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Waxxing?

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DskiC
Posts: 39 - Karma: 10
How often do you wax your skis? Do you wax them or have them waxxed?
Oct 18 2007 7:00PM
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SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
I wax every few weeks or if I am running noticably slower.
Oct 19 2007 11:22AM
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Kevski
Posts: 7056 - Karma: 2,785
It works fine. I don't scrape every time, but like someone else said, as well as I said, after the first run it's all smooth.
Most days I scrape it off, but it's not completely necessary.
Oct 19 2007 1:39PM
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spruitm
Posts: 2221 - Karma: 1,069
i wax my skis as soon as i come in off the hill and then scrape and brush them the next time before i go out
Oct 19 2007 5:01PM
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skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
every three times  ...   i ski ice in the east
Oct 19 2007 5:14PM
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Pirruccio
Posts: 1301 - Karma: 70
i just wax for comps
Oct 19 2007 5:29PM
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C_Ewart
Posts: 627 - Karma: 43
No actually.. If you consider the science of waxing, you'll notice that there is a reason people scrape their skis after they wax.


The idea of a wax is to create a flat, hydrophobic, base of the ski to reduce friction and also to reduce impurities in the base of the ski.

On an ideal (flat) wax, when your ski glides on the snow, it creates enough friction to melt the snow underneath and essentially lubricates a the ski's ride. In warm conditions too much water melts, creating a sluggish suction between the ski and snow (the same way a glass of water sticks to a glass table). In colder temperatures less water melts, the lubricating layer is reduced and the ski glides less smoothly.

Hence the different structures of Hot and Cool weather wax. 

When you don't scrape, you're giving the negative surface (In this case, the snow) something to grab onto (the imperfections, or "bumps" in the wax), therefore "pulling" the wax off your ski entirely in chunks at a time... Enhancing the friction and creating the unwanted suction on your ski.


  So ALWAYS scrape the wax.





Oct 19 2007 8:35PM
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Jon-Jon
Posts: 228 - Karma: 10
agree!
Oct 20 2007 12:52AM
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Kevski
Posts: 7056 - Karma: 2,785
Okay, thanks. I kinda understood that before, but now it makes a little more sense.

But like I said, Those bad chunks and that do get pulled off within a run, which is usually a warm-up, and I wouldn't need to go super fast, anyways.

Yes, scraping would save that one slow run, I know, but sometimes I'm in a hurry to finish waxing, so I can sacrifice one run.

You're right, but I'm just lazy.
Oct 20 2007 2:32PM
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ESAND
Posts: 1607 - Karma: 744
 I think what he was trying to tell you is when those "chunks" get ripped off. They pull off more wax than you want to come off.
Oct 20 2007 2:49PM
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comeatmebro
Posts: 10720 - Karma: 66
whenever my skis feel slower...
Oct 20 2007 3:04PM
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fnstoked
Posts: 802 - Karma: 27
i've heard pple use scotch brite pads (green side of those sponges i think). is that buffing? i have always melt wax on, smooth it out, and scrape. i dont do anything after like buffing.
Oct 20 2007 4:40PM
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Kevski
Posts: 7056 - Karma: 2,785
hmm... that makes sense, actually. Maybe I should make a point in scraping every time...
Oct 20 2007 7:33PM
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C_Ewart
Posts: 627 - Karma: 43
Buffing pads are cheap... cheaper than sponges... But if you can find a sponge that's not already "pre-soaked" with soap and whatever, (Whenever I buy sponges, I notice they're slightly damp in the package, with a bit of soap),  I think that might work. 


As for not scraping: Yeah.  when you don't do it,  you're essentially just negating the purpose of waxing... either scrape, or don't wax at all.
Oct 22 2007 2:28AM
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kepler.
Posts: 8761 - Karma: 139
i'm gonna have to disagree with you on this one. my bluebird wax i scrape immediatly. is this supposed to make the waxing last longer or something?
Oct 22 2007 9:44AM
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dorikin
Posts: 1914 - Karma: 16

No, a hot scrape is for cleaning your bases. If you iron on the wax and immediately scrape it without letting it harden, it pulls the dirt and impurities out of the "pores" of the base. However, it also pulls out all the old wax, so you need to rewax, let harden and then scrape a second time, or you are negating the purpose of the wax.

