Member of the Month

KilaTsunami
October, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Candle Wax on skis

profile picture
scratchproteen
Posts: 5173 - Karma: 286
So last night i waxed my skis with some wax from joes ski shop...and its not like its a huge cost in money at all..but i was just curious is there anything different between ski wax and candle wax? or could you just melt a candle onto your ski and it would work just as good?
Nov 22 2007 7:25PM
0 0
profile picture
*monsterskier*
Posts: 2671 - Karma: 61
never tried it...lol
Nov 22 2007 7:27PM
0 0
profile picture
Smed193
Posts: 188 - Karma: 10
ski wax is totally different, theres addives, like flurocarbons and graphite. even cheap wax has traces of them
Nov 22 2007 7:29PM
0 0
profile picture
scratchproteen
Posts: 5173 - Karma: 286
hah i don't expect that to many have...it just popped into my head while i was melting it on :)
Nov 22 2007 7:29PM
0 0
profile picture
skiminnesota
Posts: 9093 - Karma: 429
idk if there is a difference but i do the same thing... i use candle wax most of the year and use REAL  wax when i go out west and for a summer coat...

here is a free tip since you are from MN, go to ikea and buy the little candles there and melt them down into blocks... i payed like 5$$ for 200 of those little tea light candles..
Nov 22 2007 7:29PM
0 0
profile picture
scratchproteen
Posts: 5173 - Karma: 286
so you've used candle wax on your skis and it rides just fine? doesn't slow you down or anything?
Nov 22 2007 7:31PM
0 0
profile picture
Capurnicus
Posts: 9947 - Karma: 1,886
I've been told that this is not a good idea, and I don't really think I'd ever do it.
Nov 22 2007 7:31PM
0 0
profile picture
skiminnesota
Posts: 9093 - Karma: 429
dont get me wrong its not as good as a 20$ block of wax...   but it does the job for me, and im able to wax as often as i want because it doesnt cost me 10-20$ a wax.... 

I figured it out last year that it cost about 50 cents to wax one pair of skis for me:P
Nov 22 2007 7:34PM
0 0
profile picture
FUUUCK
Posts: 18426 - Karma: 4,888
apparently it makes your skis very very sticky
Nov 22 2007 7:38PM
0 0
profile picture
TheQuailman
Posts: 7382 - Karma: 147
No it won't work.  But I use surf wax (its twice as cheap as ski wax) and it makes your skis go so much faster.  Just by a bar and rub it on the bases.
Nov 22 2007 7:42PM
0 0
profile picture
scratchproteen
Posts: 5173 - Karma: 286
^^ interesting tip...now another question...after applying wax (hot wax) how long before it wears away?

and how often do you all wax?
Nov 22 2007 7:52PM
0 0
profile picture
EClay46
Posts: 2499 - Karma: 69
^im pretty sure that was a joke

surf wax is made to make your feet stick on a surf board, it will not help you go faster
Nov 22 2007 7:54PM
0 0
profile picture
TheQuailman
Posts: 7382 - Karma: 147
haha
Nov 22 2007 8:03PM
0 0
profile picture
Love_Wins.
Posts: 5536 - Karma: -1
Haha, nicely played.

seriously though, the candle wax is just about the worst idea ever, don't do it.
Nov 22 2007 8:09PM
0 0
profile picture
ryan.c
Posts: 6592 - Karma: 14
worst idea after surf wax lol



and when you hot wax, you're supposed to scrape the wax off, itl get rid of all the excess. then dependin on what kinda wax you use and how waxy you like your skis, you can tell from there. no matter what you do, rewaxing your skis can only do better then worse(with the right wax and procedure) so just wax wenever you want. also, at the end of the season put a thick layer on and leave it, scrape it next season and ur ready to go (if you used the wax that you want to start the season with that is)
Nov 22 2007 8:28PM
0 0
profile picture
TechnoPotamus
Posts: 11626 - Karma: 3,522
as somebody said above, ski wax has chemical additives in it.  Case in point, certain ski waxes are meant for warmer or colder or freezing temperatures. the special chemicals they add into the wax allows it to still perform well at those really cold/hot/etc temperatures
Nov 22 2007 8:34PM
0 0
profile picture
ginty
Posts: 1073 - Karma: 163
haha got em
Nov 22 2007 8:38PM
0 0
profile picture
Rocceral
Posts: 110 - Karma: 10
although the candle wax may smell better while melting it on..i wouldn't recommend it
Nov 22 2007 10:09PM
0 0
profile picture
shrEddie
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 65
i would never.  i imagine its similar to putting th wrong type of oil into a motor. 
Nov 22 2007 10:19PM
0 0
profile picture
B.Snow
Posts: 1859 - Karma: 92
doesn't sound like a good idea to me 
Nov 22 2007 10:33PM
0 0
profile picture
Elijah.
Posts: 9322 - Karma: 76
No. Please don't ruin your base's.
Nov 22 2007 10:42PM
0 0
profile picture
Pippin
Posts: 4846 - Karma: 661
thats one sticky mess
Nov 22 2007 10:47PM
0 0
profile picture
.jc.
Posts: 182 - Karma: 9
how do u guys think curb wax would work

