Tune Your Waxing Irons!

[Jacques]

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Oh hella yes! Nice work! The fruits of your labor will show!

 

[vtmecheng]

Checked my Toko iron, it’s concave and the four corners were definitely proud. I sanded it so the corners are no longer proud but it’s still a bit concave. It seems having the thing too concave and the corners proud could put more heat into the metal edges, which already get hotter because they are metal.

 

[cantunamunch]

Checked my Toko iron, it’s concave and the four corners were definitely proud. I sanded it so the corners are no longer proud but it’s still a bit concave. It seems having the thing too concave and the corners proud could put more heat into the metal edges, which already get hotter because they are metal.

This is where having enough wax on the ski to fill the pocket/concavity helps. The more wax mass undergoes phase change, the more even the overall temperature.

There's a bit of a least-wax-scraped club on here but *not* being a minimalist has its advantages too. Especially with budget waxes.

@Jacques works with $1/gram waxes or pricier more than most here - it's not remotely surprising that he's not a fan of pushing a large, heat convecting, pocket/blob of wax around as it's trapped under the center of the iron.

 

[Jacques]

Checked my Toko iron, it’s concave and the four corners were definitely proud. I sanded it so the corners are no longer proud but it’s still a bit concave. It seems having the thing too concave and the corners proud could put more heat into the metal edges, which already get hotter because they are metal.

Keep in mind, you do need to heat the edges a bit. If not, the base plastic at the edge cools too fast. You need to get wax to penetrate there, because that's where the base gets the most work. Almost always where the first signs of burn show.
With a flat iron, you can have control over that. Slightly tilt the iron and run down the edges. Pay attention when waxing, where the wax cools the quickest. The wax will tell you.

 

[vtmecheng]

Keep in mind, you do need to heat the edges a bit. If not, the base plastic at the edge cools too fast. You need to get wax to penetrate there, because that's where the base gets the most work. Almost always where the first signs of burn show.
With a flat iron, you can have control over that. Slightly tilt the iron and run down the edges. Pay attention when waxing, where the wax cools the quickest. The wax will tell you.

The last time I waxed, the metal edges were warmer than any other part. I still left the iron a touch concave, just didn’t want the corners so much higher. I can always take more off the iron but I can’t add on.

 

[cantunamunch]

The last time I waxed, the metal edges were warmer than any other part.

But then you already know that anything that is higher than body temp will feel hotter to the touch at the metal bits, even if the metal and plastic are in equilibrium prior to the touch.

 

[vtmecheng]

But then you already know that anything that is higher than body temp will feel hotter to the touch at the metal bits, even if the metal and plastic are in equilibrium prior to the touch.

Metal also heats up faster than plastic and that can lead to the plastic next to the metal getting hotter. Heat transfer is a two way street.

 

[cantunamunch]

Metal also heats up faster than plastic and that can lead to the plastic next to the metal getting hotter. Heat transfer is a two way street.

Certainly. And that's all already baked into my prior answer about needing enough wax.

AFAIAC, that heat transfer into the ski through the edges is very little different than a very very large iron surface, perfectly flattened to the Ptex, without wax to melt.