Oct 22 2007 12:13PM
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kepler.
Posts: 8761 - Karma: 139
30 minutes though?
Oct 22 2007 1:17PM
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7822 - Karma: 21,855
I wax them myself, usually when bases start to get real sticky, around every 1 or 2 weeks depending on snow conditions.
Oct 22 2007 3:26PM
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ButteredToast.
Posts: 6459 - Karma: 2,570
Yeah, come one isnt like 5-10 minutes plenty?
Oct 22 2007 4:03PM
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dorikin
Posts: 1914 - Karma: 16

I'm sure you could argue either way. I personally just let them chill for an hour or so. I like to wax all my skis at the same time if possible. So I will wax one pair let it chill, and then go on and do my other skis. By the time I am done waxing them all, they are ready to start scraping.

Oct 22 2007 9:37PM
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Jwalk
Posts: 4647 - Karma: 134
 I just bought the dakine tune kit it comes with almost everything you need except an iron and the kit was like $60
Oct 22 2007 10:04PM
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ButteredToast.
Posts: 6459 - Karma: 2,570
What's the difference between ironing and just using rub on stuff or gel wax? (RacePaste for example)
Oct 22 2007 10:20PM
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MEGAZORD
Posts: 4531 - Karma: -7
The iron heats up the base and thus allows the wax to further penetrate the pores.
Oct 22 2007 10:24PM
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GUZ
Posts: 1371 - Karma: 255
Like once a week
Oct 22 2007 10:26PM
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nosnowsnakes
Posts: 301 - Karma: 133
I wax about once a week... I do it myself
Oct 22 2007 10:34PM
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Microcosm
Posts: 4765 - Karma: 153
I think I'm going to hot wax this season. usually I'll just use a bar of wax and tune them every few days I'm out.
Oct 22 2007 10:55PM
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GrAveLL
Posts: 45 - Karma: 14
Once a week usually sometimes once every 2 weeks
Oct 23 2007 8:41AM
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C_Ewart
Posts: 627 - Karma: 43
A lot of shops will save all the hot waxes for later when getting close to closing up,  they just drip, spread and set aside for the morning for scraping. 

If you're not waiting a 1/2 hour for the wax to dry, it's very possible that the wax hasn't done it's entire job yet by sucking out the impurities. 

As far as waxing, waiting, scraping, and repeating: I haven't heard of that. I would imagine that yeah, it does help,  but only inf you're really needing that extra speed, (ie. Racers).
Oct 23 2007 4:01PM
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dorikin
Posts: 1914 - Karma: 16
Yea I have also heard about putting your skis in a hot area near a heat register or sauna or something, and keeping the skis there for a few hours before scraping because the heat allows the wax to continue to penetrate the base.
Oct 23 2007 5:49PM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
It takes 15 layers of wax (15 wax-scrape cycles) to fully saturate a new ski.

And whoever was arguing about scraping vs not scraping, scrape one ski sometime this season then see if you can tell the difference when you put them on after lunch.
Oct 23 2007 6:16PM
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cheezeNbacon
Posts: 341 - Karma: 145
about every other week, but dude how can you not know this shit! god damn
Oct 23 2007 6:22PM
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ijibgoremtn
Posts: 4221 - Karma: 13
i have a question now that i have the pipe cleaners how often should i wax them?
Oct 23 2007 7:11PM
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ButteredToast.
Posts: 6459 - Karma: 2,570
Never.
Due to the race base, if you wax them you'll warp to hyper speed, bending the space-time continuum.