just wonderin cause i have a lot
Nov 22 2007 11:14PM
0 0
profile picture
shanny.
Posts: 159 - Karma: 975
If you want to ruin your skis really quickly. do it. that's the worst fucking idea i've ever heard of. It is entirely different. Hence the reason they even make it. They range in prices and fluro levels and temps. Horrible idea. haha i'm disgusted by the lack of care of equiptment in such a sick sport.
Nov 22 2007 11:32PM
0 0
profile picture
.jc.
Posts: 182 - Karma: 9
k thx
Nov 22 2007 11:53PM
0 0
profile picture
liftedresearcher
Posts: 1140 - Karma: 1,775
just spit on the bottom every couple hundred feet. you'll look like a true vet, cause only true veterans do that.
Nov 23 2007 12:00AM
0 0
profile picture
mackinnon
Posts: 5153 - Karma: 161
why would you be so cheap as to put candle wax on skis that cost hundreds of dollars? that makes no sense.
Nov 23 2007 12:05AM
0 0
profile picture
freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
candle wax? seriously? please don't.
Nov 23 2007 12:16AM
0 0
profile picture
djty111
Posts: 1103 - Karma: 93

just sack up and get some cheap hydrocarbin wax....its like 6 bucks for 60g

Nov 23 2007 12:24AM
0 0
profile picture
Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
i hope that is a joke
Nov 23 2007 12:39AM
0 0
profile picture
popNfresh44
Posts: 3757 - Karma: 44
ski wax is made of some fluoro type shit. candle wax is parraffin usually. just use ski wax
Nov 23 2007 1:05AM
0 0
profile picture
BrownEyeIn
Posts: 878 - Karma: 457
i dunno if its bad for your bases.. we use candle wax at water ramps , definilty speeds you up
Nov 23 2007 1:17AM
0 0
profile picture
scratchproteen
Posts: 5173 - Karma: 286
what an interesting thread :)...

just wanted to let you all know i never intended to put candle wax on my skis...it was just and idea that popped into my head while waxing my skis yesterday :)
Nov 23 2007 2:21AM
0 0
profile picture
GatoGordo
Posts: 1496 - Karma: 10
If you are spending $20 per wax job thats way too much. Just get your own stuff to wax it. It's basically free if you just get an old iron, and it uses very little wax. One big bar will last me 2 years, and thats waxing once a week.
Nov 23 2007 8:10AM
0 0
profile picture
chickenwang
Posts: 5639 - Karma: 40
one of my friends did a sci. project on what type of wax would work best
1st was regular ski wax
2nd CRAYOLA CRAYONS!
3rd candles
4th a pam type spray

i prefer the crayons, they make pretty colors.
Nov 23 2007 8:14AM
0 0
profile picture
JTL
Posts: 2275 - Karma: 338
i just get free ski wax from the school. they buy it in bulk for the ski team
Nov 23 2007 8:37AM
0 0
profile picture
DynastarriderGP
Posts: 8258 - Karma: 214
threads like this are a large part of the reason i hate NS and a large portion of people who ski and the industry
Nov 23 2007 8:51AM
0 0
profile picture
SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
I spray my topsheets with pam a few times a season. Keeps the snow from sticking to the tops.

But using anything other than real wax on bases is absurd.
Nov 23 2007 9:25AM
0 0
profile picture
mike_e
Posts: 2419 - Karma: 3,066
i drip candle wax on my skis then take an iron and press it on the skis. im not sure if that worked cause those skis sucked anyways
Nov 23 2007 9:27AM
0 0
profile picture
ParkE
Posts: 1388 - Karma: 190
i did it to my friends skis when he had a rather large gash and it seemed to work fine
Nov 23 2007 9:58AM
0 0
profile picture
reggyboy
Posts: 1608 - Karma: 13
candle wax is dryer, ski wax is intented to soak into your base, cadle eax would be too heavy and glugy wouldnt do much. i rubed on surf board wax once, didnt melt it an it seemed to work a lil but not worth the cleaning i had to do on my base afterwards
Nov 23 2007 10:13AM
0 0
profile picture
Maximumsushi
Posts: 7837 - Karma: 3,351
Actually, naturally ear wax is the best ski wax to use. It is not sold commercially because it cannot be reproduced synthetically. It's got to do with protein chains breaking down under high temperatures. It's just science, really.
Nov 23 2007 10:23AM
0 0
profile picture
scratchproteen
Posts: 5173 - Karma: 286
ha!...now that was an interesting fact to hear =) you learn something new everyday
Nov 23 2007 10:37AM
0 0
profile picture
RussellK141
Posts: 810 - Karma: 63
hahaha what a great thread
Nov 23 2007 11:10AM
0 0
profile picture
shrEddie
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 65
no
Nov 23 2007 11:56AM
0 0
profile picture
troublemaker3
Posts: 1954 - Karma: 225
na dude candle wax works fine, i get the stuff that smells like vanilla. then i use a torch to melt the wax and burn it into my base. got some black bubbley burn marks but its like 3 dollars cheaper so it works out
Nov 23 2007 12:14PM
0 0
profile picture
Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
You're comparing something as complex as an engine to a peice of plasitic? haha
Nov 23 2007 12:17PM
0 0
profile picture
Hctiws_iks
Posts: 2077 - Karma: 25
dont use candle wax please
at least just buy cheap wax from a ski shop

ns needs a mandentory equipment care thing



Nov 23 2007 12:36PM
0 0
profile picture
JIB_NISSE
Posts: 833 - Karma: 28
it will make them slower......but they work for waxing rails and ledges etc.
Nov 23 2007 1:30PM
0 0
profile picture
-Kieran-
Posts: 1009 - Karma: 12
i doubt that would work but just get some wax from a store and do it ur self 
Nov 23 2007 1:45PM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)