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temporary wax for waxless skis when all stores are closed?
Hi. I am new to cross country skiing - bought them last year at the
end of the season, and we have occasional snow. They are Alpine Control waxless skis. I did not have the trouble with the snow sticking to the skis on the first snow, but it was much colder. Our second snow today is a wetter snow and it's very difficult to move without getting snowballs on the bottom of the skis. OK, I read I should put a liquid glide wax on the skis, however it's Christmas eve, all stores are closed - stores here don't sell cross country equipment anyway so I will most likely have to order mail order - though I may try REI - on Monday they are open, they sell something called sxix universal temperature wax that appears to be available from checking a product availability search. Another store called the alpine shop here which sells things for downhill skiing has something called home grown soy stick wax. Do you know if either of these two will work? Is there anything I might be able to get and use in the meantime that won't harm the skis that might be obtainable from a walgreens, which is most likely the only place open on Christmas. I am happy to mail order, but chances are by the time it gets here the snow will be melted, and my holidays where I have time to ski over with. I'm new at this, just doing it in the park across the street - fairly flat ground but it's hard when one ski sticks to the ground and I can't move. I thought I saw something also about making your own wax using candles, online. I don't check the email address on this acct - this is a throwaway address to avoid spam - so replies here are best. Thanks! Meg |
#2
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temporary wax for waxless skis when all stores are closed?
On Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:15:40 -0800 (PST)
Meg wrote: Hi. I am new to cross country skiing - bought them last year at the end of the season, and we have occasional snow. They are Alpine Control waxless skis. I did not have the trouble with the snow sticking to the skis on the first snow, but it was much colder. Our second snow today is a wetter snow and it's very difficult to move without getting snowballs on the bottom of the skis. Silicon spray or something similar lightly on the kick zone works fine. Heck, if I was really desperate, maybe rub in a little bar soap - or a very very light touch of cooking oil? If I understand the problem correctly, you just need to coat the waxless pattern area (kick zone) to keep the snow from sticking. The rest of the ski, which I hope is glide waxed, shouldn't be a problem. Gene |
#3
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temporary wax for waxless skis when all stores are closed?
On 12/24/2010 7:15 PM, Meg wrote:
Hi. I am new to cross country skiing - bought them last year at the end of the season, and we have occasional snow. They are Alpine Control waxless skis. I did not have the trouble with the snow sticking to the skis on the first snow, but it was much colder. Our second snow today is a wetter snow and it's very difficult to move without getting snowballs on the bottom of the skis. OK, I read I should put a liquid glide wax on the skis, however it's Christmas eve, all stores are closed - stores here don't sell cross country equipment anyway so I will most likely have to order mail order - though I may try REI - on Monday they are open, they sell something called sxix universal temperature wax that appears to be available from checking a product availability search. Another store called the alpine shop here which sells things for downhill skiing has something called home grown soy stick wax. Do you know if either of these two will work? Is there anything I might be able to get and use in the meantime that won't harm the skis that might be obtainable from a walgreens, which is most likely the only place open on Christmas. I am happy to mail order, but chances are by the time it gets here the snow will be melted, and my holidays where I have time to ski over with. I'm new at this, just doing it in the park across the street - fairly flat ground but it's hard when one ski sticks to the ground and I can't move. I thought I saw something also about making your own wax using candles, online. I don't check the email address on this acct - this is a throwaway address to avoid spam - so replies here are best. Thanks! Meg I have used car wax (Turtle Wax) with good results (if nothing better was available). The fishscale area needs something to stop sicking and iceing. SWIX F4 works well and comes in paste and liquid forms which can be applied to fishscales. gr |
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temporary wax for waxless skis when all stores are closed?
In article ,
Meg wrote: Our second snow today is a wetter snow and it's very difficult to move without getting snowballs on the bottom of the skis. Out of curiosity, are you keeping your skis indoors, or in a heated car while driving to where you ski? If you are, skiing on them before they've cooled off can cause clumping. In that case the easiest remedy is to leave them outside, or use a ski rack on your car. -- Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community |
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temporary wax for waxless skis when all stores are closed?
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#6
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temporary wax for waxless skis when all stores are closed?
Thanks so much for all the replies. I've been keeping the skis in my
unheated 3 season porch. I'm new at this - the skis have no wax on them glide or any type - they are waxless so I didn't think they needed any at first - I now read that is not true. The snow is mostly sticking to the fishtail area. I need to do obviously some reading up on maintenance and order some of the right wax. I did get a video on the basics of how to ski - I know not ideal but since I'm not really in an area where there are teachers, it was better then nothing to just get going, but it didn't really go over maintenance. The concept seems fairly similar to figure skating - how you transfer your weight from side to side and glide, even though the motion is different. It seems to be going pretty well except for the snow sticking yesterday. We were right around 32 degrees. I've used them about 3 times before this with no trouble, but it was more in the teens and a powdery snow. |
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temporary wax for waxless skis when all stores are closed?