But those are pretty fast skis, it really depends on what you ski and how often, but you shouldn't have to worry about waxing them too often.
Oct 23 2007 7:13PM
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JTL
Posts: 2275 - Karma: 338
they have racing ski bases so i am assuming more often
Oct 23 2007 7:14PM
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ButteredToast.
Posts: 6459 - Karma: 2,570
No? Racing ski bases are faster, so he should have to wax them less often...
Oct 23 2007 7:15PM
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JTL
Posts: 2275 - Karma: 338
yeah ur right my b
Oct 23 2007 7:18PM
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sunshineee
Posts: 153 - Karma: 10
i have this kind of wax that says "viper paste wax" and its in this little jar and it comes with a little foam circle that you use to put the stuff on to your skis and the guy at the shop said you just leave it dry and then use it?

is this kind of stuff bad?
Oct 23 2007 8:13PM
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fnstoked
Posts: 802 - Karma: 27
no, i'm pretty sure race bases also need more maintenance overall. Needs waxing more frequently, a softer base that gets damaged more easily. so more wax if you care about speed.
Oct 23 2007 8:20PM
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MEGAZORD
Posts: 4531 - Karma: -7
Race bases need to be waxed more often due to them having more pores in the base.
Oct 23 2007 8:23PM
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ButteredToast.
Posts: 6459 - Karma: 2,570
Well.


Ima fool.
Oct 23 2007 9:11PM
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Elijah.
Posts: 9322 - Karma: 76
Before you drip the wax on, you forgot to use a base cleaner and scrape the other shit off first so that it bonds better with the base, and at the end you should probably finish it with some steel wool, and some cork to get the lines going.
Oct 23 2007 9:12PM
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tride
Posts: 1038 - Karma: 26
Base cleaner=bad idea, it dries the hell out of your bases, hot scraping is a much better way to clean them.
Oct 24 2007 12:06AM
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tride
Posts: 1038 - Karma: 26
Yes, ski race techs use things called "hotboxes" (really) for that purpose, basically a sauna for your skis.  

Here's one for only 3 Gs! It's an xc one but they use the same type of thing for alpine  http://gear-west.stores.yahoo.net/swixhotbox.html
Oct 24 2007 12:18AM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
Yep. Base cleaner/wax remover is for using before base repairs.
Oct 24 2007 3:08PM
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dorikin
Posts: 1914 - Karma: 16
For sure, I just wipe my bases down with a moist paper towel really well before I wax.
Oct 24 2007 6:27PM
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Silence
Posts: 16030 - Karma: 150
do you wax your skis as well?
Oct 24 2007 6:53PM
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cheezeNbacon
Posts: 341 - Karma: 145
skifreakcne has it down ,  a bunch of you ohters are dum asses big time
Oct 27 2007 6:27PM
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Kevski
Posts: 7056 - Karma: 2,785
Right...
If you could spell and were a credible source of knowledge (not just being an ass to people), maybe I'd believe you.
But you can't and you aren't, so I won't.
Oct 27 2007 8:57PM
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miker92
Posts: 621 - Karma: 36
i hate to break this to you, but your supposed to scrape off every bit of wax you possibly can once its dry.
Oct 27 2007 11:54PM
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miker92
Posts: 621 - Karma: 36
actually, race skis have softer, more porous bases. this allows them to absorb wax better, which is really important. wax helps to preserve bases, and waxing those skis more often will help them last longer. also, throw a coat of wax on for the summer and dont scrape it off. this helps keep the bases from drying out. half of you have no idea what youre talking about but you wax your skis yourselves anyway, which is strange.

if you need any help, go to swixschool.com. other than being a gigantic ad for tons of swix products you dont necessarily need, its got all the basics you need to get started or re-learn how to do what you think youre doing.
Oct 28 2007 12:02AM
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lyndon
Posts: 7266 - Karma: 128
I wax about 4-5 times a week, seeing im out nearly every day. I usually wax at night, after ive been riding all day, and then all night. It just protects my base, and I do it myself so its cheap, and easy to do.
Oct 28 2007 12:08AM
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