.
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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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Fall-Line Skiing is off to visit Jon on Friday to capture the raw essence of ski tuning. Looking forward to it immensely - see the edited highlights soon in the mag!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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In a spurt of DIY intentioness I bought one of those edge thingymejigs. How do I work out what edge angles my skis are now or should be and is there an idiots guide for mancunians on how to use these things?
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Thanks Tomsk,
I did try do the edges once before on a pair of old skis that I knew would not even sell on ebay (which was just as well).
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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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DB, Ask spyderjon he'll tell you the angles you need for the make of ski.
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Sat through my Spyderjon DVD last night, read the pamphlet twice, now going to do it all again with the skis in my hand just to make sure I understand which bits they are talking about!
It was a revelation that you have two edges (yes. yes. ha ha. 2 on each side I mean, before some smart alek points out the obvious joke) , one of the base & one on the side - I hadn't realised. But still not sure if they peform different functions at different points in the turn: any clarification (links etc.) about purpose would be most interesting
There certainly seem to be some things that you only do once (or at least, only after a grind): e.g. sidewall planing. Jon, you seem to infer in the notes that it only worth doing one of these after repeated side edge tuning, the DVD implies you should do it as a first task when you take the skis out the wrapper.
Or was he, as appeared to be the case, Mr Perfection and "race preparation man" rather than yer average Mr 3 weeks a year?
But whichever, I suspect, SO permitting, I may still need to come and see it done in the flesh in Nottingham...
So, the shopping list is gowing, and I think I should consider adding a P-Tex candle - do you do those Jon? And of course, getting back on topic, the ubiquitous iron - of whatever description!
In any case I'll PM you later in the week.
Thanks for advice and support to date.
JimW
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