Tune Your Waxing Irons!

[Jacques]

Some irons have better finish than others, yet still it is important to be sure one checks the iron from time to time.

Sometimes one might inadvertently impart a burr on the iron from waxing a base edge burred ski.
In that case the ski would need attention too.

Here is my video about tuning your waxing iron.

Here is another that shows slight base damage from a burred iron.

Chime in with your iron stories etc.

 

[otto]

Here is a simple video to help you keep up your iron's performance;

 

[Jacques]

Here is a simple video to help you keep up your iron's performance;

Agreed. Jim knows his stuff to the highest levels. Good info for this thread.

 

[jzmtl]

I was pretty annoyed when I took a ruler the base of my new Toko T14 and found it was really concaved. The iron wasn't cheap, why was the base so not flat? Fortunately I had flattened a few things before so I already had the setup, and the aluminum base was easier to flatten than cast iron.

The downside was the grooves on base wasn't deep to start with, now they are almost gone. I keep meaning to carve them out again with a dremel carbide bit, but it works fine so never got around to do it.

 

[Jacques]

I was pretty annoyed when I took a ruler the base of my new Toko T14 and found it was really concaved. The iron wasn't cheap, why was the base so not flat? Fortunately I had flattened a few things before so I already had the setup, and the aluminum base was easier to flatten than cast iron.

The downside was the grooves on base wasn't deep to start with, now they are almost gone. I keep meaning to carve them out again with a dremel carbide bit, but it works fine so never got around to do it.

Yea, the new Toko's seem to need work. The groves are not as deep as the old ones. Anyway, I would not worry too much about that. As long as the iron base has some structure it should be good to go. I don't like an iron with a mirror finish. Way too much suction that way.

Wow, you really must have removed a lot of material.

 

[Carl Kuck]

I have a T8 that's decent enough, it's taken a couple of nose-dives off the bench so there are a few cracks in the plastic. I might replace it, or just cough up to dough and get the T14... But, yea, I clean it at the start of every season, check for burrs, etc.

 

[Jacques]

I have a T8 that's decent enough, it's taken a couple of nose-dives off the bench so there are a few cracks in the plastic. I might replace it, or just cough up to dough and get the T14... But, yea, I clean it at the start of every season, check for burrs, etc.

The older ones were better in my opinion. Flatter they were.
If one checks the temp. vs. the dial, then your good to go with a T-8. The temp. can be much more than the dial reads.

 

[James]

I was pretty annoyed when I took a ruler the base of my new Toko T14 and found it was really concaved. The iron wasn't cheap, why was the base so not flat? Fortunately I had flattened a few things before so I already had the setup, and the aluminum base was easier to flatten than cast iron.

The downside was the grooves on base wasn't deep to start with, now they are almost gone. I keep meaning to carve them out again with a dremel carbide bit, but it works fine so never got around to do it.

Isn't it supposed to be concave?
Looked it up:

"The extra-strong aluminum pressure cast plate for ideal heat storage has a curved rhomboid structure that improves the distribution of the wax and compression."

https://www.toko.ch/en/wax-tools/tools/product/show/t14-digital-1200-w/

Grooves are just hard to clean.

The Hohlmenkohl irons can be so flat there's a lot of suction. Years ago there was an article on drilling shallow 1/4 dimples in the base of irons. I'm not sure why tbh. Vola makes irons that way.

 

[Carl Kuck]

The older ones were better in my opinion. Flatter they were.
If one checks the temp. vs. the dial, then your good to go with a T-8. The temp. can be much more than the dial reads.

I used a Coverite Pocket Thermometer (I used to fly R/C gliders) for checking the temperature of the iron back before calibration (let alone digital readouts!), that seemed to work very well (still use it, in fact...)

 

[Dakine]

The temperature on my iron seems to be a little low for 6 grade waxes when I set it to "cotton", I may have to recalibrate and move towards "linen."
..........

 

[Jacques]

Isn't it supposed to be concave?
Looked it up:

"The extra-strong aluminum pressure cast plate for ideal heat storage has a curved rhomboid structure that improves the distribution of the wax and compression."

https://www.toko.ch/en/wax-tools/tools/product/show/t14-digital-1200-w/

Grooves are just hard to clean.

