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March, 2024

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Official Ski/Binding Maintenance Thread

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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
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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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
well today i made some progress, first off i'm just gonna say it is not as easy as it looks in aoe's video haha, it takes a lot of trial and error and jesters are especially easy bindings to do this with

i got some plexi sheets and marked the holes on them, then i clamped the toepiece on the plexi and drilled the first hole. my plan was to screw in each binding screw as i drilled so once i had 2 screws in i would no longer need to clamp it down and the holes would be very accurate. screwed the first screw in and it felt tight but i went slow, next screw put a massive crack through the plexi

i was using a 4,3 bit, it was too small, i'm gonna try a 4,7 next time
i was able to salvage the plexi but now i don't have any room for error

so on the new plexi i have the holes marked and the midsole line for the jig, my dilemma now is that the fks heelpiece won't clamp to the the jig without shooting out and sliding everywhere so i need a way to drill those holes without just winging it because pen marks aren't accurate enough. i'm stumped
May 7 2009 7:38PM
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aoe
Posts: 2947 - Karma: 51
Lol, I never said it was easy! Glad you're making progress tho.

Yeah the larger drill bit is pretty esential for drilling the jig otherwise it will crack. Just be sure you remember to go back to a 3.5mm ish  bit for the skis.

As for the heal piece, thats's one of the most crucial steps. You really need to clamp it to the jig to at least dot a market. Remember though, measure the distance between the rear holes and go half that amount from the center line. then just line it up through the heel piece holes. Anyway, you've seen the vid, i'm sure you'll find a way haha.
May 7 2009 9:54PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
plexi....glass....fucking....sucks
May 9 2009 4:52PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
just finished the plexiglass jig, flawless, this was my 3rd piece of plexi, so that means i broke 2 pieces trying to make the jig

first piece of advice...buy a lot of plexiglass

next piece of advice...tape the plexiglass where you're drilling, it lowers the chances of cracking

final piece for the jig...when you're drilling, drill in very short easy bursts and don't rush anything, just be incredibly slow and careful
May 9 2009 6:40PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
here're some pics of progress so far, sorry for shitty pics, my basement has terrible lighting

plexiglass jig
Click for larger image

jig top view, shows heel pattern
Click for larger image

jig side view clamped to skis
Click for larger image

the whole setup including most of the tools
Click for larger image
May 10 2009 1:21PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
can i have the tahoes?
May 10 2009 3:58PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
i'll trade my tahoes for your entire massively overlapping quiver
May 10 2009 4:37PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
deal
May 10 2009 4:49PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
i mounted the toepiece on my delamed bacon and everything was even and measured right, i get my 4.1mm bit tomorrow so i should be making the final holes tomorrow afternoon
May 11 2009 7:04PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
well...the deed is done
everything is dead on to the nearest 10th of a millimeter
super stoked

Click for larger image
May 12 2009 5:11PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
so money
May 12 2009 7:11PM
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aoe
Posts: 2947 - Karma: 51
Good job, glad it worked out. The method is sound it just takes some skill and a lot of patience. Nice pics too
May 12 2009 7:47PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
word skill and patience are a big part of it, not claiming but this definitely takes a good amount of shop skill and you need the exact tools, digital calipers especially

also just a tip, measure the distances from each of the holes to the edge of your ski and write them down so you can have them exactly the same on your 2nd ski
May 12 2009 9:23PM
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5674 - Karma: 4,227
Do you guys store your skis with the binding open or closed, or does it not matter. I've heard that it does, and it's sad that I have to think about storing my skis anyway.
May 25 2009 11:05AM
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YooperSteeze
Posts: 1248 - Karma: 45
Good question. I too am interested in the answer.
May 25 2009 1:35PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
when you say open/closed, do you mean like clicked in?
May 25 2009 10:24PM
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5674 - Karma: 4,227
open=not clicked in
closed=clicked in

