XC Ski Base "Rejuvenation"

[Tony S]

FINAL REPORT: Got the skis. They are FAST. Skating is fun again!!!

And there it is.

 

[nemesis256]

I want to hijack/resurrect this thread and ask a similar question. I've had these classic XC skis for 6 years or so. For the most part the only wax they've gotten is the rub on type. They turn white very quickly after being skied, even after a hot wax like the photo below. The diagonal and curved lines are from me running my nail on the base.

Similar problem as the OP? Are these shot? Would taking many passes with a ski visions base flattener be any help? And how in the hell are you supposed to wax the part with the scales?

 

[Tom K.]

I want to hijack/resurrect this thread and ask a similar question. I've had these classic XC skis for 6 years or so. For the most part the only wax they've gotten is the rub on type. They turn white very quickly after being skied, even after a hot wax like the photo below. The diagonal and curved lines are from me running my nail on the base.

Similar problem as the OP? Are these shot? Would taking many passes with a ski visions base flattener be any help? And how in the hell are you supposed to wax the part with the scales?

These appear to be inexpensive light touring skis? Nothing wrong with that, I own a few pair, but they usually have pretty low to medium quality bases.

Best "Hail Mary" IMO is to brush them strongly with a steel brush (but not quite welder's scratch brush!) then scrape them with a very sharp steel scraper -- I use a Bahco.

Next a brass brush and scrape again.

Then rub the heck out of them with a level or two of scotchbrite pads using a 2 x 2 to get rid of microhairs from the brushing.

Hopefully this will expose a layer of fresh, non-oxidized ptex and you're ready to wax again.

For fish scales, I just use spray-on wax.

Finally, be very careful with a waxing iron on xc skis. They have so much less thermal mass than alpine skis, it's easy to overheat them -- and then you're back to square one.

 

[cantunamunch]

Similar problem as the OP? Are these shot? Would taking many passes with a ski visions base flattener be any help? And how in the hell are you supposed to wax the part with the scales?

View attachment 159405

In order:

Yes except yours is worse.

Yes if you're open to replacing them

Yes, if you have a steel blade for it BUT you have to use a profile board to stop the ski bending away from the blade. If you have a backing profile, you also have the option of chucking grey Fibertex into a power tool and hitting the skis after the (vicious) scraping.

A cheap and dirty way to get a profile board for tip and tail support is to cut pink or blue styro board to roughly ski shape and duct tape it to the support.

Pastes and liquids are how the scales get wax on them BUT that wax is _only_ meant to control snow clumping. So the paste and liquid will be several orders "warmer" than the wax you use in the glide zones.