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DobberDon't leave the iron in one spot for too long while spreading wax. I've heard that it can cause delam if the core gets too hot.
onenerdykidFor starters make sure your ski has a sintered base. If it doesn't, then the rest of this will be an expensive exercise in futility.
Basic equipment you need:
Waxing Vice/some way to hold your skis to a table. Good idea to have a tarp or some other plastic element on the floor under the skis so wax doesn’t get on the floor. All moms will appreciate this.
Iron designed for waxing. Do not use a normal household iron. Waxing irons are specifically designed with more precision in their heating element so that they do not burn your base. Using your mom’s iron is not smart and will negate the appreciation gained in the earlier point.
Wax: for most people on here a universal wax is sufficient but if you want even better glide (especially in super cold and super warm temps) then something like Swix BP77/88/99 is an awesome choice. I use a version of BP77 or 88 all year round and it works super well. Add your specific temp of the day wax afterwards for even more zip.
5mm plexi scraper. No metal, never metal. If your scraper becomes dull (which it will) go buy a scraper sharpener. They’re cheap and will quickly become one of your favorite tools.
Brush. I use a bronze/nylon combi brush for the first brush strokes followed up with a horsehair brush for polishing. The more wax you remove from the structure, the better your glide will be (you want wax in the base, not on top of it). Most everyone here can get away with only using a bronze/nylon combi brush.
How to do it:
1. Rub the wax onto the entire base, providing a protective layer between your iron and the base.
2. Melt/drip the wax onto the base using a zig-zag pattern from edge to edge, tip to tail.
3. Make sure your iron is set to the wax’s specific temperature and run the iron over the wax, moving from tip to tail at about 1 inch per second. Make 2 or 3 passes with the iron to make sure the base is heated up enough and wax is properly absorbed.
4. After a few seconds of cooling, scrape off the warm wax. This will pull any dirt or oil or other contaminates out of your base. (do not use a chemical base cleaner instead of this as it will eat up any wax already in your base)
5. Repeat steps 1-3 and wait about 15-20 minutes until the wax has fully cooled down at room temperature. Do not place in a cold area to accelerate this, as your base will not absorb the wax properly.
6. Scrape off all of the wax. This usually takes a few passes with the scraper.
7. Brush the bases in a length-wise motion from tip to tail to remove wax from the base structure. Usually do 3-4 complete passes with the brushing
8. Repeat steps 5-7 as many times as you want. The more often you do it, the faster and stronger your bases will be.
onenerdykidFor starters make sure your ski has a sintered base. If it doesn't, then the rest of this will be an expensive exercise in futility.
Basic equipment you need:
Waxing Vice/some way to hold your skis to a table. Good idea to have a tarp or some other plastic element on the floor under the skis so wax doesn’t get on the floor. All moms will appreciate this.
Iron designed for waxing. Do not use a normal household iron. Waxing irons are specifically designed with more precision in their heating element so that they do not burn your base. Using your mom’s iron is not smart and will negate the appreciation gained in the earlier point.
Wax: for most people on here a universal wax is sufficient but if you want even better glide (especially in super cold and super warm temps) then something like Swix BP77/88/99 is an awesome choice. I use a version of BP77 or 88 all year round and it works super well. Add your specific temp of the day wax afterwards for even more zip.
5mm plexi scraper. No metal, never metal. If your scraper becomes dull (which it will) go buy a scraper sharpener. They’re cheap and will quickly become one of your favorite tools.
Brush. I use a bronze/nylon combi brush for the first brush strokes followed up with a horsehair brush for polishing. The more wax you remove from the structure, the better your glide will be (you want wax in the base, not on top of it). Most everyone here can get away with only using a bronze/nylon combi brush.
How to do it:
1. Rub the wax onto the entire base, providing a protective layer between your iron and the base.
2. Melt/drip the wax onto the base using a zig-zag pattern from edge to edge, tip to tail.
3. Make sure your iron is set to the wax’s specific temperature and run the iron over the wax, moving from tip to tail at about 1 inch per second. Make 2 or 3 passes with the iron to make sure the base is heated up enough and wax is properly absorbed.
4. After a few seconds of cooling, scrape off the warm wax. This will pull any dirt or oil or other contaminates out of your base. (do not use a chemical base cleaner instead of this as it will eat up any wax already in your base)
5. Repeat steps 1-3 and wait about 15-20 minutes until the wax has fully cooled down at room temperature. Do not place in a cold area to accelerate this, as your base will not absorb the wax properly.
6. Scrape off all of the wax. This usually takes a few passes with the scraper.
7. Brush the bases in a length-wise motion from tip to tail to remove wax from the base structure. Usually do 3-4 complete passes with the brushing
8. Repeat steps 5-7 as many times as you want. The more often you do it, the faster and stronger your bases will be.
adrian191can you send me a link to a scrapper sharpener. You said they are cheap. The cheapest one i could find was like 25.
_Jeffrey_Oops i've been using a normal iron. I should change my ways.
onenerdykidIron designed for waxing. Do not use a normal household iron. Waxing irons are specifically designed with more precision in their heating element so that they do not burn your base. Using your mom’s iron is not smart and will negate the appreciation gained in the earlier point.
Titsandwich11my friend and i were talking about this the other day (what's the difference between a ski wax iron and a regular one made for clothes?)
it seems really weird to me that the difference is that a ski wax iron has MORE precision than one made for nice clothes. do you mean a different temperature range as well?
i had no idea what the difference was though. i thought it was just fewer holes and possibly a crappier iron haha idk
B.QuincyFewer holes, wider surface, and lower more controlled temp.