at least thats how i've always referred to it.
May 26 2009 3:38PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
no but like with your boot in it or just with the heels pulled up?
May 26 2009 5:57PM
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YooperSteeze
Posts: 1248 - Karma: 45
Heels pulled up, I believe.
May 26 2009 8:08PM
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5674 - Karma: 4,227
Whichever really, i'm trying to figure out whether it's better to store your skis with the bindings closed, whether it be from just pulling the heel up (no boot) or putting your boot in and leaving i there or just leaving them open all summer. Runonsentencesrule.
May 26 2009 8:10PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
wouldn't be smart to leave the boot in because it puts tension on the binding the whole summer and eventually weakens the spring i think, as for popping it closed i could see it putting less tension on them but i haven't heard of people doing this so i'm not sure
May 26 2009 9:15PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
i dont see that being a good thing. with the boot in, as alex said, it would put preasure on the spring. but with it just clicked up, wouldnt it put breasure on the heel piece spring? i wouldnt do it. ive never heard of anyone doing it, and i just asked my race coach and he said he wouldnt
May 26 2009 11:38PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
closed. with the din cranked down
May 27 2009 2:41AM
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ski-swagga
Posts: 5276 - Karma: 219
back when i used to race i was told the longer the wax stayed on the bases the better so the wax would have longer to set. does this hurt the base in anyway or what? and why is scrapeing right after you wax beneficial? (totally butchered beneficial i think)
May 31 2009 2:38AM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
the only time you should scrape right after waxing is if you are cleaning your bases. other then that, always let your skis sit for at least an hour in doors. and ya the longer the wax xits the better it is absorbed
May 31 2009 7:49PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
with the amount of threads i see on what waxing tools should i buy, i figured i would just post a list of imo the best. from irons to brushes to wax

Iron: for an iron, as i said in my video in the OP, dont buy the $5 iron from goodwill. you want a good iron that will have a good heating range(100º-150ºC). as you saw in my video i use a swix, swix is well know as "the best" when it comes to tuning, but for park/pow skis, i find that a toko iron is better. they are wider then swix so they take less passes on fat skis. i recommend the T8 800W CH seen here

http://www.toko.ch/en/productDetail/5547180_v/T8+800W+CH.html

Brushes: there are 2 types of brushes, hand and roto. hand brushes are the most common. you are going to want a blue nylon to use first, then a white nylon. i swear by swix for brushes. you will see rectangular and oval brushes, this is just preference, i find the rectangular give a better grip. these are the 2 brushes you will want

http://www.swixsport.com/eway/default.aspx?pid=278&trg=MainPage_6117&MainContent_6179=6117:0:24,2742&MainPage_6117=6138:39847::0:6118:4:::0:0

http://www.swixsport.com/eway/default.aspx?pid=278&trg=MainPage_6117&MainContent_6179=6117:0:24,2742&MainPage_6117=6138:39853::0:6144:15:::0:0

you may also want a bronze brush for cleaning, as they pull out the most wax from your bases. Roto brushes are a brush that is fitted on a mount that is put onto a drill, these are a great tool when you need to wax quickly, but most real waxers tend to stay away from them as you cant get as good of pressure with them. here is the swix list of roto tools

http://www.swixsport.com/eway/default.aspx?pid=278&trg=MainContent_6179&MainContent_6179=6117:0:24,3118&MainPage_6117=6138:39853::0:6144:15:::0:0

Wax: for wax, there is only 1 brand i trust. SWIX! for most of you, you will only need to stick with the ch waxes. but if you are racing or want extra speed in comps, think about using an LF wax. and if any of you feel the need to spend $100+ on a bar of HF, for the love of god, if you like your skis, DO NOT DRIP IT ON TO YOUR BASES, touch the par the your iron away from you skis and rub the hot end on your bases. the high floral count will destroy your bases. and after using HF you NEED to clean your bases. but for most of you who will be in comps, just toss a can of F4 into your pocket and rub it on before your run and use a waxing cork to rub that in. please see my video for the explanation of the different colors of wax

