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March, 2024

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Official Ski/Binding Maintenance Thread

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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,270
As all of us know, it is very important to know how to use/maintain your ski equipment, so my hope for this thread is to have everyone post videos or picture tutorials on how to do various forms of ski maintenance, whether it's adjusting bindings, waxing skis, dulling edges, anything, but just so you know where to look when you have basic questions about this sort of thing

I'll put 2 videos in the OP:

How to Take Apart/Bend FKS
by me

How to Wax Your Skis
by mrstskier

Next up just a few tips:

When you get home from skiing you should do 3 things:
1. take your skis inside and leave them there
2. wipe your bases and edges with a cloth or rag
3. pull your skis apart and lean them against a wall with the bases sticking up

Now it's your turn, post tips, stories, tutorials, anything relating to ski maintenance because it can greatly increase the life and performance of your gear


**DISCLAIMER**
A LOT OF THESE THINGS REQUIRE BASIC SHOP SKILL, PROPER TOOLS, AND EXPERIENCE. DO EVERYTHING AT YOUR OWN RISK AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE ABLE TO EXECUTE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PROCESSES. THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU RISK THE LIFE OF YOUR GEAR AND MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING

This goes for advice giving as well, make sure you possess knowledge of the subject you're providing advice for because it can jeopardize people's safety if you give them false tips. So either make sure you know what you're saying or put in your post that you're just kinda guessing
Apr 21 2009 10:27PM
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KingTaco
Posts: 2510 - Karma: 2,824
much thanks
Mar 10 2013 4:54PM
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stupendous-man
Posts: 8637 - Karma: 13,293
just take it slow and you will be fine. i raged and bent one super fast when i couldnt get it to bend where i wanted to, needless to say it snapped.
Mar 10 2013 9:44PM
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nicolaise21
Posts: 93 - Karma: 94
I recently bought new boots (form twalls to booter), and I had to adjust my bindings a little (marker jesters) because of what seems to be a little difference in BSL. Now I feel that the toe has some "free space" in the binding. Kinda hard to explain, but when I lift my foot with the skis on, I can tell that the front of the boot lifts up maybe 2-3 mm before it stops under the front of the binding... Is there some adjusting I need to do with the toepiece of the binding or? HELP!
Mar 19 2013 12:38PM
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SwagasaurusRex
Posts: 635 - Karma: 333
I believe you need to tighten your binding more. With my Jesters, I have to tighten them with the boot in. I tighten the screw under the heel piece that moves the binding until it is flush with the surrounding wall of the binding, that is when it is at the correct length adjustment for your boot.
Mar 19 2013 7:16PM
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zbphoto
Posts: 7789 - Karma: 12,037
Or just take them into a shop? If you bought your new boots from a shop and not on NS, then at least in my world, they should have included the adjust or remount in the cost of the boot.
Mar 19 2013 8:54PM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,844
That's fucked, your boot should not wiggle when locked in. I have to doubt you adjusted them right, so it's time to take your work to a shop so they can have a good chuckle and fix it.
Mar 20 2013 4:24AM
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rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868

Take your boot out, grab the toe piece, try to rock it back and forth along the length of your ski.

If it moves significantly, they're stuffed, if they're older Jesters particularly they're prone to the peg/pylon that supports the top half of the toe piece becoming loose in the hole in the base plate bit that screws to the ski.

If not, forward pressure problem.

Mar 20 2013 9:21PM
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nicolaise21
Posts: 93 - Karma: 94
Its the first problem mentioned here. Stuffed? Does that mean that they are done? Sorry, english is not my first language. Are they risky to ski?
Mar 24 2013 9:51AM
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rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868

Ahh, excuse my slang... stuffed = damaged, worn, faulty.

Whether you can still ski them depends how loose the toe pylon is. When it's just a little bit loose, all that really happens is they make a lot of clicking noises as your boot toe bounces up and down in the gap. Also force transmission is not great.

When they get really worn, if you land heavily on the tail of your skis the toe piece will roll forward enough that your boot can come out vertically. Once this starts happening the bindings quickly get much worse as this motion is very bad for the assembly that holds the toe pylon into the base plate.

