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My New Tuning Workbench!

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I thought only Divas might fully understand how excited I am about this. I started waxing my own skis this year and really enjoyed it and found it satisfying. (Also money-saving). So I've been reading and watching videos and talking to friends with more experience, and I finally put together my own little ski tuning workspace in my (unfinished, shabby) basement. So far, I'm just experimenting on a pair that I want to get rid of anyway, and just the side edges. But it's easier than I thought and very fun!

The equipment didn't cost as much as I'd feared, and I think it will pay for itself fairly quickly since I ski mostly in Pennsylvania. It's my version of "Treat Yo Self." :smile:

If you don't mind sharing, please let me know if you have any suggestions or tools or techniques that work for you. I'm not in any hurry to touch my "real" skis, but I am enjoying the learning process!
 

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Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
Ours is about 1/2 that size. It's a door hinged to the wall so it folds away. If you want envy wait till VG posts her set up! That set up will be your next!
 

Fluffy Kitty

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Perhaps we should all post a photo! I'd post mine right now, except it's been all packed away for summer. I'll try to remember to post it in the fall, or sooner if I end up going glacier skiing. :becky:
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
A very generous member of EpicSki is giving me a couple of pairs of old skis for free so that I can practice on them. I'm psyched to get started! :dance:

I'm particularly curious to hear what sort of tuning and repairs Divas do for themselves, and what sorts of things you leave to a shop.
 
I had thoughts of doing my own waxing but my employee discount makes it very affordable to just have Paul and Nathan take care of it. I may buy some roll on wax if I need additional application between tune ups.
 

Fluffy Kitty

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
A very generous member of EpicSki is giving me a couple of pairs of old skis for free so that I can practice on them. I'm psyched to get started! :dance:
Awesome!

I do waxing, edges, minor base repair, and structure touch-up. (I have plenty of weekends when I can't go skiing, so tuning is how I manage the frustration.) Shop does torque test; also, I would have them do the stone grind, but I haven't needed it.
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Picked up these crazy old schoolers this weekend. I'd kind of like to get some cheap bindings to put on the Blizzards just to see what they're like. Maybe pretend I'm in an early Warren Miller film (working title: Chasing Menopause.)

The Blizzards are 200cm long with a 64mm waist!. What do you think: fun, or stupid?

(Also, IMHO, I am getting pretty good at tuning. The edges were chopped up and rusty and the bases were white. I filed, polished, and waxed them into ship shape. Still not quite ready to touch my own skis yet, though....)


upload_2016-5-23_11-0-46.png
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I still see the Dynastar's around. They were first generation shapes. The Buzzards....great for an ice hut or sled. They are a different ski than what's around now. I don't think I want to go back there.
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@SallyCat can someone eyeball your results to give you a thumbs up or constructive criticism? Maybe that would help you decide whether to do your own skis. Maybe someday I'll get a set up like yours too.
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
That's a great idea @VickiK ; I have a cousin who works at Killington's ski shop. I'm planning to bend his ear this summer, but I didn't even think to show him the skis.
 

skimamma

Certified Ski Diva
Hi SallyCat,

I wax at least 8-10 sets of skis per week in the winter. I enjoy it also. (My daughter is a racer and typically skis 6 days per week and hers get done every time they hit snow. Although dh and the other kids all know how to wax their own skis, I usually do a few other skis each week also.)

My advice-
  • Don't be afraid to wax your own skis and sharpen your edges. Just keep the iron temps low enough that it is not smoking and when you scrape the wax off it should not be black (unless you have been in some dirty snow....it might be caused by dirt rather than burned wax/bases.)
  • Get a ski shop to set up your edges and do a stone grind. Then, tune just your side edges. If you start messing with your base angles, you can screw it up pretty easily. I usually keep a gummy around in case someone gets rust on their base angles.
  • Write down what you waxed with so you remember what you liked when you actually ski on the skis. (I usually put a sticky note on them with the wax I used)
  • If you are single....you will turn heads if you talk about this during apres ski drinks with your friends. I am not single, but, yes...a women who can wax her own skis, gets credibility points at the bar ;-)! (FYI- I am very happily married! And, would never do anything even slightly wrong...just an observation.)
Have fun!
 

volklgirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Not the most current picture, but it works:
390423_2492092694908_1990935072_n.jpg


We have about 23 pairs of skis in active rotation, plus several more race and other skis we don't really use, and I tune for family and friends, as well as the occasional customer. :-)

Okay, I find a more current (and messier) picture!
10559914_10203865721416695_8269106283569135849_n.jpg
 
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bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Who suggested some "practice" skis? This is a great idea. I have a couple of pairs that are so old that the bindings are no longer indemnified and I can't *give* them away. Waxing is pretty straightforward and hard to screw up unless the iron is too hot, but I've been loathe to try anything else on my skis.

When it comes to base repair, restructuring, etc, I am happy to let Doug (MastersRacer) take care of it for me. Fortunate to have him nearby - I just drop off the skis with a note "For DOUG only" so I know who's working on my skis.

I was also lucky enough to be able to shadow him while he did some work at the shop. It was mostly just the rental fleet, which he doesn't shower with the same love and attention as he would to customer skis, but it was still very interesting. I was able to ask questions as he did things.
 

DeweySki

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Our bench is just a cheap piece of plywood on top of some table legs, and then some 2 x 4s nailed together with foam wrapped around the top. Works pretty well. I wish it were a little bit lower so I could get better leverage, but I think SO built it with his height in mind. It's currently about chest high for me. When he built it, he was still waxing my skis; I have since taken over :smile:

I would also like to figure out a way for the skis to clamp down so they don't see-saw so much when a pressure it put on one end or the other.

And after seeing @volklgirl's bench, I would like to add a TV!

upload_2016-5-25_22-17-53.png
 

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