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Waxing
The club has produced a (very) home-made
video, an intro to XC ski waxing for new parents. This goes over the basics of what to do and complements
the presentations made by waxmeisters to new parents and the article below. The video (which is now available,
DVD-R format only) will be distributed at cost to club parents, upon request,
starting fall ’06.
Click here for photos and
description Swix Waxing Video (from beginner to advance) Rob Bradlee Waxing
Article The article below is an excellent introduction to XC ski
waxing written by Rob Bradlee, our local wax guru and also the local Toko
company rep. A few notes: · This
might seem a little offputting to new ski parents. Rob will run a waxing clinic early in the year that will
emphasize the basics of ski maintenance – its
easier than it seems. · Rob
works for Toko so his writeup refers to the Toko line. Other lines have comparable equipment
and waxes. For example, the
three basic glide waxes in the Swix line are CH8 (mid-20s – mid-30s),
CH6 (high teens/low 20s), and CH4 (cold!). Swix has a nice waxing iron (the Swix Econo Wax Iron) with
a good thermostat for around $60 from mail order shops. -
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Guide to Ski Maintenance for BKL Skiers
by Rob Bradlee
2003 - 2004 (updated
12/05)
Questions
or comments: rbradlee@yahoo.com 6. Preparing the bases of new skis 7. Annotated List of Ski
Catalogs and stores 1.
Introduction
Proper
ski maintenance is a key part of what we want to teach kids in the BKL
program. Ski maintenance means
learning to select and apply both glide waxes for skating and kick waxes for
classical skiing. While the
coaches work hard to teach this subject to the children, we expect the
parents to help in the process by providing some simple equipment and wax,
learning the process themselves, and helping the
skier to arrive at practice with properly prepared skis. Each child should learn how to
wax his or her own skis by the time of graduation from the BKL program. The
goal of this guide is to introduce the basics of waxing in a simplified
manner so that it stays easy and fun, but still effective. Proper maintenance and preparation of
the skis will greatly increase your child's enjoyment of skiing and prolong
the useful life of their skis. 2. Tools you need
You
may have seen hard-core adult racers carrying around huge wax boxes. Fortunately, for BKL skiing you don't
need that much gear. You only
need a few simple tools and some basic waxes to wax skis. Many of the tools can be bought at a
hardware store. Fancier versions
are available from ski catalogs that are listed later in the guide. Here's a list of what you need
to work on your skis: · Electric
Iron · Nylon
Brush. · Thick
plastic scraper. · Klister
spreader. · Base
cleaner (wax remover). · Paper
towels. · Synthetic
cork. · Basic
set of glide and kick wax. Let's
look at these in detail: Electric Iron
The
least expensive choice for this is to buy an old iron at a yard sale or from
a thrift shop. Ideally, it
should NOT have any steam holes, but you can use one with holes if that's all
you can find. Another choice is
to spend more money and buy a Swix or Toko ski iron from one of the catalogs. You'll use the iron for applying both
glide and kick wax. Nylon Brush
You
can buy a scrub brush with stiff nylon bristles from a store or buy one
specifically made for skiing from the catalogues. You will use the brush for cleaning glide wax off the
bottom of the ski after scraping. Thick Plastic Scraper
These
are only available from a ski store or catalogue. They are rectangular and about 1/8 inch thick with sharp
edges. You'll use this scraper
for taking off excess glide wax after you iron it on. Klister
spreader. These
come inside the boxes that hold tubes of klister. You should be buying klister, so you'll get one of these
as part the deal. You use these
both for spreading klister and to clean glide wax out of the groove of the
ski. Paper
towels. You'll
need these for cleaning wax from skis and tools. Synthetic
cork. You
use the cork to smooth out kick wax.
These are available at ski stores and in catalogs. Wax Cleaner
The
non-heat way to clean off old kick wax is with a solvent available at ski
stores or catalogs. I recommend
Toko GelClean for this task. (I
work for Toko, but objective skiers agree this a great product). Be careful - while environmentally
friendly it's still highly flammable. Optional Equipment
There
is some optional equipment that is not absolutely necessary but that you
might like to have: Form
bench to hold a ski You
need to put the skis someplace to work on them. You can put them across two sawhorses or even the backs of
two chairs. To make your life
much easier you can buy or build a "form bench" or buy some ski
vises to hold the ski. The ski
catalogs have various benches and vises you can buy. See the NENSA web page (www.nensa.net)
for directions on how to build a form bench. Heat
gun. At
the hardware store you can buy a heat gun for about $40 (they are sold for
stripping paint). They
plug into an electric outlet and blow out a stream of very hot air. This is a
great tool for heating up klister when you put it on the ski. You also need it to heat up kick wax
for cleaning it off the ski.
In a pinch you can substitute a hair dryer which
will do a less effective but adequate job. 3. How to glide wax.