Mar 24 2013 6:16PM
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nicolaise21
Posts: 93 - Karma: 94
Okay! Thanks. Seems to work fine. But I will keep an eye on the binding, and how it holds up. Thanks for your help!
Mar 30 2013 5:36AM
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Jelle
Posts: 337 - Karma: 715
Okay, so i just got my first pair of skis (Armada Thall 2012-13) and I would like to wax them myself since the shop takes about 35$ for it, which i think is kinda expensive? So i would like to know exactly what i would need for home waxing, like specific tools and such.

Also my shop takes 65-85$ for mounting bindings(Didn't buy skis and bindings from them), am i getting screwed over?

Thanks a bunch NS
Apr 2 2013 11:43AM
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stupendous-man
Posts: 8637 - Karma: 13,293
Waxing:
-You need an iron, if you want a waxing specific on they are anywhere from $40-$120. Alternatively you could pick up a normal iron for $5 at a thrift shop but I have heard they dont keep a constant temp (and they have holes).
-Wax is pretty important, if you're not super worried about getting the max performance then an all temp block will be fine. Usually about $10-$15 and last 5-10 waxes
-A plastic scraper, $5. or you can use an ice scraper as long as its flat.
-There are brushes you can get too for buffing in the wax but they arent a big deal to the average park skier so I wouldn't worry about them.
Apr 2 2013 1:03PM
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-WZ-
Posts: 3600 - Karma: 6,581
bump
Jun 18 2013 1:23AM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
The thread is stickied...
Jul 1 2013 8:16PM
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ttw32174
Posts: 14 - Karma: 34
So I'm actually a ski tech, and assuming your binding is in good shape on Jesters there is a toe height adjustment. Most boots have a slight difference in toe height so bindings come with an adjustable piece for that reason. You should have a shop do it for you so that your release is correct, but if youre strapped you could do it yourself if you had a little allen wrench and a laminated piece of paper.
You just adjust it up until you can put the laminated paper on the afd(the little metal bit that your toe sits on), snap your boot into the binding and pull the paper out with a little force. Like it shouldnt slip in and out, but it shouldnt be locked in there and require a lot of force to pull out. Also make sure you remember how many times you rotated the thing to raise up one side because youre going to want to do the other side the same amount and even a quarter rotation matters a lot in release settings.
Nov 14 2013 12:45AM
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the.ghost
Posts: 117 - Karma: 190
Reposting in this thread hoping for an answer but I'm pretty sure I figured it out with previous post on markers... The shop tech who mounted my solly driver 14s was an idiot and didn't adjust the toe wings or height at all and when I got back home I noticed like 3 mm of vertical play in the toe. The shop is an hour and a half from my house so I'm not going back, so I just adjusted the vertical screw myself. I changed nothing else. Is this going to affect my release at all, like do I need to have someone at a better shop check them before I ride them, or am I good to go? It's my first time not owning marker bindings in 25 years of skiing.
Nov 14 2013 11:07AM
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rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868

Old Jesters don't have toe height adjustment, only the new ones do.

And his are suffering from a fault that many of the old ones have, where the toe pylon gets loose in the base plate and is able to rock forward creating a gap.

Nov 14 2013 2:30PM
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rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868

Usual disclaimer applies here: Asking the internet about binding adjustment will result in your legs turning into spaghetti with your blood as the bolognaise sauce...

Aside from that, it shouldn't change the actual release force at all. I use a business card to check the toe height - click the boot in, pull back hard on the cuff so the top side of the toe lug on the boot is against the underside of the binding wings. There should be just enough room between the AFD and the flat bit on your boot for the business card to slide smoothly in and out. Some people like them set up a little more aggressively, where the business card will catch slightly on the way through. Personal choice really, it's a trade-off between slightly better power transmission and a slightly worse release.

Buuuuut before you get too carried away, check the forward pressure is correct too.

Nov 14 2013 2:37PM
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,956
I need help compiling a sort of shopping list for what I need for waxing and tuning.
I don't really ski that much park at all. I haven't touched a rail in a year or two.
Skis are Liberty Morphics with a ptex 2000 base and Surface One Lifes with extruded base. Dad's skis are Nordica Steadfast with sintered base (wont be tuning these, just waxing as they are season demos)

Liberty's have a core shot in them and I plan on getting a ski specific soldering iron for base welds. So I probably wont use PTex candles for any base repair unless I am traveling.

