Tune Your Waxing Irons!

[Tom K.]

The Dominator scrapings go into the bike chain hot pot - and all the chains still look stainless.

Great idea. I always look at my scrapings and wonder what else I could do with them, other than bin them.

I've tip toed up to the edge of the hot pot bike chain idea a few times, but never taken the plunge. How long do you estimate that an application lasts in road and mtb services?

 

[cantunamunch]

How long do you estimate that an application lasts in road and mtb services?

road - 500 milesish, less in brutal cold. The MTBs I top up with drip lube so don't really have a great idea.

 

[Primoz]

Interesting, but that idea is not for me.
@Primoz (not seeming to tag now) I'd love to hear what he would say about iron flatness. He usually is contrary to much of my advice.
He has worked on the WC with CC, sakte skiers. The CC Nordic skiers and techs are as anal as it gets when it comes to waxing.
Let me try again, maybe he does not allow the tagging deal. @Primoz what say you? Hmm....don't think it's working.

Sorry guys for "a bit" late reply, but last few days with 4 WC races and whole bunch of travel in first 7 days of January takes some toll
I'm not sure if that's what I (or you) understand correctly. I understand it as surface of iron is concave , and if it's really so, it's definitely not good thing in my opinion. Iron needs to be perfect flat, so it touches base everywhere the same way, not that you would have concave surface and on edges of ski, iron would be touching base, while at center of ski, iron would be a bit above ptex. If it's really so, then I would throw such iron away (or never get it in first place).
But it can mean something else. I'm using Swix T71 iron (it's basically same as lower range but some more power and way thicker plate work nicer in my opinon), and surface is not completely flat. Let me try to explain that (not going to be easy though, so I hope it will make sense).... If you lay iron down on ski (with iron pointing down the ski, like it should be), you have a bit of lift on front of iron, and then all my irons (from basically beginning of my ski tech career) had some custom grinding on back of plate, to sort of lift it from ski in last 2 or 3cm of iron. This sort of improves redistribution of hot wax behind iron (makes it easier for scrapping of colder/harder waxes once they cool off, and perfectly flat wax makes it easier to do edge tuning job). So if this "Unique curved plate to "cup" wax as you iron and prevent wax loss." is meant this what I just tried to explain, then it's all good. Because middle part of iron (it's still biggest part of iron) is still perfectly flat, and that's part of iron that touches ptex.

 

[crgildart]

I'd be moderately interested in a slightly rockered iron with a little early rise on one edge to gobble up the dots along the way. Might be interested in trying that wax on iron and smear method with harder waxes to alleviate that dot pop annoyance... A little early rise might no longer require raising the leading edge of the iron to re melt those hardened dots that get pushed off the ski otherwise..

 

[Jacques]

Sorry guys for "a bit" late reply, but last few days with 4 WC races and whole bunch of travel in first 7 days of January takes some toll
I'm not sure if that's what I (or you) understand correctly. I understand it as surface of iron is concave , and if it's really so, it's definitely not good thing in my opinion. Iron needs to be perfect flat, so it touches base everywhere the same way, not that you would have concave surface and on edges of ski, iron would be touching base, while at center of ski, iron would be a bit above ptex. If it's really so, then I would throw such iron away (or never get it in first place).
But it can mean something else. I'm using Swix T71 iron (it's basically same as lower range but some more power and way thicker plate work nicer in my opinon), and surface is not completely flat. Let me try to explain that (not going to be easy though, so I hope it will make sense).... If you lay iron down on ski (with iron pointing down the ski, like it should be), you have a bit of lift on front of iron, and then all my irons (from basically beginning of my ski tech career) had some custom grinding on back of plate, to sort of lift it from ski in last 2 or 3cm of iron. This sort of improves redistribution of hot wax behind iron (makes it easier for scrapping of colder/harder waxes once they cool off, and perfectly flat wax makes it easier to do edge tuning job). So if this "Unique curved plate to "cup" wax as you iron and prevent wax loss." is meant this what I just tried to explain, then it's all good. Because middle part of iron (it's still biggest part of iron) is still perfectly flat, and that's part of iron that touches ptex.

Fantastic contribution to the thread. Thanks. This really touches on iron shaping where I did not really go in my video.

 

[Jacques]

I'd be moderately interested in a slightly rockered iron with a little early rise on one edge to gobble up the dots along the way. Might be interested in trying that wax on iron and smear method with harder waxes to alleviate that dot pop annoyance... A little early rise might no longer require raising the leading edge of the iron to re melt those hardened dots that get pushed off the ski otherwise..

I feel it best to use the touch and rub method for all waxes. It works fantastic for hard waxes in bar form.
Here is how to do it for those that have not done the touch and rub method.

 

[pchewn]

If the iron is perfectly flat, the base will never touch the entire base of the ski. Because the ski is curved concave (camber) or convex (rocker) along its length. Unless you have a very unique way of clamping or fixturing your skis while waxing, the ski base will not be flat along the length of the ski.

Having the iron and the ski flat in the cross-wise direction (from ski edge to ski edge) makes a lot of sense. But in the other direction, I'm afraid it is a futile effort to make sure the iron is flat, because the ski is not flat in that direction.

 

[Tom K.]

The iron curving up in front makes sense to me, but.....never been much of a fan of tail rocker. Lame, sorry!

You guys talking about ironing in wax "dots", am I the only one that applies wax off the iron in a thin stripe by almost touching the corner of the iron to the ski base while moving it down the length of the ski? No dots!