So I guess I have 2 problems. I need glide wax, and also the snow is
sticking to the kick zone. Can the same product be used to solve both problems. The stores ARE open tomorrow - I was wrong when I said Monday. Locally, it appears these are my two options other than makeshift solutions. Anything I'm likely to find locally are going to be either for snowboards or downhill skis as you can't buy cross country skis here. This universal temperature wax by swix is at rei. http://www.rei.com/product/777576 Or this soy based wax at the other store that sells ski supplies. http://www.alpineshop.com/products2....x/brand/DAKINE Am I better off just waiting until tomorrow and getting one of these to use on the whole ski and ordering something online more specifically for cross country skis for the future? |
#8
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temporary wax for waxless skis when all stores are closed?
On Dec 25, 6:40*am, Meg wrote:
So I guess I have 2 problems. *I need glide wax, and also the snow is sticking to the kick zone. Can the same product be used to solve both problems. The stores ARE open tomorrow - I was wrong when I said Monday. Locally, it appears these are my two options other than makeshift solutions. Anything I'm likely to find locally are going to be either for snowboards or downhill skis as you can't buy cross country skis here. This universal temperature wax by swix is at rei. http://www.rei.com/product/777576 Or this soy based wax at the other store that sells ski supplies. http://www.alpineshop.com/products2....ome-Grown-Soy-... Am I better off just waiting until tomorrow and getting one of these to use on the whole ski and ordering something online more specifically for cross country skis for the future? Hi, The "no-wax" skis as you have discovered mean "no grip (kick) wax" skis. At +/- 0C and high humidity snow conditions, you need to make the ski bases, especially the grip pattern area more water repellent. As someone mentioned, silicone spay can be a short term quick fix. The longer lasting fix to icing is to fill the "pores" (not really pores, but its a complicated story) so that moisture does not stick to the ski bases. Various "wax" compounds such as the Swix F4 liquid or paste previously mentioned, or the Toko express wax liquid or past products increase the water resistance of the base. To make these products longer lasting, the first step is to apply them to dry skis so that the penetrate the "pores". Adding some heat (inside and overnight, and/or using a hair drier with warm air) helps the wax compound penetrate. The reason that liquid or paste products work best on "no-wax" ski grip zones is that a solid iron-in wax is hard to scrape from the patterned area of the ski. Filling in the mechanical ridges reduces its ability to interlock with the snow. And you wax works by "penetrating" into the base, not covering the base, That's why we scrape and brush the glide zones to remove the surface wax. Summary. Use a liquid or paste wax, applied to a dry ski with time to let it absorb into the base. Buff and polish to remove the material from the surface and especially from the pattern. And yes, hot wax the tip and tail glide zones. The Universal hot wax will work for your tip and tail sections. Edgar |
#9
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temporary wax for waxless skis when all stores are closed?
I'd never thought about it, but I can imagine a dry unwaxed base
attracting snow. If the skis haven't been hot glide waxed before (tips and tails), I'd suggest taking them to one of those ski shops to do it. Basic alpine waxing is similar enough and probably one of the techs also nordic skis. Let them know this is the skis' first waxing and ask if you can watch. Also tell them you will be skiing at around 32F and that the base could use some structure to help with the wetness/suction, if they have a tool for it (structure = pattern put in the ski to allow melting/wet snow to drain off the base, rather than cause a suction effect; extra structure beyond what a brushing creates is especially helpful in warmer, wetter conditions). I don't know about (or trust) Dakine soy-based ski wax, but if it works... Otherwise, the quick glides people have been suggesting, especially the flourinated ones for wetter conditions, such as Swix F4 and Toko's equivalent, will get you out the door (alpine shows should have F4). However, without a hot wax they are just a thin cover a totally dry base. Gliding is a big part of the fun of skiing, so having a proper wax job is a big deal; the results will put a smile on your face. At minimum, depending on how much you ski and how abrasive the snow conditions are, at least one or two hot waxes a season are called for. Some of us do it much more frequently. At the REI site, go back to the ski waxes link and you'll see F4. The Swix universal wax is for hot waxing, which it doesn't sound like you are set up to use yet (dedicated iron, scraper, brushes, place to wax where your ski is clamped). A good site with lots of information on all of this and more for a beginning recreational skier is http://www.xcskiworld.com/recreation.html. For dedicated x-c shops, do a google search for "cross country ski shops" and maybe add your state or region for something closest to you. Gene On Sat, 25 Dec 2010 06:40:04 -0800 (PST) Meg wrote: So I guess I have 2 problems. I need glide wax, and also the snow is sticking to the kick zone. Can the same product be used to solve both problems. The stores ARE open tomorrow - I was wrong when I said Monday. Locally, it appears these are my two options other than makeshift solutions. Anything I'm likely to find locally are going to be either for snowboards or downhill skis as you can't buy cross country skis here. This universal temperature wax by swix is at rei. http://www.rei.com/product/777576 Or this soy based wax at the other store that sells ski supplies. http://www.alpineshop.com/products2....x/brand/DAKINE Am I better off just waiting until tomorrow and getting one of these to use on the whole ski and ordering something online more specifically for cross country skis for the future? |
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