Why glide wax? Glide waxing is very important to have a fast and
enjoyable ski. You don't need to
glide wax every time you ski, but it should be done frequently. (Once per season is NOT
acceptable). It is very hard to
learn proper skate technique on a ski that drags on the snow instead of
gliding freely. Which Skis Need Glide Wax Some skiers have two pairs of skis, one for skating
and one for classic. Many BKL
skiers have a pair of "combi" skis. All of these skis need to have glide wax applied. The only difference is where you put
the glide wax. For your
classical skis or when preparing your combi skis for classical then you only
glide wax the tips and tails of the ski. For skate skis or preparing your combi skis for skating
you glide wax the whole ski. What Wax Do I need? You only need a simple set of paraffin
(hydrocarbon) glide waxes. For
example the Toko World Loppet series which just has
three waxes. To start out you
can use just the yellow and red waxes. ·
Blue For
below 22 degrees F ·
Red 14-30
F ·
Yellow 30+
F You’ll notice I’ve overlapped the temperature
ranges. In the overlap
temperatures you can mix the two waxes together. Classical Glide Wax Area For classical skiing you only apply glide wax to
the tip and tail sections of the base.
The tail is the region from where the heel of the boot hits the ski to
the back end of the ski. The tip
region starts about a boot length in front of the binding and goes to the
front end of the ski. Skate Glide Wax Area For skate skis we glide wax the entire length of
the ski base. How To Glide Wax ·
Based on
predicted air temperature range, select the appropriate wax from your
set. (When in doubt choose too
cold a wax rather than too warm). E.g. it’s going to be in the upper 20’s so
use red. ·
Press the bar
of wax against your warm electric iron. ·
As the wax
melts let drops fall on the ski base. ·
Put a drop
every inch or so. ·
Cover the
parts of the ski base you want to wax. ·
Then move the
iron over the wax from tip to tail. ·
Iron just 3 or
4 times down the ski, and always keep the iron moving. ·
Let cool for
at least 30 minutes. ·
Scrape off the
wax with plastic scraper. ·
Clean out the
groove with the klister spreader. ·
Brush with
nylon brush from tip to tail. Only turn the iron warm enough to melt the wax, but
don't let the wax smoke. Also,
always keep the iron moving. Too
much heat will damage the base of the ski. The bigger and thicker the iron
the more steady the heat will be. 4. How to kick wax.
Kick waxing can seem like a mysterious and
complicated process, but it really is quite simple. You only need to make two determinations to pick the right
wax: ·
Is it new or
old snow? ·
What are the
air and snow temperatures? Use klister for old snow and use stick wax for new
snow. The temperature determines
which color of wax to use. (The
Toko colors from cold to warm go green, blue, purple, red, yellow, silver). To reiterate, here is how you choose between stick
and klister. Stick wax is used for powdery snow that hasn't
"transformed" from snow crystals (sharp) into little ice balls
(dull). After the snow has
thawed and frozen a few times it is transformed and you need to use
klister. Manmade snow at Weston
starts out transformed so you almost always need klister for it. When it it fresh and cold you
can get away with stick wax, but it tends to wear off quickly. A thin layer of klister under the
stick wax will make the wax much more durable. Where Do I Put Kick Wax? Unlike glide wax, you only apply kick wax
"under the foot". This
means you only should apply it from the end of your heel forward an equal
distance in front of your binding.
Too much kick wax can be really slow so it's best to start with too
short a wax job and lengthen it if you don't get good kick. So at first you might want to start
in the middle of your foot and go forward to just a few inches in front of
your binding. How Do I Put On Stick Wax? Stick wax looks like a very fat short crayon, and
you put it on just like using a crayon.
Choosing the right wax usually is just as simple as looking at the
outside air temperature and picking the appropriate wax based on the temperature
numbers found on the side of the wax stick. Toko wax temperatures are for snow temperature. Usually snow and air temperature are
close, but sometimes differ so for truly accurate waxing you can put a small
thermometer right in the snow and take its temperature. Note also that snow temperature can
never go above 32 F (it just melts!).
Start with a colder wax if in doubt and then add a warmer wax if the
first choice proves too slippery. Use a synthetic cork (much better than real cork)
to smooth the stick wax. You
want maximum surface area so polish vigorously until the wax is smooth and
shiny. Putting on several thin
layers is easier and makes the wax last longer. The Toko Carbon waxes are: ·
Green Base
binder wax to put under all others ·
Mint <
14 F ·
Blue 14
to 26 F ·
Viola 26
to 30 F ·
Red 29
to 31 F ·
Yellow 30 to 32
F ·
Silver 32+
F (great for wet new snow) How Do I Put On Klister Wax? Klister comes in a tube like toothpaste and has the
consistency (and stickiness) of honey.
