Is this reliably fixable?

[chilehed]

Apparently I hit the inside edge of one of my new skis with the inside edge of the other; it cut into both the topsheet and the fiberglass underneath and peeled them back two or three inches, exposing the titanal underneath. I know I've hit edge to edge countless times on my other skis, but I've never seen this kind of damage. I imagine that it could be glued back down (don't know what the right material would be), but it seems to me that it's very likely (nearly certain) to happen again.

Surely I'm not the first person to do this. Are there any good options?

 

[Philpug]

Epoxy, clamps and some fine sandpaper. #chicksdigscars.

 

[Tricia]

 

[Karl B]

Use marine epoxy. It is good to -15F.

 

[Jacques]

If you can fix it, then round off the edges at the tips once it becomes reverse side cut. That probably would have prevented it in the first place. Good luck!

 

[chilehed]

Epoxy,...

Use marine epoxy...

Any particular brand recommendation?
Might not a 2-part urethane have better cold and UV resistance, and be more flexible?

 

[pchewn]

Any particular brand recommendation?
Might not a 2-part urethane have better cold and UV resistance, and be more flexible?

Plenty of epoxy suggestions in this thread: https://www.skitalk.com/threads/need-some-repair-advise.29272/

 

[dan ross]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - West system 650 thickened epoxy. Comes in 2 toothpaste sized tubes , tough, hi peel strength , FLEXIBLE and sticks to nearly anything. Sandpaper, clean , alcohol wipe clamp it and forget it. Amazon usually has it ( shop for best price) and it’s great to have around the house as well.
Ps- put painters tape over the edges and base near the repair area. White vinegar cleans uncured epoxy very well.

 

[lisamamot]

Apparently I hit the inside edge of one of my new skis

Check with the manufacturer; several years ago something similar happened to my husband with his Nordica Navigators and Nordica replaced them. He already loves Nordica, but kudos to them for sealing the deal on a lifelong customer!

 

[silverback]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - West system 650 thickened epoxy. Comes in 2 toothpaste sized tubes , tough, hi peel strength , FLEXIBLE and sticks to nearly anything. Sandpaper, clean , alcohol wipe clamp it and forget it. Amazon usually has it ( shop for best price) and it’s great to have around the house as well.
Ps- put painters tape over the edges and base near the repair area. White vinegar cleans uncured epoxy very well.

I don’t always worry about a little g-flex getting on the edges or other places it doesn’t belong. I typically de-clamp after 8-12 hours, before full cure. Then I can easily use a razor blade to clean up any drips or spooges while the epoxy isn’t rock hard.
After 24 hours +, I use a file for clean up and or smoothing/leveling.

Another tip. I like to put old plexiglass scrapers on the repair side and base side and clamp on these. They flex just enough to conform to the ski shape and have a thin layer of wax all over them that makes releasing a breeze.

 

[slow-line-fast]

Make sure it is totally dry first, set near a radiator overnight or something similar

 

[Karl B]

Any particular brand recommendation?
Might not a 2-part urethane have better cold and UV resistance, and be more flexible?

I never had access to 2 part urethane but, I have used marine epoxy from Ace Hardware and Home Depot with good results every time. Be sure to let it cure for a full 24 hours.

 

[dan ross]

I don’t always worry about a little g-flex getting on the edges or other places it doesn’t belong. I typically de-clamp after 8-12 hours, before full cure. Then I can easily use a razor blade to clean up any drips or spooges while the epoxy isn’t rock hard.
After 24 hours +, I use a file for clean up and or smoothing/leveling.

Another tip. I like to put old plexiglass scrapers on the repair side and base side and clamp on these. They flex just enough to conform to the ski shape and have a thin layer of wax all over them that makes releasing a breeze.

@silverback - don’t give away all the trade secrets agree with everything above. Also g-flex can be thinned somewhat with a short (8-9second) blast in the microwave - after dispensing- if you need it to flow into hard to reach areas. The only potential downside is it will stick to polyethylene ( most epoxy won’t or not well)

 

[dan ross]

I never had access to 2 part urethane but, I have used marine epoxy from Ace Hardware and Home Depot with good results every time. Be sure to let it cure for a full 24 hours.

Polyurethanes can be great but I’m not sure of the flexibility in cold temps. At least not the flexibility and vibration we are talking about here. As I posted above, I do know what will work . Marine epoxy basically isn’t different in application from household epoxy but If you go the HD depot route, look for Gorilla brand as it’s the best consumer epoxy I’ve tried. I recommended the west system because I KNOW it works. Been using it since it came out and never had a failure. The best urethane I know of is also marine grade, 3M 5500 and 3500. Marine grade products have to be excellent-if the adhesive or sealant gives way at sea it’s not a good thing.

 

[chilehed]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - West system 650 thickened epoxy.

Cool, thanks. But please clarify, the website says that 650 flows like honey and 655 is the thickened stuff, more like a gel toothpaste.

I bought a bit of both so I can experiment a bit before committing, see how well they flow with a heat gun.

 

[dan ross]

Cool, thanks. But please clarify, the website says that 650 flows like honey and 655 is the thickened stuff, more like a gel toothpaste.

I bought a bit of both so I can experiment a bit before committing, see how well they flow with a heat gun.

Generally, you can thin the thickened with a little heat.
Not water thin but you don’t want that anyway but close to the viscosity of the Un thickened. The regular ( honey) is great but you need to be more careful about protecting the surrounding areas . The thicker is great stuff and easier to control . You can use it like a filler even. It has a slightly rubbery quality which isn’t a bad thing Prep is important but not difficult. You can speed the cure somewhat with a heat gun or hairdryer but it’s not necessary. However the warmer the ambient temperature is the faster the cure.
You’ll have plenty left over so do store it properly- it’s very handy to have around just for the inevitable household repairs. I’ve even fixed kitchen china that’s been run through a dishwasher hundreds of times and it’s still holding tight.

 

[Lauren]

Are there any good options?

This depends...

Are you looking for an excuse to get a new pair of skis?

 

[dan ross]

Cool, thanks. But please clarify, the website says that 650 flows like honey and 655 is the thickened stuff, more like a gel toothpaste.

I bought a bit of both so I can experiment a bit before committing, see how well they flow with a heat gun.

Yes. Personally, for your issue , I’d use the thickened applied with a toothpick to both sides for that just because it’s easier to control and dispense. Either will work. If you are working in a cold/cool garage the 650 will thicken naturally. Don’t use too much, but don’t use too little either and don’t over-clamp it -tight but not extremely -tight you’ll squeeze out too much epoxy . Before you apply any epoxy, test the clamp(s) and see how it works dry Does it close the damage all the way? . Best to figure that out before everything gets sticky.
It will be fine - you can repair it in less time than it took me to write this.

 

[chilehed]

This depends...

Are you looking for an excuse to get a new pair of skis?

Yeah, but unfortunately these are my new skis and I'm also looking for an excuse to get a new mouthpiece for my sax!

 

[Lauren]

Yeah, but unfortunately these are my new skis and I'm also looking for an excuse to get a new mouthpiece for my sax!

Ok...in that case...listen to the advice about epoxy above