The Hohlmenkohl irons can be so flat there's a lot of suction. Years ago there was an article on drilling shallow 1/4 dimples in the base of irons. I'm not sure why tbh. Vola makes irons that way.
View attachment 36506

No it should not be concave, but that's the way the new ones can be because of the "pressure" casting.
The rhomboid structure refers to the "lines" that are on the iron base. They are curved. They work really good, but the iron should be as flat as possible.
See this video.

 

[Swiss Toni]

The sole plate on the Toko T8 / T14 is concave because that’s the way it was designed to be.

“Pressure casting manufacture can be used to produce metal castings with superior mechanical properties, good surface finish, and close dimensional accuracy.” http://thelibraryofmanufacturing.com/pressure_casting.html

If you want a flat iron buy a flat iron, lapping one that wasn’t designed to be flat makes no sense.

 

[Read Blinn]

My Wintersteiger was designed with a slightly concave base.

 

[crgildart]

If the wax is smoking your iron is tool hot.. turn it down. If the wax isn't melting your iron is too cool... turn it up. Wipe it off with an old washcloth while it is still warm when finished before allowing it to cool down and putting it away... If you've dug up any burrs you will feel then snag the cloth when cleaning it off before putting it away..

 

[Jacques]

The sole plate on the Toko T8 / T14 is concave because that’s the way it was designed to be.

“Pressure casting manufacture can be used to produce metal castings with superior mechanical properties, good surface finish, and close dimensional accuracy.” http://thelibraryofmanufacturing.com/pressure_casting.html

If you want a flat iron buy a flat iron, lapping one that wasn’t designed to be flat makes no sense.

To each his own. Myself will not use a "railed" iron that is edge high.
As I have said the older ones when the grooves were machined into the base were flat. It's the newer stamped plate ones that need some work.
As far as a concave iron, I'd like to hear from some other "experts" and see what they think.

 

[Jacques]

My Wintersteiger was designed with a slightly concave base.

Slightly? Care to show us with a true bar?

 

[Dakine]

The temperature on my iron seems to be a little low for 6 grade waxes when I set it to "cotton", I may have to recalibrate and move towards "linen."
..........

Oh, and I forgot to mention that my iron is dead flat except for special wax holding holes that can actually be used to feed wax

 

[Jacques]

If the wax is smoking your iron is tool hot.. turn it down. If the wax isn't melting your iron is too cool... turn it up. Wipe it off with an old washcloth while it is still warm when finished before allowing it to cool down and putting it away... If you've dug up any burrs you will feel then snag the cloth when cleaning it off before putting it away..

Not really talking about temp. here, but that's fine. I'm talking about iron's that are not flat and or burred.
I guess temp. has been brought up, so fair game. Things do drift. I just don't trust the dial numbers as they are more often than not way off.
Good way to destroy the lamination of a ski, or over cook the plastic.

 

[Read Blinn]

Slightly? Care to show us with a true bar?

Sure — I have to put some CH4 on this evening (my wife wants to watch an episode of The Crown first), so I'll post a picture then.

In the meantime, here's the description from the Racewax site. I bought their tuning kit when I first started working on skis, and it included this iron:

DESCRIPTION
Temperature adjustable 800 W wax iron with thick sole plate.

• Fine-tuned numbered temperature adjustment dial starts from below 100 C / 212 F and rises to 170 C / 338 F.
• Unique curved plate to "cup" wax as you iron and prevent wax loss.
• Base plate measures 5.5 inches x 3.5 inches and is 0.5 inches thick.
• Fine tuned thermostat reduces temperature fluctuations and a thick metal base holds heat to prevent damage during waxing.
• 115 volts, 800 watts. To operate this iron on 240 volts (Europe or other countries), you will need to use a transformer (not included).
• Instructions included.
• This product is sold as a waxing iron, there is no guarantee that it will work for other applications (e.g., aircraft). Any use of this iron for other (non-ski or non-snowboard) applications is at your risk.

 

[CalG]

Oh, and I forgot to mention that my iron is dead flat except for special wax holding holes that can actually be used to feed wax

I tried getting wax to feed out of the steam holes on the "re-purposed" iron I use. Just couldn't get it to happen. (Can't beat those thick all steel bases on the old ones)

I use a bench stone to knock off any burrs that appear. "Flat" and melted wax have such a remote connection to anything that I can't even imagine looking into it. It's not like I'm "speed waxing", The wax is melted to a fluid film, then the excess is removed. KISS.