Tuning Equipment

SnowCoast

Active member
I'm looking for some ski tuning equipment to have at home, nothing major like hot irons and all that, just tools I would need for edge sharpening/cleaning and basic waxing. For all you shop techs out there, is there a certain brand that is better than others that your shop uses/trusts?

Thanks.

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'I was like a 13 year old girl meeting a backstreet boy'

- Ski@Jaypeak2 ... on meeting Glen Plake
 
nothing fancy like irons? Well you will need that for basic waxing. =o) Anyway, you will need an edge bevel for your side edge, and if you care about your base edge and dont want to spend too much money, I think Toko and Swix both make an side/base edge beviler that will do them simotaniously. If you are just doing park stuff you probably dont need to worry about the base bevel.

Back to the tools.

Side Edge Bevel (0-3 degree)

Base Edge Bevel (can do 0-1 degree, but you can also just use a file and put some tape at one end, ask if you want to go this route)

A Medium Grit Diamond Stone (Removes Burs from hitting rocks etc.)

A Hard Gummi Stone (for removing rust from edges and smaller burs)

A Good File (Made specifily for skis, not from the hardware store)

A Hot Wax Ski Iron (It is worth the money to buy a low end Swix or Toko Iron MADE for skis, they just work so much better than a regular iron.....)

Wax (Swix/Toko/Holmenkol Yellow+Red/Pink, Yellow for warm days, Red when it is cold)

To clean all you need to do is hot scrape your bases. To do this throw a quick cote of wax on the ski and ebfore it gets cool scrape it off. THis will pull any duirt or debris out of your base. Works much better than base cleaner, and isnt bad for the ski.

All of this stuff is not cheap though. However it is much more cost effective in the long run than paying to have it done, especially if you are doing other skis, like your own quiver, or your family's.

Drop a line for more questions.

peace

 
^^^ holy shit. i want to be a ski tech so i can do that EXACT same thing.

_______________________________________

What skiing will become$$$

Hey, does anyone know what would be better for me, a narcoleptic bulldozer, or an irish wolfhound who thinks he's Hillary Duff? - J.D._May

Not wearing poles is alot like getting a blowjob from a guy...It feels good until you look down and realize you're gay.

 
yup, he summed it up pretty good. ski tuning is fun. once you figure it out, you can set your skis up exactly how you like them. like me, i like a beveled edge, about 3 degrees on the base, with round tips, tails, and under foot, and quick hit of sandpaper to take off the sharpness on the edges in between.

opps, that was free advertising.
 
^ ski vices are nice, but if you don't want to spend the money on them, just use two big wood blocks with notches cut into them (just like 1/4 inch) to support the the ski

______________________

Screw this I'm going skiing
 
rather than buying an expensive ski company iron you can get one where youre mom buys hers!! Just make sure it doesnt have teflon on it, and if you can find one without the steam holes thats even better! I found a really small iron with no holes in it at a garage sale for like 5 bucks, thats a perfect travel iron, or if youre only doing one pair of skis! Oh nd the best tip for waxing is dont keep the iron in one place, you can really fuck up the bases!

 
Twostix already pointed that out. Thanks for all the help guys. Solid.

_______________________

'I was like a 13 year old girl meeting a backstreet boy'

- Ski@Jaypeak2 ... on meeting Glen Plake
 
I am not a ski tech actually, though I suppose I could be one... I just race so that means keeping 4+ skis in tip top shape at all times. So you tend to learn/pick up a few trick along the way, as far as how ridiculusly expencive my tool box has become, probably around 3k or so by now.

to add to my list, ya I forgot the vice and scraper, my bad.

a swix brass+nylon or brass+horse hair brush wouldnt be a bad investment either.

whoever it was that had teh 1k box going, way to go dude, best damn ski investments you have made, keep it up, buy yourself a few new tools a year and you will will be up in record breaking estate values in no time =o)

 
get a job at a shop, and you will learn everything, and you'll get to do it to your skis for free. otherwise, good luck. seriously though, in my opinion, getting a job at a shop, even for a month, will teach you a ton.

free ipods for everyone!!!
 
Exactly, the reason I lacked. Very well put. I mean one is made for cotten, polyester, silk and wool. The other made for different hardnesses of wax. =o)

 
no a $30 ski/board iron would not be a bad investment. There are a couple reasons to not use a household iron, first off, they typically have some sort of treatment on them, often these can flake off and get into your bases (BAD), second they have holes, holes hold wax and moisture and can rust, rust in base=bad, and if your obsessive the holes can hold wax you do not want on your skis at that time (many world cup tuners have an iron for each wax they use), third the temp regulator in household irons is very poor compared to tuning irons, even the cheap ones will have better temp control than household irons

life is too short to have any regrets
 
lmao, in that case, I hope for your sake you never find yourself at the top of an icy clif or in an icy chute... any ice for that matter...

 
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