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How many wax coats should you put on a new ski

eyvoom

Yeti
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New Hampshire
Curious as to how folks prep their new skis before skiing. Always wax them at least 4-6 times to get full saturation. Have also tried hotboxing and infra-red though I am told that some brands like Stockli recommend against these. Currently in the process of prepping four new skis for the season. At present each has 4-6 coats of wax hand ironed in and have been scraped and buffed.

Typically we wax our skis once a week but we also ski at least 1-2 full days each week. Will never go more than 3 days of skiing without a wax and also re-wax if there is a big change in temps. By the end of the season bases are always super saturated, just want to make sure our new skis are in the best possible shape these season, so appreciate any advice or input.

You're on the right track. Getting your base good and saturated on a new pair is always good (can't say I'm always motivated enough to do this).

Before you apply your base coats, do a few hot-scrapes. You will be amazed at how much crap comes out of the base. Use a soft wax for this. Also use a cheap wax for this, as you just end up scraping most of it off anyway. They make expensive products designed for this, but unless you're doing worldcup races it doesn't really matter. Once your bases no longer secrete blackness, you're ready for saturation.

If you're not feeling too lazy (it doesn't sound like you're that type anyway) always scrape before going out. If you ski your last layer of wax off it just rips the rest out of the base quicker. Brushing is always a nice touch as well.

At the end of the day being good with waxing your planks makes a big difference in how this slide. That being said, if you don't do it religiously you'll still have a good time out there.
 

Marker

Making fresh tracks
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Because of the cost and PITA factor of skiing, I find it's a balancing act on "how much" of anything pays dividends on the slopes. It seems everyone reaches their own sweet spot and can't say they are wrong on how they get there. I tend to go for last season's advanced+ skis and save some cost without any drop off in performance. I have always paid full price for my boots to get what I thought at the time was the best fit (my perceptions have changed with more experience).

So with waxing, I'm definitely in the positive camp and don't mind spending a little extra on what goes into my skis. I have learned much more from this forum and the previous one about waxing and tuning than I have on my own. I only try to pass on what I found works best for me. If a premium wax is expensive, crayon it on to conserve material. If scrapping the wax becomes too much of a chore with a whole family of skis, then use fiberlene and brush the ski out well. If fiberlene is somewhat expensive, find a cheaper alternative since it doesn't actually go into the ski. Get a good iron to avoid overheating and damaging your bases (Toko T14 for me). And so on... YMMV
 

James

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Whatever it takes to float your boat.

IMG_6817.jpg
 

focker

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4-6 coats on 4 pairs of new skis??

How the heck do you find the time to do that? I'm lucky to be able to wax all 4 pairs of our skis once every 2 weeks each, and that's 2 layers only...
 

oldschoolskier

Making fresh tracks
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In very simple terms wax acts like a soap to help moisture reduce the surface tension between the ski base and the snow(ice) surface thereby reducing friction (similar to getting dirt from your hands.

In terms of multiple wax build ups (& hot boxing) this IMHO is more of a way of helping wax bind to the base surface then getting more wax into the pores. This allows for a longer life of the wax as it desolves. Again this has to do with how things stick to plastic.

Finally, depending on application wax selection is important. Racing consider specific temperature (those that know advise here). Just about everything else a good mutli-temp/condition wax should work for most (I use Hertal as my do all be all wax and have no issue).

For those few conditions where I forgot to wax (or conditions changed dramatically from what was predicted) block of beeswax in pocket, rub in (works in any condition) and small bar of soap in warm/wet conditions where everything fails (again old solution & only good for about 30sec runs, makes the difference between skiing fast or sticking slow).
 

trailtrimmer

Stuck in the Flatlands
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Michigan
There's a lot of superstition and ritual around waxing. Fortunately, modern ptex engineering makes a pretty good base that isn't dependant on wax. So @Noodler can wax 4 times before skiing and I can do my yearly waxing and both of us can enjoy long life and good performance from our skis. @Doug Briggs still is relevant for the racers.