 

[Jacques]

If the iron is perfectly flat, the base will never touch the entire base of the ski. Because the ski is curved concave (camber) or convex (rocker) along its length. Unless you have a very unique way of clamping or fixturing your skis while waxing, the ski base will not be flat along the length of the ski.

Having the iron and the ski flat in the cross-wise direction (from ski edge to ski edge) makes a lot of sense. But in the other direction, I'm afraid it is a futile effort to make sure the iron is flat, because the ski is not flat in that direction.

Sure a ski has camber and rocker, but the iron needs to be flat. It may have some rocker to it, but never camber.
Go back and read Primoz post above.

I do use my iron sideways quite a bit. The shorter length will conform better to the skis rocker. I also shape the edges of my irons to give them a bit of rocker in all directions. The T-8 comes with a shaped tail, but still needs a lot of work. Once you do the work, your good to go!

 

[Jacques]

The iron curving up in front makes sense to me, but.....never been much of a fan of tail rocker. Lame, sorry!

You guys talking about ironing in wax "dots", am I the only one that applies wax off the iron in a thin stripe by almost touching the corner of the iron to the ski base while moving it down the length of the ski? No dots!

Well, no, it's not lame at all. It's smart and a good thing to have. It need not be to a super high degree, but it needs to be there.

 

[cantunamunch]

The iron curving up in front makes sense to me, but.....never been much of a fan of tail rocker. Lame, sorry!

You guys talking about ironing in wax "dots", am I the only one that applies wax off the iron in a thin stripe by almost touching the corner of the iron to the ski base while moving it down the length of the ski? No dots!

It's a question of heating rate not distance from the ski - dots mean the wax is only flowing just fast enough to break away from the iron (overcoming attractive forces) when it has made a big heavy drop. Steady stream means there is more energy in the wax (relative to its internal attractive forces) so it can separate from the iron more easily.


In other words a trickle means one of three things - bigger iron heating element or higher iron temperature or softer wax.

 

[crgildart]

You guys talking about ironing in wax "dots", am I the only one that applies wax off the iron in a thin stripe by almost touching the corner of the iron to the ski base while moving it down the length of the ski? No dots!

It comes down like that when I use more wax... when I anticipate it might be the summer storage wax I let more run off the iron so it ends up thicker. For regular season, and early season I am very stingy, moving the iron faster end to end with a drop about every inch or two up and down in rows, How many rows depends on how wide the ski is.. 2 rows of dots for carvers and 3 rows of dots for wider skis.. Then I press it down in to the bases barely having any excess left to scrape off after finishing.. It's not uncommon for me to have to go back and dab a couple more drops on areas that I couldn't smear the dots out enough to cover.. Ya, I'm that stingy with wax..

 

[Tom K.]

I'm pretty stingy with the wax, too. I'll try and post up a pic or two later this week, when I'm waxing my wife's skis (finished all of mine yesterday).

Thanks, guys!

 

[James]

I'd be moderately interested in a slightly rockered iron with a little early rise on one edge to gobble up the dots along the way. Might be interested in trying that wax on iron and smear method with harder waxes to alleviate that dot pop annoyance... A little early rise might no longer require raising the leading edge of the iron to re melt those hardened dots that get pushed off the ski otherwise..

I tought I'd seen an iron like that to avoid snowplowing of fluoro powders.

Calculus, (as in math), and having the iron flat despite some camber. Some overlap there?

As for the dots, stream issue.. Either or. With super cold waxes, streaming is different, no need to wait. Even if it was a line instead of a dot, the wax still jumps off the ski if you don't melt it down first. Or use the melt and rub method. Whatever. With cold I think it's probably more work than just dripping it. Whatever floats your boat.

Btw, this is the best iron you can buy for $130. I have the older version in solid blue plastic. Start Haus used to charge over double that. I know someone who used to wax skis all day. They actually preferred the analog over the digital. Note, Hohlmenkohl's irons are this Italian Star brand.

http://shop.caldwellsport.com/star-analog-110v-160c-iron/

 

[crgildart]

OOOh an iron quiver photo thread!! I'm using a T74 that Vistman sent me a couple years ago., Before that it was moms hahahaha..

 

[cantunamunch]

Data point : one ball Jay sticks to HDPE (non sintered) better than to wood. I know this because I was cutting some lifter plates on the low bench and as I released the clamps great gummy clumps of OBJ stuck to the bottom of the cut pieces. Herself looked at me and I told her _not_ to put that in the hot pot. I am not THAT stingy.

Yes I have a bench quiver.

 

[James]

OOOh an iron quiver photo thread!! I'm using a T74 that Vistman sent me a couple years ago., Before that it was moms hahahaha..

Those old Swix irons I think are much better. Once they switched to thin film heating elements they turned to crap. Maybe it had to do with a change in manufacturing locale. I wouldn't buy even an expensive Swix one now.

 

[Sibhusky]

I've got one of these cute things. I think they are discontinued.

 

[Jacques]

Data point : one ball Jay sticks to HDPE (non sintered) better than to wood. I know this because I was cutting some lifter plates on the low bench and as I released the clamps great gummy clumps of OBJ stuck to the bottom of the cut pieces. Herself looked at me and I told her _not_ to put that in the hot pot. I am not THAT stingy.

Yes I have a bench quiver.

Please don't say the One "B" "J" name here! Stuff stinks like perfume! Ouch!

 

[Jacques]

I've got one of these cute things. I think they are discontinued.

I had a Mouse for a while. It was a fine little iron indeed.