Waxing Guide

What do you recommend for new ski base prep / pre-season prep on my existing skis?

The first thing to understand is that new skis have an insatiable appetite for wax. After all, they've been wandering through a veritable snowless desert since caps were pressed and crown patterns cut. Factory. Box. Packing tape. Delivery truck. Storage. Ski shop. Display. A new ski is a confused ski. Having never felt or even imagined snow, philosophical questions like "What is my purpose?" and "What's it all for?" must rattle it deep to the wooden core. It can't realize its gliding potential without a lot of positive encouragement (read: waxing) from you, their owner. Microscopic spaces exist between the molecules of polyethylene in the ski base, and subsequent waxings fill these spaces, lending the wax's water repellent and friction-reducing properties to the base itself. The more hot wax applications, the better prepared and more saturated the base is for sliding over snow. The method below is recommended both for brand new skis and also as initial pre-season maintenance. Here's how to tackle it:

Prepare the bases: Before any application of glide wax can occur, you need to start with clean bases in the same way you would never oil a dirty bicycle chain. A new base has dirt and grit and other friction-inducing materials imbedded within. Skied-on bases additionally harbor old fugitive wax in their pores. Wiping with a fine-grained fibertex pad will pull some of the small particles out, and making three or four long strokes with a bronze brush helps to open up the P-Tex to receive wax. If you have classical Nordic skis, sand the grip zone with 100 or 150-grit sandpaper; a roughed-up kick zone binds better to kick wax. Don't forget to cover the kick zone with masking tape to protect it from the glide wax. If lack fibertex pads (you probably have "Scotchbrite" pads under your sink--you can use those if you want) or a bronze brush, skip that stuff and worry not.

Clean the base: If you are short on time, just use a clean rag wetted with base cleaning solvent. By far the most effective method is to instead perform what is commonly known as a "hot wipe." This involves melting a layer of soft wax into the ski and then, while it is still molten, scraping and finishing with a rag to remove all the remaining wet wax. Do this twice, ironing in and hot-wiping a second layer to be thorough. Swix makes a specific Base Prep block for this purpose, but you can also use Swix CH10 or Universal Warm as well. Any of these soft waxes will penetrate deeply into a base and simultaneously cause old wax and dirt to be brought to the surface, removing MUCH more than the standard solvent is capable of. Additionally, they will not accelerate the oxidization process of the polyethylene the way excessive solvent can.

Apply a the base wax: Now that your bases are sparkling clean, iron at least two or three layers of the soft wax you chose above (CH10, Base Prep, Universal Warm) for the hot-wipe. The more the merrier and the faster your ride will be. Check out the hot waxing tutorial if you need a refresher. Once you've saturated the base with the warm wax, move on toward the wax of the day. The overarching theory is that the wax with a lower melting point will help to draw harder waxes further into the base when you apply them over top, acting as sort of a lubricant in this process.

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Bike: Johnny's 10 Bike Tips Local MTB Rides Ski & Board: How-To Waxing Guide Winter Ski/Board F.A.Q. 06-07 Ski Gallery		Waxing Guide back to FAQ What do you recommend for new ski base prep / pre-season prep on my existing skis? The first thing to understand is that new skis have an insatiable appetite for wax. After all, they've been wandering through a veritable snowless desert since caps were pressed and crown patterns cut. Factory. Box. Packing tape. Delivery truck. Storage. Ski shop. Display. A new ski is a confused ski. Having never felt or even imagined snow, philosophical questions like "What is my purpose?" and "What's it all for?" must rattle it deep to the wooden core. It can't realize its gliding potential without a lot of positive encouragement (read: waxing) from you, their owner. Microscopic spaces exist between the molecules of polyethylene in the ski base, and subsequent waxings fill these spaces, lending the wax's water repellent and friction-reducing properties to the base itself. The more hot wax applications, the better prepared and more saturated the base is for sliding over snow. The method below is recommended both for brand new skis and also as initial pre-season maintenance. Here's how to tackle it: Prepare the bases: Before any application of glide wax can occur, you need to start with clean bases in the same way you would never oil a dirty bicycle chain. A new base has dirt and grit and other friction-inducing materials imbedded within. Skied-on bases additionally harbor old fugitive wax in their pores. Wiping with a fine-grained fibertex pad will pull some of the small particles out, and making three or four long strokes with a bronze brush helps to open up the P-Tex to receive wax. If you have classical Nordic skis, sand the grip zone with 100 or 150-grit sandpaper; a roughed-up kick zone binds better to kick wax. Don't forget to cover the kick zone with masking tape to protect it from the glide wax. If lack fibertex pads (you probably have "Scotchbrite" pads under your sink--you can use those if you want) or a bronze brush, skip that stuff and worry not. Clean the base: If you are short on time, just use a clean rag wetted with base cleaning solvent. By far the most effective method is to instead perform what is commonly known as a "hot wipe." This involves melting a layer of soft wax into the ski and then, while it is still molten, scraping and finishing with a rag to remove all the remaining wet wax. Do this twice, ironing in and hot-wiping a second layer to be thorough. Swix makes a specific Base Prep block for this purpose, but you can also use Swix CH10 or Universal Warm as well. Any of these soft waxes will penetrate deeply into a base and simultaneously cause old wax and dirt to be brought to the surface, removing MUCH more than the standard solvent is capable of. Additionally, they will not accelerate the oxidization process of the polyethylene the way excessive solvent can. Apply a the base wax: Now that your bases are sparkling clean, iron at least two or three layers of the soft wax you chose above (CH10, Base Prep, Universal Warm) for the hot-wipe. The more the merrier and the faster your ride will be. Check out the hot waxing tutorial if you need a refresher. Once you've saturated the base with the warm wax, move on toward the wax of the day. The overarching theory is that the wax with a lower melting point will help to draw harder waxes further into the base when you apply them over top, acting as sort of a lubricant in this process. back to FAQ