Where does DPS Phantom fit in?

Eric

Modern ptex is awesome, but it still needs to be protected and optimized. The structure of the base and the proper wax work together to evacuate moisture from the under the ski. The wax displaces moisture and the structure breaks suction.

Wax fills the micropores, softer waxes flow into the pores easier and scrape and brush out of the structure easier. Softer waxes however grip snow crystals when they are cold and tough like on man made snow in single digits and sub zero temps. The harder waxes don't penetrate the bases as well and are harder to scrape and brush out, but that extra layer it leaves behind is crucial for reducing friction and protecting the bases. Constant use in single digits and sub zero temps on groomers will burn bases in a hurry, less of a worry in powder though.

Doing a couple rounds of soft wax then a universal or proper temp on new skis will go a long way. So will waxing every three or four ski days. It becomes obvious if you ski with people who wax on a regular basis and you exit the chair or hit flat cat tracks. You could also wax one ski and not the other.
 

jonc

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What about brand new skis that you have the shop grind and set edges then wax? Typical new ski package.

Should you still hot wax a few cycles first? Before or after the shop works on them?
 

KingGrump

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What about brand new skis that you have the shop grind and set edges then wax? Typical new ski package.

Should you still hot wax a few cycles first? Before or after the shop works on them?

Most "hot wax" processes at most ski shops do not involve an iron. Looks good going out the door but often the durability is questionable.
 
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Noodler

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Most "hot wax" processes at most ski shops do not involve an iron. Looks good going out the door but often the durability is questionable.

That's a really good point. I'm surprised it took us this long for someone to point this out.

One wax coat at a shop typically doesn't equal a good home one coat job.
 

CalG

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Hat wax at the local ski area shop is just a roll over the tank roller.

The wax is liquid, that's good, it's "HOT" wax, but the ski base never gets warmed up. It's a great treatment for off season storage!

But it's not much of a ski glide and base protection process.
 

James

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What about brand new skis that you have the shop grind and set edges then wax? Typical new ski package.

Should you still hot wax a few cycles first? Before or after the shop works on them?
Typical new ski package is not ground by the shop unless you request and pay for it.
Someone above argues for just skiing a brand new ski to get off the garbage "wax" that's on there. Then wax.
I suppose that really depends on the snow type/temp. Very cold and agressive snow wouldn't be good.

After grinding. No sense before.
 

Jacques

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How could this roll on wax not be good? They claim a wax temperature up to 320 F. That's frickin' hot.
Why do we not see wax smoking from this machine?
They claim it's just like the "Racers" wax job.
No mention of cleaning base prior, so who knows what is in that pot of wax.
Oh yea, no need to cool wax. Just buff it out and go. High internal friction?
Note the waxing of a new unmounted ski too.
Keep in mind this is a promotional video.
 
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Doug Briggs

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Hat wax at the local ski area shop is just a roll over the tank roller.

The wax is liquid, that's good, it's "HOT" wax, but the ski base never gets warmed up. It's a great treatment for off season storage!

But it's not much of a ski glide and base protection process.

At the shop I work at, we only iron on wax.
 

Doug Briggs

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How could this roll on wax not be good? They claim a wax temperature up to 320 F. That's frickin' hot.
Why do we not see wax smoking from this machine?
They claim it's just like the "Racers" wax job.
No mention of cleaning base prior, so who knows what is in that pot of wax.
Oh yea, no need to cool wax. Just buff it out and go. High internal friction?
Keep in mind this is a promotional video.
The sarcasm is strong with this one. ;)

While the wax is hot, the ski doesn't get the benefit of the heat from the mass of the iron. The ski doesn't get warm, so you are just putting hot wax on a cold ski.
 
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James

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A lot of shops have gone to the infrared waxers. Partly to reduce labor of hot waxing.

 

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