Ski Tune Ups

[Swamp Dog]

Question for those in the know:

what exactly does the ski shop do when I take my skis in for a tune up? Is this something I can do on my own or should I just leave it for them?

FWIW, I don't have any ski type tools but would not mind owning some. I can do most repairs/tweaks on my bike and am pretty handy with tools (fixed aircraft in the service).

So what's the scoop?

 

[Jilly]

Yes you can do alot at home, and I'll let Volklgirl go through that. As for the shop I can tell you about that as I've helped with ski tune ups.
1. Skis are examined for any problems with your base, sidewalls and bindings. Fixes will be done if needed. Major holes, and scrapes are P-tex filled and scraped.
2. Brakes are engaged so that the base can pass through the machine, stone or belt.
3. Ski is passed through some method of scraping a fine layer off the base to make it smooth and the edges are grounded.
4. Skis is then washed with water to remove grit or it could be part of the machine and dried.
5. Wax is applied to the base and allowed to hardened.
6. Wax is scraped to remove excess and make sure none is on the edges.
7. Base is polished with a brush.
8. Ski is wiped down, possibly taped together and now ready to race!

Our local shop uses a stone and wet belt machine. Basically everything is done by hand tools and 3 people at a time in the shop. Many shops have the automated machines and only need 1 person or 2. It takes a lot of time to do it not using the machines, but sometimes the result is better.

As for doing this yourself, you need some tools, some knowledge, but it can be done and the result is something you can be proud of.

 

[Swamp Dog]

good stuff, thanks. I know if I went to Epic or AZ and asked this I'd probably get nothing useful from the guys there.

 

[cyn]

When we get home from skiing, we always clean our skis and inspect them for nicks in the base or edges. The nicks are smoothed out and edges filed if necessary (it's almost always necessary), then we apply wax to the edges and rub off the excess with a dry cloth.

At least twice a year, we also get a full professional tune. There are only a couple of places we trust do do that well, though, and we've had several days ruined by bad tunes, so be careful who you leave your skis with.....

 

[PowDiva85]

having a diamond file on hand to do a deburr after every ski day and a wax, either an iron on or liquid application, is the easeist stuff to do at home to take care of your own gear. A full tune every 5 ski days (atleast if you are on east coast hard pack) will be adequate for most skiers.

 

[Jilly]

I'm an eastern skier and used to do the 5 day before tune up. Now I'm trying to extend that. But it depends on the ice!

 

[volklgirl]

A full review of home tuning can be found here.

Keep in mind that everytime your skis are stone or belt ground, a tiny layer of both base and edge is removed, slowly shortening the usable life of your skis. Simple maintenance at home can significantly stretch the time required between grinds. I was fortunate enough to have a shop employee explain the whole process to me and actually turn away my $$ for a grind that wasn't needed.

Simple maintenance includes:

• A thorough towel drying of you skis' bottom and sides immediately after every use.
• A quick touch up of any dings or dents in the edges from rocks and stuff with a gummi stone (or small Arkansas stone) after every use.
• Applying a light coat of real wax (liquids and pastes are not an adequate substitute) anytime your bases look anything other than smooth and shiny.
• An evaluation of the base's flatness using a metal straight edge once a month (every use for vacation only skiers).

This should take a total of 5 minutes after every ski day, with an additional 15 minutes - 1/2 hour any time they need waxing.

The only time your skis need to be attended to by a shop is:

1. Your ski base gets a big gouge, a gouge across the ski rather than along the ski, or a gouge where the base meets the edge.
2. Your ski base is no longer flat (edge high or base high).
3. Your structure is completely gone (not a big deal for recreational skiers, just racers).
4. Your edge pulls away from the ski.
5. You've neglected your daily mantenance and they're beyond help from hand tools :(.

Home tuning is actually very easy and incredibly fulfilling. Most shops host a tuning clinic or would be willing to teach you the basics if you ask. I love doing it cuz it makes the skis MINE and it keeps me aware of how they act and why they act that way, and I know instantly when something is wrong. (Hubby hates that I can identify the size and location of even the tiniest burr on my edges when I'm skiing. It drives him nuts. )

A good start on tools would be:

• An old iron ($2 at a yard sale if you don't have a junker)
• A plastic scraper ($5)
• Scotch Brite pads ($2-3 at a mass merchandiser)
• A gummi stone ($6-9 at a ski shop)
• A flat file ($4-10 at a hardware store)
• Brake retainers ($4 each at a ski shop or buy a couple bunches of broccoli or cauliflower and use the big fat rubber band)
• A block of wax (Hertel Hot Sauce is cheap and good $12 for the small bar or $19 for the giant block +s/h at www.hertelskiwax.com)

So, just about the cost of a full tune at a ski shop to get started.

 

[BackCountryGirl]

The other thing that want the shop to do, when you have the bases stone ground or made level, is to add the appropriate structure on the base for the kind of snow you ski. I usually have that done 3 times a year or so -- early season, mid-season, and late season. There is a good article on home tuning in this month's Ski Racing.