if you have any questions ever fell free to pm me, im here to help.
May 31 2009 9:23PM
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YooperSteeze
Posts: 1248 - Karma: 45
Is Dakine any good for irons? I'm looking at getting this > http://www.amazon.com/Dakine-Super-Tune-Kit-FREE/dp/B00182EZKU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1242578289&sr=1-1 < kit, seems to me like its a good value, but I figured I should ask around before buying.
May 31 2009 9:52PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
if i remember right, dakine rebrands the cheep swix iron
May 31 2009 9:54PM
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chazz.
Posts: 2721 - Karma: 23
that was my first iron i used for 2 seasons when i first started tuning years ago, yes, its a good iron for a good price!
May 31 2009 10:01PM
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YooperSteeze
Posts: 1248 - Karma: 45
So that means its a good iron correct?
May 31 2009 10:10PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
there are better for not much more
May 31 2009 10:14PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
i use it and it works fine for me
Jun 1 2009 12:57AM
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J-Wallz
Posts: 1264 - Karma: 54
i have a question about bending brakes on my STH16.
the brakes on my STH16 are 110mm and i need them to fit my 115mm waist on my bacons
do you bend the brakes the same way as in the OP video?
do i need to bend them all the way straight then back down? or can i get away with just angeling them a little?
Jun 10 2009 10:55AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
salomon brakes actually tend to run a little wider so they should fit no problem, if not, put them in a vice and just tweak them out ever so slightly, you don't need to bend up and then down again, you just need to tweak them out
Jun 10 2009 12:53PM
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J-Wallz
Posts: 1264 - Karma: 54
thanks just what i needed to know and unfortunantly they dont fit around my bacons so looks like just a little tweak should do it
Jun 10 2009 1:32PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
you may also need tome heat to tweak them, solly breaks are pretty sturdy. just old a lighter at the bend for a min or so
Jun 10 2009 3:22PM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
they're tough but super thick so the metal won't break easily, i've found i've never had to use heat for all different types of brake bending

i've bent sollys from 90 to 125 and they're damn bitchy but they're sturdy. for what he's doing he just needs a vice and a pipe and he needs to tweak them the slightest amount
Jun 10 2009 5:03PM
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J-Wallz
Posts: 1264 - Karma: 54
well might try a little heat to make it easier and it wont hurt at all unless i touch it haha but ill try it without first
thanks guys would give karma but already 10/10 so......
Jun 10 2009 9:10PM
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blackoutbill
Posts: 2918 - Karma: 282
How do you fill up old binding holes? Epoxy?
Jun 18 2009 4:31PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
epoxy and plugs
Jun 18 2009 6:04PM
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blackoutbill
Posts: 2918 - Karma: 282
Do you get plugs at a hardware store or like a ski shop? Sorry but I have a slight case of the downs about ski maintenance
Jun 18 2009 11:22PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
ur shop should have some
Jun 19 2009 12:06AM
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blackoutbill
Posts: 2918 - Karma: 282
Haha cool thanks
Jun 19 2009 12:10AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,267
if not then buy them online, i know tognar sells them
and wood glue is fine for them, just something to keep the water out
put the plugs on, hammer them in with a rubber mallet, chop the tops off with a chisel, and then sand them down and wipe off the excess glue
Jun 21 2009 11:43PM
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musick13
Posts: 913 - Karma: 44
wow...

And to think i used to just use an iron and some old crayons to wax my skis
Jul 4 2009 8:37PM
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deathcookie
Posts: 1800 - Karma: 1,196
I just bought some armadas with the race bases.  How am I supposed to maintain them.  Somebody told me to put a base layer of wax on now to soak into the sintered bases, and put other waxes on later.  What type of wax should I use?
Jul 17 2009 5:00PM
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chazz.
Posts: 2721 - Karma: 23
Use a basic all temp wax and use it often. Dakine makes really good all temp wax, and dominator makes a big box of stuff called Zoom which is perfect everyday wax and you can get it with or without graphite depending on where you ski. Dont bother with expensive waxes or brands like swix, holmenkol, or toko unless you really want to be temperature specific and spend more money.

For those bases, and waxing often, id suggest

(all temp box)
http://dakine.com/ski/accessories/wax/nitrous-cake-wax-large/

and/or

(basic zoom or graphite zoom)
http://www.dominatorwax.com/newzoom.html
Jul 17 2009 9:32PM
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YooperSteeze
Posts: 1248 - Karma: 45
What does graphite do?
Jul 17 2009 10:15PM
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chazz.
Posts: 2721 - Karma: 23
Its mainly used for black bases,which are said to be faster than normal bases because they have a higher graphite content in them. Graphite helps more in wet snow cases to repel suction, and aids in repelling static cling in dry snow conditions. Graphite Zoom in the link i posted is essentially a high quality, basic hydrocarbon all temp wax, but with graphite additive to help restore and condition a black base. You can use it on any bases and it will do the same thing, but its original purpose was to keep black bases conditioned with graphite which a normal wax cant.
Jul 17 2009 10:29PM
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YooperSteeze
Posts: 1248 - Karma: 45
Alright man, thanks for the info, I already had you at 10/10.
Jul 18 2009 12:39AM
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