Picking the right klister works the same way. You probably can start your
collection with just a couple of klisters like Multiviola and Orange. Many beginner skiers are terribly afraid of
klister, but with patience, practice, and the right tools it is easy to
handle. The reward is that it
can provide the best kick and glide of any wax when properly applied. It is easiest to apply indoors, but
can be done outside (especially in warm weather). Use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat the tube of
klister by holding the tube by one end and waving the other end around in the
heat. Be careful. Now squeeze a little klister onto the bottom of the
ski. The best approach is to put
little chevrons (diagonal lines) on each side of the groove. The closer you
put the chevrons the more wax you get and the farther apart the less. Start out putting them far apart (at
least an inch) because in most conditions a THIN layer of klister is all you
need. Once you have the klister squeezed onto the ski put
the cap back on the klister tube.
Don't skip this step.
Otherwise klister will leak out onto whatever you put the tube down on
and you will have a mess on your hands.
(It's a good idea to put the tube in a ziplock bag when storing it for
longer periods of time). Having secured your klister tube in a safe place,
you can use your iron to smooth out the klister. You only need a very low heat to do this. After spreading out the klister use a
paper towel to wipe off the iron.
If you have to wax outside with a propane torch use it to heat the
klister by waving it quickly over the wax on the ski. The klister doesn't have to become
entirely liquid, just soft enough for spreading. Use the little klister spreader to spread out the klister
with long smooth strokes. The goal is to get a thin but consistent layer of
wax on the bottom of the ski. In many cases you are now ready to ski. Be sure however to let the skis cool
to the outside temperature. If
you put the skis down on the snow while the klister is still warm it will ice
up and you will do a “face plant” when you start to ski. If the snow is fairly fine-grained (especially
freshly made man-made snow) you may want to cover the klister with stick
wax. This prevents ice building
up in the klister. After the ski
has completely cooled you can crayon hard wax right over the klister. (It
isn't easy but it can be done).
Cork the hard wax smooth with an old cork. This will keep the klister from icing up and grabbing on
the fine-grained snow. How do I Remove The
Klister? You can use the same klister job for multiple days
if the conditions don't change, but at some point you'll want to get it
off. First, you can heat up the
klister with your heat gun or torch.
Try to scrape off as much as you can with the klister spreader and
grab the blobs of klister with a paper towel. You can continue to heat the klister and wipe it off with
more paper towels. If you don't want to use heat to wipe the klister
off or if you can't get it all off this way you can also use a wax cleaner
like Toko GelClean. Wax cleaners
dissolve the wax and let you scrub it off with a paper towel. The wax cleaner is also handy for
getting klister off the sides and tops of the skis. You can also use it to clean off your boots, floor, and
any other place that klister ends up by accident. If you are putting on stick wax after cleaning off
the klister you don't have to worry about getting it all off. A little sticky residue will help
hold the stick wax on the ski.
If you are switching to all glide wax for skating then you will want
to do a "clean wax" on the ski. (See the "Extras" section). 5. Extras
There are some advanced techniques you might want
to use after you learn the basics.
One is the "clean wax" process that you use to remove dirt
from the ski base. This is
especially useful after skiing at Weston. After clean waxing, you can "race wax" to apply
the right wax for enjoyable skiing. Clean wax: ·
Iron in a soft
(warm temp) wax like World Loppet Yellow. ·
Scrape off the
wax with plastic scraper while the wax is still warm (and mostly liquid). ·
Clean out the
groove with the klister spreader. ·
Brush with
nylon brush from tip to tail. As you can see this is the same as regular waxing
except that you scrape the wax off right away. The liquid wax will float the dirt off the ski base and
the dirt will be scraped away. Copper
Brush A Toko copper brush is an excellent tool for
cleaning out the pores of the ski base in between wax jobs. It is soft enough that it will not
damage the ski base, but stiff enough to really clean the ski well. 6. Preparing the bases of new skis
New
skis can have dirt and dust on them and tend to be “dried out” from sitting
in inventory. The following
procedure is designed to saturate the bases with wax to prepare them for
accepting wax in the future.
7. Annotated List of Ski Catalogs and stores
Weston
Ski Track and Fast Splits both sell waxes. Fast Splits is located in Arlington and Newton. Their web page is www.fastsplits.com. I suggest you call and order all of these
catalogues. Even if you don't
buy from them you will learn a lot just by looking through the selection of
item they offer. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Akers Ski P.O. Box 280 Andover, ME
04216 (207) 392-4582 This shop has good prices and good service, but a
limited selection and black and white catalog. Always worth looking at esp. for their off-season deals. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Eagle River Nordic P.O. Box 936 Eagle River, WI 54521 (800) 423-9730 orders
comes with $5-off coupon (715) 479-2208 tech info Higher prices but great selection and a beautiful
catalogue. Definitely order just
to look at what they offer. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= New Moon Ski Shop P.O. Box 591 Highway 63 North Hayward, WI
54843 (715) 634-8685
$2 gets catalog and $5-off coupon Another great catalog with more reasonable prices. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Reliable Racing 630 Glen Street Queensbury, NY 12804 (800) 223-4448 8. Other Waxing Info Links
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Updated 9/03/06 |