What's your base cleaner of choice

[Dwight]

I use cheaper prep solvents early in a paint job but the DuPont 3919s is the best when you are going to spray the final coats.
DuPont sold its paint biz so that solvent is now called something else.
It works just great for a light base clean.

Cromax

 

[Davec1]

After a bit of research, naphtha is called Shellite here in Australia.

Used as a cleaning solvent, as well as ultralight camp stove and lighter fluid.

You learn something new every day.

 

[eok]

I worked in a few outdoors sports stores many years ago & we'd snag a gallon can of plain 'ol Coleman stove fuel from the camping dept & use it as a base cleaner. Coleman fuel is basically just "white gas" (low ocatane gasoline with no additives) - which is the same as naptha. As a base cleaner - used conservatively and carefully - (it's quite flammable) the stuff works. But that was then.

Nowadays, when I really need to do deep cleaning of ski bases, I:

1) hot scrape

2) brush out with nylon & fine brass brushes

3) rub down the bases with a moderate amount of meadowfoam oil with fiberlene & then rub out any excess oil. The oil tends to break down (emulsify?) the remaining wax. Wend uses meadowfoam oil in their base cleaner(s).

4) lightly spray a Simple Green solution - 40% Simple Green, 40% Rubbing Alcohol, 20% Water - on the bases, wipe down well, wipe off completely and let dry. Rubbing alcohol can be the 70% variety or higher, doesn't matter. Anyway, this is mainly done to get rid of meadowfoam oil residue. Simple green works well for this as meadowfoam is an organic plant based oil.

If I'm just cleaning bases to get rid of grime & contaminants prior to waxing, I stop at step 3 and then wax - because the tiny amount of remaining meadowfoam oil on the base *supposedly* helps wax penetration.

If I'm going to do major base tuning/structuring/repair - or getting the bases ground - I'll do step 4 too, as it prevents gumming up files/stones with base wax residue.

 

[Uncle-A]

If you use a multi step process would WD-40 be a good first step cleaner? The remaining steps to clean off the previous step.

 

[Dakine]

No! WD-40 has surfactants in it which are hard to remove.

 

[Uncle-A]

No! WD-40 has surfactants in it which are hard to remove.

Thanks, was just wondering because it is used as a cleaner other things.

 

[Jacques]

Why be a cheapskate? Use what works and is formulated for ski bases!

 

[dovski]

Why be a cheapskate? Use what works and is formulated for ski bases!
View attachment 74558 View attachment 74558 View attachment 74558

So we can save money and buy more skis silly ;-)

 

[James]

Coleman fuel is basically just "white gas" (low ocatane gasoline with no additives) - which is the same as naptha. As a base cleaner - used conservatively and carefully - (it's quite flammable) the stuff works. But that was then.

All these terms are confusing. Afaik, "White Gas" was gasoline without tetraethyl lead and other additives. Calling it gasoline is probably even wrong. I don't think it's been around in many years. 60yrs?

We have some chemists around, they need to weigh in. Naptha is a class of solvents and not exact afaik. Coleman contains 50% Naptha? It's hard to get actual info other than it cotains a lot of other stuff. Wikipedia is a mess on the subject, Colemans msds is a mess.

Look at the Swix msds. Maybe a chemist has a clue what's in it. I don't.

http://www.swix.de/content/download/7410/442371/version/1/file/I84C_0005_04-08-2015_EN.pdf

 

[Wilhelmson]

All these terms are confusing. Afaik, "White Gas" was gasoline without tetraethyl lead and other additives. Calling it gasoline is probably even wrong. I don't think it's been around in many years. 60yrs?

We have some chemists around, they need to weigh in. Naptha is a class of solvents and not exact afaik. Coleman contains 50% Naptha? It's hard to get actual info other than it cotains a lot of other stuff. Wikipedia is a mess on the subject, Colemans msds is a mess.

Look at the Swix msds. Maybe a chemist has a clue what's in it. I don't.

http://www.swix.de/content/download/7410/442371/version/1/file/I84C_0005_04-08-2015_EN.pdf

Is that diesel fuel with some aromatics? So diesel doesn't dry out the bases but instead fills the voids with hyrocarbons that wax will bond to, whereas isopropyl alcohol cleans the bases but leaves them too dry?

 

[Jacques]

So we can save money and buy more skis silly ;-)

Ha ha! I'm cheap on skis, but not the stuff I use on them!

 

[dovski]

Ha ha! I'm cheap on skis, but not the stuff I use on them!

Being cheap on skis should not stop you from buying more skis at great prices ;-)

Got to love end of seasons deals and summer tent sales

Have actually added two more pairs and another wall rack since this picture was taken

 

[Jacques]

Being cheap on skis should not stop you from buying more skis at great prices ;-)

Got to love end of seasons deals and summer tent sales

View attachment 74715
Have actually added two more pairs and another wall rack since this picture was taken

Yea, I have about 22 pairs. Most I got on the cheap. Second hand thrift shop etc. I few I got new at close out times. Must have been given at least 5 pairs.
Here is an example of cheap. Not like fancy skis, but fine for rock season and still fun either way.

 

[dovski]

Yea, I have about 22 pairs. Most I got on the cheap. Second hand thrift shop etc. I few I got new at close out times. Must have been given at least 5 pairs.
Here is an example of cheap. Not like fancy skis, but fine for rock season and still fun either way.

I tend to buy high end skis at closeout prices from a couple secret sources
We also pass down skis from one child to the next as much as possible.
The other wall in my garage has about 15 pairs of ski boots in every size form 19.5 through 26.5 with a couple 29.5s for me

 

[John Webb]

Yea, I have about 22 pairs. Most I got on the cheap. Second hand thrift shop etc. I few I got new at close out times. Must have been given at least 5 pairs.

LoL, Thats me before I moved. 22 pairs !
I cut back to 11 pairs. One was an ugly pair which I harvested edge strips & base material to repair other skis.
It was hazardous so I cut it into small pieces with a Sawzall before trashing it ! Moved with 10 pairs.

 

[Jacques]

LoL, Thats me before I moved. 22 pairs !
I cut back to 11 pairs. One was an ugly pair which I harvested edge strips & base material to repair other skis.
It was hazardous so I cut it into small pieces with a Sawzall before trashing it ! Moved with 10 pairs.

A sawzall? That's the hard way.
This way is easier.

 

[John Webb]

For base cleaner I've used whatever cheap solvent I've had at the time !
Alcohol, acetone, even gasoline !

 

[Uncle-A]

A sawzall? That's the hard way.
This way is easier.

What a terrible thing to do to a old Kastle ski.

 

[oldschoolskier]

Careful with what you use, as some products while extremely good on wax can also attack the adhesives used in holding your ski together.

 

[James]

A sawzall? That's the hard way.
This way is easier.

That's one way to clean the base!
Blender sounds like a router. Impressive, edges must have been removed. Won't work with skis with metal.