Question: Uneven wax wear down on bases?

[Iwannaski]

Alright, experts.
I know I need my skis waxed. 90 minutes of skiing on ice with them, manufacturing wax only. According to Renoun, you can take them out without waxing 1-3 times (1 time, IMO), and since my new waxing kit is still en route, I thought I would ski and ensure I want to keep them before waxing ($ - stupid, given I’m skiing on Renouns, yes, I get it).

Clearly, they need wax. I noticed that the inner edges look much drier than the rest of the ski.
Normal? Problem?
Does this mean that I’m actually edging?
And just that inside edge because I struggle with the uphill ski being down and catching, so I tend to float it a a little?
WHAT?!?!?!?

 

[Jilly]

Paging @volklgirl . Personally I see anything wrong there at all.

 

[Iwannaski]

@Jilly … thank you. I mean, my biggest problem is the Berber carpet that the previous owners put over the hardwood in that room, but I guess that isn’t salient.
;)

I have never really looked at my bases that closely … and this was the first time I noticed uneven wax wear down.

The only thing I found on the forums was @MissySki in 2010 learning how to wax her own skis. I DID make note of that for when I set up shop at Casa Iwannaski next week. LOL. Did I mention my practice skis will be the kids’ seasonal rentals?

 

[newboots]

Good plan for the practice!

If they continue to wear unevenly (I can't see it either), have a tech at the shop place a true bar on the base and see if it's perfectly flat. Not unusual for the base to have a bit of shape, even new.

The Berber looks inoffensive to me!

 

[Jilly]

Like I'd hate to show you mine after 3 days.

 

[Iwannaski]

But I’d love to see them, because I’d be skiing at Tremblant and enjoying some apres!!!!!

 

[Jilly]

Let me know!!. And I was skiing my rock skis so far this year!!

 

[SarahXC]

Your bases look like normal time to wax bases to me. The ski doesn’t sit flat on the snow when you ski it so the wear will reflect that. When you first wax a new ski start with a warm temp wax and really run over the ski with the iron a bunch (it should stay black and wet looking afterward) to soak it down into the pores of the base. You can rewax over it with a cooler temp for snow performance but the softer wax will help get the ski off to a good start for holding wax.

 

[Knitjenious]

No opinion on your current skis @Iwannaski, but please start or bump a "learning to wax your own skis" thread because I am getting a ski waxing kit for Christmas and will totally chat along with you! (I have some OLD skis to practice on, along with a snowboard I got for free on BuyNothing to play around with this year.)

 

[SarahXC]

Waxing is easy. You just have to pay attention to not getting the iron too hot and smoking the wax and keep the iron moving on the base with a nice layer of wax under it. It should feel like it is floating not scraping along. My daughter started when she was about 9 and I taught my friend’s son at the same time as well. Scrape tip to tail with the scraper about 45 degrees-ish. When the ski looks mostly scraped and shiny-ish brush some. When the brush glides along smoothly and doesn’t grab any leftover deep wax pockets then you are done! That’s really all that’s needed for wax. Check the edges tuning run the back of your fingernail down across them perpendicular. If the edge scratches your nail off a little that’s probably good as far as sharp enough for average skiing.

 

[Iwannaski]

@Knitjenious … I’ll absolutely start one for anyone who wants to have this chat. My friend and I are planning out our waxing “shop” for the 7 pairs of skis/snowboards we need to manage between our families and I intend to have the kids do the scraping at least on their own skis. She used to do hers when she lived in CO and now needs to resume.

 

[shadoj]

@Iwannaski Start a thread! I have been waxing/deburring my own skis this year with supervision ;) I skied today, so it's going to have to happen again really soon...

 

[newboots]

There's probably an existing thread with tons of info. Search around!

P. S. The Northeast needs snow! Just sayin'