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Will skis slide well on aluminium or stainless steel?

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*Leask*
Posts: 47 - Karma: 637
I found this big C rail near my school on the edge of a sloping bank, and I'm wondering if my skis will slide on it if I round down the edges with a grinder
Nov 4 2013 10:15AM
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7-3instacall
Posts: 999 - Karma: 1,005
no, aluminum is a bitch, you might still manage but i don't know, form what i remember its really sticky.
get old skis and pull out the edges,, best way, safest way
Nov 4 2013 10:24AM
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Vinci
Posts: 701 - Karma: 1,472
As a rule of thumb, two different metals hardly ever slide well together. This counts particularly if those metals have great differences in hardness, like steel and aluminum do.
Nov 4 2013 10:28AM
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*Leask*
Posts: 47 - Karma: 637
Do you think stainless steel would slide? It's a lot harder than aluminium and almost as hard as carbide edges
Nov 4 2013 10:33AM
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Vinci
Posts: 701 - Karma: 1,472
Not really an expert on this but I guess most rails in the park are made from steel.
So yes, steel would definitely be the better option.
Nov 4 2013 10:46AM
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Park.
Posts: 2480 - Karma: 4,582
make aluminum edges
Nov 4 2013 11:13AM
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cultrara
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 46,850
I've hit aluminum rails before with skis that have edges, and even though its not ideal, it works.

Grind down your edges as much as possible and when you are sliding the rail try to keep your bases flat and your edges from cutting into the rail.
Nov 4 2013 11:25AM
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freeskibum82
Posts: 6355 - Karma: 5,055
aluminum is too soft of a metal. best is to get steel and hit it with a grinder to smooth it out and polish it. slap some paint on it periodically to protect it from rust and then wax it.
Nov 4 2013 3:37PM
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Ali_Dibden
Posts: 1966 - Karma: 1,688
You would struggle to slide well on aluminium if thats what the rail is made from, aluminium is actually a lot softer than the steel edges on your skis, this causes the edge to dig into the rail.
Nov 5 2013 7:41AM
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