Tip Protectors and Waxing

[1chris5]

Are tip protectors designed to be removed for waxing? My wife has a pair of Dynastar Glory 85 skis with metal tip protectors. Can they/ should they be removed when tuning? My kids have plastic tip protectors and I have wondered for a while if I can remove those also. They get in the way when tuning the bases and the side edge. Not a huge deal but just wondering.

 

[Sibhusky]

How are they getting in the way? They are certainly well forward of the contact point, so you're not doing the edge there. I could see accidentally dropping some wax there, but really you don't need to be waxing up there and it'll brush off. I would think the more you pull them on and off the more they'll just eventually fall off and be lost.

 

[crgildart]

Leave them. Like Sib said, you only need to work on the edges, wax and scrape the bases where the ski touches the snow. If you take them off odds of them staying on as intended well are greatly decreased.

 

[1chris5]

How are they getting in the way? They are certainly well forward of the contact point, so you're not doing the edge there. I could see accidentally dropping some wax there, but really you don't need to be waxing up there and it'll brush off. I would think the more you pull them on and off the more they'll just eventually fall off and be lost.

Yes, I see your point. I usually do wax the tip just because I don't want that part of the base to dry out. Also, I start edge tuning high on the tip just so it doesn't look rusty and is consistent with the rest of the ski. It does take precious time to mess around with those areas. I will worry less about those areas in the future. I could certainly see myself losing a little screw on the floor etc while messing around with that. Cheers

 

[James]

I always wax the tip. It is often in the snow. Spring?? - almost always in snow. And I tune the edges up there, plus then I round them off. (Only the part tgat's not useful for turning) New square tips are designed to be afunctional edge into the tip so I'm conservative with rounding those. Only way up.
You want to use your angle guide up there so the edge won't through off the angle further down where you want it sharp.
Why round the non contact tip area? I've had that area hook up when the ski tip fell into a depression. Launched me instantly into the woods. It's really no fun being in the air looking at tree trunks coming at you fast.

That said, I don't take off tip protectors. I do appreciate tips that are flat up there though. Easier to wax.

 

[Daves not here]

My wife has a pair with those and I do not remove them. I put tape over them to make wax cleanup easier. Edge tuning up there is non issue.

 

[PTskier]

You want the edges above the tip contact point rounded. You want the edges sharp all the way to the contact point, then rounded so if you're skiing in an icy rut the edge of the upturned tip doesn't grab the side of the rut and jerk you around.

 

[Wilhelmson]

Wax up to the protector and then scrape off whatever I can.

 

[Jacques]

Are tip protectors designed to be removed for waxing? My wife has a pair of Dynastar Glory 85 skis with metal tip protectors. Can they/ should they be removed when tuning? My kids have plastic tip protectors and I have wondered for a while if I can remove those also. They get in the way when tuning the bases and the side edge. Not a huge deal but just wondering.

Great question. You are a thinker! On those skis you can only wax as much of the tips as you can, As said above, don't try to remove them.

 

[oldschoolskier]

If I recall reading somewhere one of the top tuners out east removes everything, bindings tip protectors etc (but you pay).

Personally I don’t unless there is an issue.

As to tuning, I sharpen as far as I can, there is no rounding or soften of the edge past the contact point. From the stand point of catching an edge in bad conditions, this is a learn edge control correctly the reason is, if it is this are times you need it.

From the wax stand point, yes I wax into this area, scrap the best I can into it, if a touch is left who cares. It not a running surface and I doesn’t effect my speed as I don’t race.

I’ll take perfect razer edges tip to tail over perfect wax any day.