The basic tools needed to glide wax skis include some sort of waxing profile or vises to hold the ski, a good iron designed for waxing skis, a Plexiglas (plastic) scraper, a plastic groove scraper, a nylon, copper or soft brass brush, and a white polishing pad.
A roto brush is an excellent way to do the final brushing and polishing.
A waxing profile supports the ski under the tip and tail sections and has some sort of clamp in the center section to hold the ski. It is an essential tool for any sort of base preparation work and works well when just waxing skis. Most wax companies sell these profiles, and there have been many similar products made by skiers/ enthusiasts/carpenters. The best unit on the market today is the Swix #T0790 Adjustable Two-Way Waxing Profile (about $200), which can be clamped or mounted to a bench, and is available with optional folding legs ($100)
For only waxing skis, a center vise works well when support is added under the tip and tail section of the ski. Many 3 piece vise sets are available; most alpine ski vises/sets also work for cross-country skis. Swix again has the best unit on the market, their #T0078 XC Caploc ($96). It holds the ski by using a horizontal bar that connects to any Salomon (Profil or Pilot) or NNN binding, while this center section clamps to almost any table, countertop, motel dresser, railing, etc. The tip and tail supports also come with the same C-clamp devices. The ski is held under compression when the center is pushed down, which allows for enough support for even metal scraping and base work. The entire unit packs into a small box and is very easy to transport, making it an excellent choice when traveling.
Enough emphasis cannot be placed on using a good iron designed specifically for waxing skis. Clothes irons, with and without steam holes, will work when applying softer paraffin type waxes (low melting temperatures), but are inadequate for applying hard (cold weather) waxes because they simply do not generate a consistent and even supply of heat. Ski irons have more wattage, thicker base plates, much better thermostats (temperature regulators), and more coils that are usually built into the base. There are excellent irons made by Star ($99), Swix (two models, $65-130), and Toko (new 2001 version, $130).
After skis are waxed, all excess wax on the surface must be removed. It is important to remember that we ski on a wax-impregnated base, not a wax layer on the base. Wax on the surface will slow the skis because snow crystals and dirt will stick to the wax. The first step in wax removal is by scraping off the excess. Metal scrapers are for base work and should not be used for removing wax. A typical wax scraper is made from Plexiglas plastic ($3-5) and is about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick to prevent flexing. Scrapers do get dull, but can be sharpened by using a mill bastard or panzer file (see Tech tip #1; sharpen like a steel scraper), or by using one of the special plastic scraper sharpeners on the market. Toko and Holmenkol market ceramic insert sharpeners ($40-55). Swix has a new (for 2001) sharpener ($30) that uses a panzer file mounted in a plastic housing similar to an edge sharpener. It can be hand held or bench mounted.
While the corners of the Plexiglas scrapers are curved, it is better to use a small groove scraper ($2-6) specifically designed to remove wax from the groove(s) in the base. At one time every box of klister came with a plastic spreader, but now these are sold separately as groove scrapers! Two newer types of groove scrapers on the market include the pencil shaped ones from Swix and Toko ($5-6) and the soft plastic scraper ($2) from V2 (Jenex) that doesn't gouge the base if it slips out of the groove.
After the wax has been ironed into the base and the excess scraped off, the remaining surface wax still needs to be removed from the structure (texture and rills) of the base. Even when a roto brush will be used, the bases need to be hand brushed first; otherwise the roto brush will be overloaded. The hand brush needs to be stiff enough to remove the wax from the structure, yet soft enough so that it does not scratch the base and raise any p-Tex hairs (micro strands of base material). Choose a brush that is fairly large and that can be easily gripped. A good brush will cost $15-30 and last several years.
New stiff plastic brushes work well when using softer paraffin waxes. The bristles should be of semi-clear "pearl" plastic, not solid colored or white. Plastic brushes do wear out fairly quickly because the sharp ends of the bristles become rounded with use. Plastic bristles on hand brushes are not very good at removing hard plastic waxes.
Softer brass and copper brushes work well. Most brass brushes are for base preparation and tend to be too stiff and sharp, and therefore tend to scratch the base. Save these for base work. Instead, choose a softer brass (thin, longer strands) or a copper brush. When pushing a thumb against the bristles, they should feel fairly stiff but not be sharp or prickly. Sierra Nordic markets an excellent soft brass brush ($19), and Toko makes a couple of models of copper brushes ($25-30).
The final phase of waxing is to polish the base. This buffs the surface wax to a nicer shine while removing all residual surface wax. The pores of the base remain filled with wax yet all the surface structure (texture) is exposed. If a roto brush is not available, then the surface should be polished using a soft WHITE Scotchbrite type pad or sheet. Swix markets these sheets (made by 3M) as Fibertex. NEVER use any green, brown, purple other colored Scotchbrite/Fibertex sheets. These are designed as kitchen scouring pads and for auto-body work to scratch the surface of the paint before repainting. When used on a ski base, the small particles of silicon carbide imbedded in these colored sheets raise millions of tiny strands of p-Tex base material. Each of these strands acts like a miniature anchor, dragging and slowing the ski.
The white pads and sheets do not contain any silicon carbide. They are made from polyethylene, the same plastic as in the ski base, but with a lower molecular weight and are therefore softer. The white material will polish the bases instead of scratching them. Some of these white Scotchbrite/Fibertex type pads and sheets are softer than others, and softer is better. Swix Fibertex sheets (3 for $8-9) are available in white. Sierra Nordic markets hand size polishing pads (4 for $3) which are easy to grip and can be stuck onto the bristles of a brass brush for extra polishing "elbow grease". V2 /Jenex makes a very soft sheet sewn into a roll that fits over a roto brush. Called Omni-prep ($25), this is an excellent product for initial base work on new skis, and it works well for polishing the bases after waxing. While all scraping and brushing is done with tip-to-tail stokes only, polishing can be done up and down the length of the ski. Finish with several tip-to-tail strokes.
If a roto brush is available, this is an excellent way to finish glide waxing a ski. Handles ($45-75) are available that hold one or two brushes, and come with or without shields. The shield prevents wax dust and chips from flying away from the brush. If a lot of dust is being raised, the skis need to be brushed more aggressively with the hand brush. The first pass with the roto brush down the ski should be with a stiffer brush (stiff horse hair or short, usually pearl-white, nylon). The final passes should be with a softer nylon brush (7-10 mm length; usually black bristles). Brushes run $35-45 each, depending on the brand. Sierra Nordic sells a brush kit from Rode for $99 that includes a double handle and two brushes (various types available). An optional shield is available for $19 that slips onto the handle.
Roto brushes are used with an electric drill. The best models are 120 volt electric (not cordless – they turn too slowly) with variable speed from 0-2500 rpm, reversible, with a 3/8-inch chuck (preferably keyless). Home Depot sells such drills for about $50. The direction of the drill depends on which side the tip of the ski is located on the bench or vise. Set the drill to forward or reverse so that at the contact point of the brush to the ski, the brush is rotating tip-to-tail. It does not matter which way the drill/brush moves along the ski – both forward and backward motions are OK – because the brush is always rotating correctly. Important: use light pressure when roto brushing – let the brush do the work. e
All recommended tools and supplies may be ordered from our On-Line Shop.
