Can wax dry up?
 

About three years ago I got back into XC-skiing. At the time I bought 3
different waxes. They were all so hard to apply, the waxes were as firm
as parrafin/candle wax. Needless to say, they never gave me any grip to
kick with. Last spring I bought wax from a different shop. This wax is
alot softer and easier to apply. This winter it's the only wax I've
used, and has given me great results. So now I'm wondering if the wax I
bought the first time was just old and dried up. Can this happen? Anyone
else have the same problems?
Thanks
Jack

Jack Pagel wrote:
About three years ago I got back into XC-skiing. At the time I bought 3
different waxes. They were all so hard to apply, the waxes were as firm
as parrafin/candle wax. Needless to say, they never gave me any grip to
kick with. Last spring I bought wax from a different shop. This wax is
alot softer and easier to apply. This winter it's the only wax I've
used, and has given me great results. So now I'm wondering if the wax I
bought the first time was just old and dried up.

Waxes come in different hardnesses, and the one to use is determined by
the snow temperature. Colder snow has harder crystals that will bite
into harder waxes, so waxes for cold temperatures are quite hard.
Softer waxes work better at higher temperatures, but will more or less
glue you to the floor if you use them in cold snow. I suspect you've
just bought wax designed for higher temperatures.

An exception to this is the two wax system where one wax does wet
(typically soft) snow and one does dry, and you vary the thickness for
more or less grip. This means you don't need as many waxes, but it
doesn't work as optimally as the right temperature dependent wax.

Waxes are typically identified by a colour that corresponds to a
temperature, the temperature is also usually printed on the cannister.
Hardest/coldest wax is black, or polar, then in order green, blue,
violet red. "Special" waxes are steps harder/colder away from the usual
colour, so blue special comes between blue and green. "Extra" is a side
step the other way.

I've yet to see any wax dry out, and I've seen and used wax that's years
and years old. I'd either pick up something on how to wax, or perhaps
think of some fishscale skis to save you the bother.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/