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dovski

Waxing my skis and praying for snow
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So the snow finally arrived and I am in a mad rush to get all our skis ready for the season. So far I have removed storage wax and prepped 11 pairs of skis with fresh wax and have another three pairs to go. Needless to say that is a lot of scraping. A couple seasons back I invested in a roto brush and that has been a real game changer and time saver … now if only there were a better solution to removing wax than a plastic scraper. Suggestions anyone? In the meantime I am going to get started on my last three pairs of skis.:Teleb:
 

KingGrump

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Fiberlene.jpg Scaper Sharpener Mantec.jpg
 
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dovski

dovski

Waxing my skis and praying for snow
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Using a fiberlene sheet for the final pass of the iron doesn’t remove the need to scrape, but it significantly reduces the volume of wax to be scraped and makes scraping much quicker and easier.
Yes familiar with that technique. I also have a Ski Visions base flattener that I have played around with.
 

eok

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… now if only there were a better solution to removing wax than a plastic scraper. Suggestions anyone?

Ironically, the plastic scraper is the modern improvement to the previous antiquated ski wax removal tool: the metal scraper. I guess they used obsidian stone tools before that. ;)

If your goal is to reduce/eliminate wax scraping, there are indeed alternative methods. The methods share a common aspect of using much less wax than traditional hot waxing - so scraping is optional. I believe most/all the methods are described in this sub-forum.

Plain "Crayoning" and "Hot Touch Crayoning" are probably the most commonly used. I've used both. Typically, I apply a very modest amount of wax, iron it in and then follow up with buffing the bases with a felt "pad" (8" x 12" strip of felt material wrapped around a wood 10" 1x2).

Another option is SkiMD Pro-Glide: https://www.tognar.com/skimd-pro-glide-waxing-system/ . After crayoning wax, you use the high friction Pro-Glide tool to rub the wax in - no wax iron or scraping required. It works, BUT: using the tool is at least as much work as scraping - if not more.

Most of the season, I guess I kind of alternate between traditional hot waxing (with scraping) and crayoning (no scraping). Just depends how lazy, uh, busy I am. By spring, I'm always crayoning because the abrasive freeze/thaw conditions require daily waxing.
 
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dovski

dovski

Waxing my skis and praying for snow
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Ironically, the plastic scraper is the modern improvement to the previous antiquated ski wax removal tool: the metal scraper. I guess they used obsidian stone tools before that. ;)

If your goal is to reduce/eliminate wax scraping, there are indeed alternative methods. The methods share a common aspect of using much less wax than traditional hot waxing - so scraping is optional. I believe most/all the methods are described in this sub-forum.

Plain "Crayoning" and "Hot Touch Crayoning" are probably the most commonly used. I've used both. Typically, I apply a very modest amount of wax, iron it in and then follow up with buffing the bases with a felt "pad" (8" x 12" strip of felt material wrapped around a wood 10" 1x2).

Another option is SkiMD Pro-Glide: https://www.tognar.com/skimd-pro-glide-waxing-system/ . After crayoning wax, you use the high friction Pro-Glide tool to rub the wax in - no wax iron or scraping required. It works, BUT: using the tool is at least as much work as scraping - if not more.

Most of the season, I guess I kind of alternate between traditional hot waxing (with scraping) and crayoning (no scraping). Just depends how lazy, uh, busy I am. By spring, I'm always crayoning because the abrasive freeze/thaw conditions require daily waxing.
I experimented with DPS Phantom and another permanent glide solution a few years back, but nothing really comes close to waxing with temperature specific wax. I also have F4 Paste and have crayoned in a pinch too. I think the problem I see with a lot of these methods is that you do not get the same base saturation as a proper hot wax. I think the best solution I can come up with is to teach my kids how to wax their own skis … that or get a cyborg. Just imagine if the Terminator could tune skis :)
 

eok

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...I think the problem I see with a lot of these methods is that you do not get the same base saturation as a proper hot wax...
Yes. However, in my experience, after multiple hot wax cycles the bases become seasoned, with wax absorbed into the "pores" or micro-structure of the base. After that happens, a crayon (followed by iron-in & buffing) works pretty well.
 