Here is what I am thinking so far

1) Iron
2) All temp wax
3) Rub on wax
4) Brushes but don't know what kinds
5) Plastic scraper
6) Gummy stone
7) Metal Scraper

Do I really need to get edge sharpening stuff? Would just a Dakine Edge tuner or something of the like work or should I get a base beveler? What are files and stones for?
Nov 14 2013 11:08PM
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the.ghost
Posts: 117 - Karma: 190
Out of fear of a season ender I'm going to have a different tech look at them, but for learnings sake, how do I check the forward pressure on them?
Nov 23 2013 1:37PM
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Shop-Puvvit
Posts: 8 - Karma: 5
HOW I KEEP MY SKIIS GOING FAST!
___________________
(___________________ )
(_)_)::::::::::::::D~ (________________) <------ My Skis
^ ^
My Dick My Cum
Nov 24 2013 7:25PM
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Alecabee
Posts: 22 - Karma: 127
It' my first year skiing and i was messing around in my backyard with my new skis. There was barely much snow and i guess little stones scratched the bottoms. Very minor. Will just a wax job fix it up? Do little scrapes and scratches affect performance?
Nov 26 2013 2:03PM
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stupendous-man
Posts: 8637 - Karma: 13,293
Word of advice, dont bring out the new skis until you have ample snow coverage. It may be hard to wait, but its worth it.

A solid wax and you wont notice it, if it really bothers you get a base grind.
Nov 26 2013 2:12PM
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greene
Posts: 184 - Karma: 66
So I bought a pair of new 2013 nordica soul riders, and I brought them to my local shop to get mounted, tuned, and waxed. They said that I didnt need to get them tuned or waxed because they already have a factory tune and wax. What I am asking is should I still wax them myself and should I still ask the shop to sharpen my edges, or is the factory edge good enough
Nov 30 2013 6:50PM
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SwagasaurusRex
Posts: 635 - Karma: 333
I would say get em tuned, In my experience I have noticed that factory tunes are no where near as good as a individual shop tune. The reason is there are likely imperfections straight out of the factory, I have noticed some simply by looking over my skis when I purchased them (Blizzard SL WC race skis).

tl,dr; If you have some extra money and would like to be on the safe side, it wouldn't hurt to get them tuned.
Nov 30 2013 10:16PM
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BoughtJagged
Posts: 19 - Karma: 55
no, his friend is ted liggety. I think you are thinking ted ligety. Ted liggety is a professional waxer of brazilian male porn stars.
Dec 18 2013 8:32PM
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Defreeski
Posts: 141 - Karma: 209
I read somewhere that you can prevent the top sheet of the skis from delaminating by sanding down around the top edges? Haven't heard that before so if somebody could tell me if that's true or not that would be sick.
Dec 20 2013 7:51PM
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rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868
Not so much stop it delaminating but it helps stop chipping. Case in point the K2s around the time of the first Hellbents used to chip epicly but were a thousand times better after K2 started putting a bevelled edge on the topsheet.
Dec 20 2013 9:04PM
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parklover77
Posts: 10 - Karma: 17
JakeSmithI need help compiling a sort of shopping list for what I need for waxing and tuning. I don't really ski that much park at all. I haven't touched a rail in a year or two.
Skis are Liberty Morphics with a ptex 2000 base and Surface One Lifes with extruded base. Dad's skis are Nordica Steadfast with sintered base (wont be tuning these, just waxing as they are season demos)


Liberty's have a core shot in them and I plan on getting a ski specific soldering iron for base welds. So I probably wont use PTex candles for any base repair unless I am traveling.


Here is what I am thinking so far


1) Iron
2) All temp wax
3) Rub on wax
4) Brushes but don't know what kinds
5) Plastic scraper
6) Gummy stone
7) Metal Scraper


Do I really need to get edge sharpening stuff? Would just a Dakine Edge tuner or something of the like work or should I get a base beveler? What are files and stones for?







I used to race so i frequently serviced my skis and i know a bit about it, i am no ski tech so if correct me if i'm wrong. If you have the money you should consider buying decent waxing iron and maybe swix and swix red wax bar 60g (best wax i have ever used). don't bother with the gummy stone or metal scraper get a plastic one instead. unless want to go just a tiny bit faster hardly noticeable don't bother with brushes. But i would HIGHLY recommend is (when you are not skiing like at end of season or not on holiday) is that you should get some cheap paraffin wax and coat your skis in it. Do this to cover the base and edges to prevent rusting!!! and when u go out skiing again just scrape it of. hope some of this helped :)
Jun 1 2014 6:32AM
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colinj14
Posts: 8 - Karma: 3
I find a solid dose of sperm lubes up the skis very good.

