 Poster: A snowHead
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Sorry if I'm asking a question thats been answered a billion times but I've searched and can't seem to find a straight answer.
Should I get my ski's serviced/edged/waxed?
I skiing on them for two weeks last season, nothing particularly rocky or icey, they were edged and waxed before my two week holiday last season. That considered do I NEED to get them edged and waxed again before I go for a week this season?
Thanks
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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'm sure you'll manage without it, but I would have them done as I like to look after my skis.
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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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Get them done once in the resort, each trip, just edge and wax evening you arrive or evening after. Full service if the bases are getting "scratched"
All this service yourself lark is for the guys that oiled a cricket bat before each game.
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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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...or those that ski very frequently and like to save money 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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My French neighbour, noticing my OH doing some ski waxing on the terrace, asked him what he was doing. When he explained she said "Oh, I get mine done once a year". She has a ski apartment, has skied since she was about 4 years old. 
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wot Cynic said
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dredgey,
Get them waxed if the bases look dry (usually after about a weeks skiing) and only have the edges done if they need it.
Cynic,
If you oil your bat more than twice a season you're doing it more harm than good.
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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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Depends a lot on what you are sking - hard pack with stones will do for your base and edges in half a day. Fluffy off-piste - hot wax will last three or four or more days, edges longer. I generally cold rub wax/cork buff or flouro every morning after having hot waxed at the start of the season when I remove the storage wax. For Cynic's info - over the years doing it myself has saved me about the equivalent cost of three sets of high end skis/bindings/poles - and I've never oiled a cricket bat in my life (a fair few weapons but never a bat). Also I know it's been done right and not simply bunged into a machine that removes about a year of life in the edges/bases each time. I check and clean my bindings at the same time - which I doubt the tech waxing your skis will do. If I take a shot, I strip back, sort it and then re-hot wax/re-edge that evening.
Otherwise it's when you can start to feel it. For some reason last season I had two days when I had to come in and re-do the wax midday - no idea why. Same wax seemed fine before and after and the terrain didn't differ much.
You have not said if you had your skis storage waxed priro to laying them up. If so, I would remove that and re-hot wax but that's just me, some people just ski it off.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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dredgey, every make/model of ski has a preset angle from the factory. On jonsskituning site there is a list of the original angles. It's also relatively simple to check what the angle is by marking the metal side edge wih a marker pen, then lightly rub down it with the edge sharpener, when it's set right it will remove the mark cleanly from he width of the metal edge. 90 is common with higher angles (89,88...) on sportier skis, but best to look it up. If the bases have a whitish bloom then a hot wax would be a good idea. If the snow feels sticky then that also indicates that a wax would be helpful. I sharpen my edges a lot when it's icy, but should be done if you feel burrs or its not sharp enough to cut a fingernail.
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I've actually started tuning my own skis, and find a week is fine with no further sharpening required unless hitting rocks etc. I don't wax after the initial hot wax for the week I'm skiing.
I have however changed my edge angle from a 90 degree to 88 degrees, as my shis don't bite/grip enough when carving. Doubtless I shall regret this when I fall over a lot when trying to turn.
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You know it makes sense.
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Oh god, I knew at some point someone would bring edge angles into this....
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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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Sorry for the thread hijack, but what about new skis ? I was told to ski them for a day, and then get them waxed in resort. Is this correct ? Ta.
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Poster: A snowHead
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On new skis I always try to scrape off the factory wax and then hot wax two of three times before using them on snow, but it doesn't really matter unless you are looking for that 1% extra speed: the factory wax should be good enough for at least the first day or so.
How often you wax really depends on you. The more a ski is waxed the better it will glide and turn: some skiers (e.g. racers) want the fastest ski they can get and so wax a lot. Most once-a-year holiday skiers probably wouldn't notice a freshly waxed ski so weekly is fine - I doubt many hire shops rewax all their skis before each customer.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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cstreat, simple answer in my humble opinion is yes,I would have them done before you go with some base prep wax followed by a general wax, throw in a hot wax scrape as well to clean out the base, have a look at this thread http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=91364
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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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| Quote: |
Well, she obviously avoids 'adventurous', early season or 'marginal' skiing then
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yes - she does exactly the same kind of skiing as the average "holiday skier" who the thread is about. On piste, often with kids. When that conversation took place she also had huge old long skis. Most holiday skiers do little or no touring from their back garden in the Chablais. 
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cran
cran
Guest
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I wax mine every 2 weeks, but do base repairs and edges only if necessary.
You should probably wax them, but if the edges and bases aren't damaged they should be ok.
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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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After two weeks skiing I would have edged and waxed my skis by now regardless of the terrain.
Skiing in Scotland, I would probably edge and wax after every 3 days and when there is any damage sooner.
I used candle wax for a while to see how long it lasted, as it did not seem to matter what wax I used it always came off when you hit rocks and ice.
It does depend on the wax used, and on the base preparation. I never used to do much cleaning of the old wax off first, which probably explained why the new wax would not stick very well.
I now scrape all the old wax off and use a cleaning spray before applying fresh skiing wax. I also usually put a top layer of fluro wax on top to make the wax extra hard.
I frequently sharpen the edges on my skis, as I often get little dings and this makes it better on ice to control the skis.
Some people use "no wax" only and do not bother with wax. I read a report somewhere which suggested that over a period of time, not applying wax to skis would give a similar if not better performance than waxed skis.
However, initially the waxed skis would perform the best.
It is all down to performance really. If you are happy going slowly and putting in extra effort when gliding on the flat, then only wax when the base is damaged.
Skis never used to have wax on them originally.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
Skis never used to have wax on them originally.
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How long back are you talking? I grew up in Switzerland in the 60's and it was used then. I remember nearly every skier carried a 3 pack of green, red and blue Toko wax for varying snow wetness. Used to be a proper hard graft applying to your skis in the cold mornings.
Talking of those days.... when I think back to the kit we used, like cable bindings, it's quite mind blowing really and not surprising that you'd see broken legs most skiing days!
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Edge and wax skis every 2 days.
Sharper skis = sharper skiing.
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