Official Ski/Binding Maintenance Thread

While riding yesterday, my binding started to squeek, a lot. Everytime I would go over the tiniest bump it would squeek. Does it just need a little grease?
 
I may try to do an addendum to that vid. The video was well done. Props to mrstskier.

You should use the same color petex that you have on your bases already. I actually like using clear petex. When petex burns, it gets little carbon flakes and impurities in it. Technically, those little flake make your bases slower, and may not adhere to the base as well. It's tricky to get petex to drip onto your base without getting carbon in it. The trick as in the video is to keep the petex close to a surface. When you have a yellow flame, you are getting carbon. While the candle is burning you can use your metal scraper to cut the black flakes off then hold the candle close to your base and don't let the flame get yellow. That should keep your petex clear going on the ski. Blue flame good! Yellow flame bad!

Also, when you scrape with a metal scraper, I would just add that you want to lightly pull the scraper towards you. Try to take it off a little at a time in layers instead of hammering on it and trying to go all the way to the base in one shot. That will usually rip part of your petex job out. Don't forget to srape the petex off of the side of your edges too. As the you begin to get most of the petex off and your base is starting to look flat again, put your thumbs on the scraper directly over the spot that you filled and scrape back and forth with a lot of pressure. Ideally you barely want to be able to see the circular drip marks when your done. You definitely want to get a metal scraper for petexing.
 
Thanks. Glad you made your video. My metal scraper went missing too. Beware the work bench gnomes!. They steal metal scrapers and use them for vanity mirrors in their wee little bathrooms.
 
or in my case it gets jacked by the sister's boyfriend who needed it to ptex at his own house haha. he brought it back like 25 min after i finished the vid
 
I find that warming the bases with a hairdryer beforehand makes them run faster the next day. Not heat and make hot, but warm them up.

Whenever I wax skis with extruded bases, so for anyone with Afterbangs, etc, I like to apply the wax, smooth it out with the iron, and then run the hairdryer over it for a few minutes. That way, the pores stay open, and the wax stays liquid for longer, so it can absorb a lot more. The same principle as hotboxing, but a lot cheaper and quicker.
 
So I picked up some new skis, I know how to wax em and have all the right tools. my question is do I need to wax new skis or no??
 
Can't believe it took me this long to trip and fall into this goldmine!!!

Thanks so much no_steeze, mrstskier, Mr.Huck$, and others (I'm still kind of reading through it...) Videos are very well done. My rainy Monday project is going to consist of my first attempt at waxing my rossi scratch wrs. The bases are a mess, and I'm probably gonna de-tune some Armada PC's.
 
i took apart my 120 heel pieces, and even tho i dont need to yet, i cant seem to properly put them back together acuz i had to replace the plastic long thingy on one of them which required me to take it apart all the guts fell out of the other one /:

haha ill just worry about it when i have the breaks tho, i need ma lizzys for spring break next week!
 
Not really a maintenance question but I didn't really think my stupidity deserves its own thread so
I have a pair of 171 invaders and just got a pair of elizabeths which are 172, how ever when the skis are lying next each other tail to tail the invaders are probably an inch maybe an inch and a half longer then the elizabeths, but shouldn't the elizabeths be a touch longer being that they are 172 vs the 171 of the invaders? Am I missing something here?
 
got em back together

that situation just had to do with me being dumb

they are on ma lizzys right now in the shop, lookin all pretty

ready for spring break shenanigans
 
Just wondering and new to this new school ski community

How often does waxing need to be done?(with what wax if skiing 60% slope, 30% rail 10% POW)

After skiing care for boots and skis

some basic info of your care would be helpful
 
Sparknotes of this thread:

Wax your skis as often as possible. If you can, wax them every time you go skiing. Certain waxes work best in certain temperatures, but for most people a universal wax will work just fine in all conditions. Dominator Zoom or Swix Universal Cold/Warm work well and are pretty cheep.

Buckle your boots and wipe down your skis with a rag when your done skiing. Store all your gear in a warm, dry location.
 
This is kinda a weird practice that I do sometimes. I get a heat warming blanket that gets pretty hot and warm up my skis for like a couple hours or so to make it kinda like a hot box. Is this bad and does anyone else do this?
 
wondering about ski vise...to ones who have it

is there any recommendations for it? or is it just cheap ones on eBay....
 
Build your own vice/platforms. All you need is a solid platform wide enough for two skis and with a notch down the middle for holding a ski edge-up. I got reclaimed wood for free from my friend (two 12x12x1 platforms and a load of 2x4s) and gathered screws and adhesive foam sheeting that was lying around my workshop. It's way more solid than anything I've used and zero setup time when using it. Just screw stacks of 2x4s to the planks. Really easy.
 
Could someone explain the waxing when you get new skis?

You guys said i should wax my new skis 6-10 times before skiing them, do you mean wax them, let them sit for 1 hour scrap wax again repeat? or just wax scrap wax scrap

And should i wax with different kinds of waxes each time?
 
Swix mkes a Base Prep wax. Buy a 60g pack:http://www.reliableracing.com/detail.cfm?edp=10620870 (this is pretty much the best price out there).

The first wax application, your base is going to suck up the wax pretty much instantly. This will be visible; the darker-colored pools of wax will dry up quickly. Keep dripping on and ironing in wax until this stops. then wait for the wax to solidify (~20-30 min), and then scrape it and brush it out vigorously for about 5 minutes. Then wax again, same process as above, except the wax won't get sucked in as much. Then scrape & brush. Repeat until the base no longer sucks in the wax; your last application will just leave a layer of wax above the scraped/brushed base surfaced. Scrape/brush once more (devote a solid 10 minutes to this brushing, and then use a fiberline sheet or paper towel to wipe off any dirt), and let your skis set overnight. The next day, apply base prep once more, and then hot-scrape it (scrape while the wax is still liquid), and let it dry. Scrape, brush, and wait a half hour. Your bases are now ready to accept regular wax, so check your ski forecast and get-er-done!
 
question about mounting: is it okay to drill more than three times? my hellbents had been drilled twice by the previous owner. i drilled them again for a pair of look pivots. the pivots broke this season, so i need a new pair of bindings. my question is, should i get a pair of expensive ass look bindings with wide brakes so that way it'll fit into the drill holes or can i get a different brand and just ptex the old holes and redrill? +K for answers. kthxbai.
 
you definitely don't want to put new bindings into old holes. they'd be much more likely to pull out. The issue with drilling skis too many times really comes down to proximity of drill holes. if the previous owners boot size was much larger or smaller than yours, the first two set of drill holes are probably nowhere near where you'll put new ones. but this should absolutely be the last time you put bindings on the ski, as the core/structure can really be comprised by all those holes, even if you plug them.
 
I know several shop techs that would argue your first point. new bindings into old holes is fine as long as the screws come out without damaging the core. But to the OP, I've heard from every tech that I have talked to that 4 mounts is fine as long as every hole is at least 1/8th of an inch away from another. Also, DO NOT DRIP P-TEX INTO THE SCREW HOLES. It makes a terrible seal and usually fails at keeping water out of the core. Get some plastic plugs or plug the holes using a golf tee and wood glue. It helps the structure of the core as well as keeping water out better.

 
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