Thank me later
Jun 4 2014 2:38PM
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colinj14
Posts: 8 - Karma: 3
Served warm
Jun 4 2014 2:41PM
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Prof.Pretzel
Posts: 451 - Karma: 796
I always keep my sticks waxed and ready
Jun 26 2014 7:22AM
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Donketts
Posts: 261 - Karma: 173
If i get my skis waxed and I'm done skiing will i have to take the wax off? If so how
Jul 18 2014 11:25PM
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steezy_j
Posts: 1 - Karma: 10
So i recently picked up a pair of old second hand park skis and the only flaw is the the brake arm and pedal on both bindings move side to side. I was told skiing switch would make me fall, not sure how to fix this or if i need to get new brakes or whatever. the binding is a marker 11. Please consider i am a 15 year old guy with not much money so the cheapest option would be best. Thanks
Aug 6 2014 9:50PM
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flacotaco
Posts: 68 - Karma: 374
about bindings if i have 93mm waist skis and am looking at a 90mm binding will it bend to work properly?
Aug 20 2014 6:45PM
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rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868
jcos1232about bindings if i have 93mm waist skis and am looking at a 90mm binding will it bend to work properly?


Welcome to NS, enjoy your stay, and don't ask the same question twice in 2 different threads, thanks.
Aug 20 2014 8:22PM
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kvan
Posts: 3083 - Karma: 1,208
Will I be able to mount a pair of fks 140s on a ski that was previously mounted on sth 12s? Will the old holes interfere with the new ones?
Oct 29 2014 8:41PM
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rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868
ec_jibberWill I be able to mount a pair of fks 140s on a ski that was previously mounted on sth 12s? Will the old holes interfere with the new ones?


You will need to remount in a different position. The mounting patterns of those 2 bindings conflict horribly, the front 2 holes of the STH heel are in pretty much the exact same place length-wise as the rear 2 on the FKS, but a different width. Likewise the rear holes of the toepiece. So if it's drilled for centre, and you still want to be at centre, you're gonna have trouble.
Oct 30 2014 3:35PM
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kvan
Posts: 3083 - Karma: 1,208
rozboonYou will need to remount in a different position. The mounting patterns of those 2 bindings conflict horribly, the front 2 holes of the STH heel are in pretty much the exact same place length-wise as the rear 2 on the FKS, but a different width. Likewise the rear holes of the toepiece. So if it's drilled for centre, and you still want to be at centre, you're gonna have trouble.

What if the original holes are set for -2.5 back and I want them at either center or -1 back?
Oct 30 2014 6:06PM
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rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868
Then you should be fine, overlay the jig/template over the skis and try to ensure you have at least 10mm between holes.
Oct 31 2014 12:35AM
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Krotchs_Brother
Posts: 1133 - Karma: 3,006
Kinda lazy to read through this whole thread right now, but I have a quick question. How important is it to use a specific iron for waxing? Is it one of those things that only try hards do or is it actually necessary?
Nov 19 2014 11:45AM
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rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868
Grilled.SteezeKinda lazy to read through this whole thread right now, but I have a quick question. How important is it to use a specific iron for waxing? Is it one of those things that only try hards do or is it actually necessary?


Short answer: At the end of the day all you're doing is melting wax onto a bit of plastic then spreading it around. It's not rocket science, anything fairly hot will work.

Long answer: Most normal irons use a very coarse thermostat to control the temperature. If you graphed the temperature of the base it would look a bit like this /\/\/\/\ with the hottest point being realistically far hotter than you want for waxing skis - it's above the smoke point of the wax a lot of the time, and it is hot enough to damage the base and epoxies in your skis if you're not quick with it.
A proper waxing iron uses more complex temperature control, to maintain a lower, even temperature.
The other issue is that a normal iron has holes in the bottom, which will wick up the wax so it doesn't spread as nicely. A waxing iron usually has a solid base that is either smooth or lightly grooved to carry the wax better.
All that said, I know loads of people who've done their waxing for years with a $2 iron from a thrift shop. It's just somewhat easier with a dedicated waxing iron.
Nov 19 2014 5:13PM
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Krotchs_Brother
Posts: 1133 - Karma: 3,006
rozboonShort answer: At the end of the day all you're doing is melting wax onto a bit of plastic then spreading it around. It's not rocket science, anything fairly hot will work.