Johnny V.

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I use Swix CH 10 as storage wax, so the most I'll do when bringing skis out of storage is a quick scrape and rotobrush. A couple of pairs I haven't even bothered scraping, I just take them out and let the aggressive manmade snow do the job. After the first day of use, I'll take them home and do them with the proper temp wax.
 

Scruffy

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I use Swix CH 10 as storage wax, so the most I'll do when bringing skis out of storage is a quick scrape and rotobrush. A couple of pairs I haven't even bothered scraping, I just take them out and let the aggressive manmade snow do the job. After the first day of use, I'll take them home and do them with the proper temp wax.

Right. I was going to say: just use an all temp glide wax as your storage wax. At least you'll save the step of removing the storage wax and rewaxing. I have a lot of skis in my rotation, and I tune them as needed throughout the season. By the end of the season all I need to do is melt a little glide wax and fiberine it, crayon a little extra on the edges and they're protected from drying out or rusting during the off season. If I'm really short of time, and in a hurry, and it's a rock ski, I'll just crayon on a layer of glide wax on the base and not even bother melting it in. You goal is to protect the base from drying out and the edges from rusting, it doesn't take too much wax to achieve that. If it's a race ski, then I'll take extra care and use a base prep wax for storage wax.
 

Tom K.

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I hate scraping, and have a few challenges with my left hand, to boot, so I've moved back to a metal scraper, used gently and precisely. Works great, but I've got a feel developed by 50 years of ski tuning and waxing.

Of course, first I scrape each edge with a plastic scraper. Metal on metal contact is a no-no.

Purists are going to hate on this, but if you're careful, and don't leave a burr in place after sharpening your scraper, I truly believe that your ski is "blind" to the material of your scraper.
 

Noodler

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As already noted, use the fiberlene method. Although I have found much cheaper lint-free paper cloth towels on Amazon that do just as good a job at a much lower cost. Also, get the thickest plastic scraper you can find. A big thick plastic scraper is much more efficient for whatever wax scraping you have remaining.
 

Philpug

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Fiberlene method here too.
 
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dovski

dovski

Waxing my skis and praying for snow
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As already noted, use the fiberlene method. Although I have found much cheaper lint-free paper cloth towels on Amazon that do just as good a job at a much lower cost. Also, get the thickest plastic scraper you can find. A big thick plastic scraper is much more efficient for whatever wax scraping you have remaining.
Can you send the link to the towels you buy on Amazon please. I have Fiberlene but go through them way to fast
 
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dovski

dovski

Waxing my skis and praying for snow
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PS 12 skis done 2 more pairs to go, and 3 pills for my shoulder and wrist ;)
 

crgildart

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I use universal temp wax as storage wax for most but use cold on the carvers I reserve for cold, icy days and warm on my bump skis. Everything left like that until I decide what to use then scrape it down right before putting them in the ski box or even pull a scraper out of my pocket and scrape them right there at the ski rack outside the base lodge before clicking in.

If I scraped them all I'd just have to put more storage wax on end of season to skis that didn't actually get used.. Ya, when you have 10 + pairs of skis, odds are fair that you won't use all 10 pairs in a given season.
 

Sibhusky

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This is why I start back in October and only do a little bit each day. I have an extended pre-season checklist that is longer than my in season routine and I just do a little 3 or 4 days a week. That little might be "sharpen left ski". I don't do storage wax, it's dry enough that it's not an issue. They are usually glossy when I "put them away" (lean on wall) and just need a little brushing with a metal brush in the fall before I start.

As to scraping, Fiberlene, cool, scrape, roto- and hand-brush. (Only because I own them already and I use the hand brush in between roto passes.)
 
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Steve

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It's been mentioned and I'll say it again. The electric scraper sharpener makes scraping much easier. I'd tried every way possible to sharpen my scrapers before that and thought I was getting them sharp.

A scraper that went 1 pass through those machines takes off wax much easier.

 

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