Long answer: Most normal irons use a very coarse thermostat to control the temperature. If you graphed the temperature of the base it would look a bit like this /\/\/\/\ with the hottest point being realistically far hotter than you want for waxing skis - it's above the smoke point of the wax a lot of the time, and it is hot enough to damage the base and epoxies in your skis if you're not quick with it.
A proper waxing iron uses more complex temperature control, to maintain a lower, even temperature.
The other issue is that a normal iron has holes in the bottom, which will wick up the wax so it doesn't spread as nicely. A waxing iron usually has a solid base that is either smooth or lightly grooved to carry the wax better.
All that said, I know loads of people who've done their waxing for years with a $2 iron from a thrift shop. It's just somewhat easier with a dedicated waxing iron.


Thanks! +k for you
Nov 24 2014 6:13PM
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Mar-O
Posts: 960 - Karma: 827
This summer I got a core shot next to the edge, I have done some research on how to fix core shots and it looks like I can either fill it with some epoxy and maybe top it off with some p-tex or ideally get some metal grip and a soldering iron made for base repairs and do a base weld, however I can't find anywhere in Norway that sells metal grip or soldering irons for base repairs so it looks like I will have to go the epoxy route.

Anyways what I'm most worried about is that it looks like my edge will get pulled out pretty easily since the core shot is right under foot where I put the pressure railing, annoyingly this is also where my edges is patched and when I push down the edges I can see that the end is already a bit loose. How do I fix this?Can I just hope that my epoxy/ptex fix will be strong enough to hold it in place for this season, or should I try to find some edge screws to secure it a bit more before filling it with epoxy and p-tex?
Some photos, hopefully you can see what I'm talking about:




Also do you think a 25W super cheap "pyrography pen (?)" can be used for base welding without being to hot if I can find some metal grip? Photo link to the one I was thinking of, since its so cheap I was hoping it might not be to hot like a normal soldering pen: http://www.jula.no/globalassets/catalog/productimages/213001b.jpg?width=1024&height=1024&scale=both&bgcolor=whitehttp://www.jula.no/globalassets/catalog/productimages/213001b.jpg?width=1024&height=1024&scale=both&bgcolor=white
Nov 27 2014 8:42AM
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Bikerjeff
Posts: 3 - Karma: 17
I have just gotten armada halo 2's mounted at -5 (factory recomended) and I was thinking its a bit to far back. I'm looking to ski 35% park and 65% all mtn/pow. I have bindings that slide so you can adjust for bigger boots. Do you think I could slide my bindings up to -2.5 without messing up my entire binding setup?

Thanks
Dec 1 2014 10:15PM
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KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
BikerjeffI have just gotten armada halo 2's mounted at -5 (factory recomended) and I was thinking its a bit to far back. I'm looking to ski 35% park and 65% all mtn/pow. I have bindings that slide so you can adjust for bigger boots. Do you think I could slide my bindings up to -2.5 without messing up my entire binding setup?

Thanks


Doesn't work like that sorry boss. Try riding them at rcommended plus if your not a big park guy and don't ski switch why does it matter?
Jan 28 2015 10:53AM
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perryhunter
Posts: 721 - Karma: -185
This is awesome!
Feb 15 2015 10:30PM
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_Jeffrey_
Posts: 1651 - Karma: 572
So i have a pair of look px 12 bindings... i unscrewed them, only to find out to put them back on the screw holes from the brake and baseplate don't line up. Is there a trick to this? i can get them to line up but the brake won't be flush with the base plate. If anyone understands this please help me out
Feb 16 2015 11:47PM
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rozboon
Posts: 1642 - Karma: 868
_Jeffrey_So i have a pair of look px 12 bindings... i unscrewed them, only to find out to put them back on the screw holes from the brake and baseplate don't line up. Is there a trick to this? i can get them to line up but the brake won't be flush with the base plate. If anyone understands this please help me out


I'm not 100% clear on what the issue is but the brake kinda slots into the heelpiece, it doesn't just sit on it. You should have noticed when you pulled them apart?

Wondering what possessed you to remove them from the ski though.
Feb 17 2015 2:26PM
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alpinesjl
Posts: 28 - Karma: 20
Anyone ever made vices? also any advice for building a table?
Feb 17 2015 8:18PM
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