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#1
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Restoring Camber on Old Wood Skis
All -
Here in Lake Placid we have an annual race called the "Wood & Wool Classic" - a 10K classic race on wood skis while wearing your old wool socks, knickers, hats, 75 mm 3-pin boots, etc. My base prep and waxing were superb, but the entire ski dragged on the downhills. I soon realized that my skis have finally lost their camber - I'd catch and pass folks on the flats and uphills, but it was disheartening to see them zoom by me on the downhills. Can I do anything to restore the camber? I've always stored the skis w/ the tips and tails tied together, wedging a wooden block just under the binding but this doesn't seem to be enough. Thoughts? - Bob |
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#2
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Restoring Camber on Old Wood Skis
"Bob Maswick" wrote in message om... All - Can I do anything to restore the camber? I've always stored the skis w/ the tips and tails tied together, wedging a wooden block just under the binding but this doesn't seem to be enough. Thoughts? - Bob When I went to my favourite x-ski shop and told Joel, the owner, that I was looking for new skis because mine had lost their camber, he smiled. He talked about his recent tour of the Fischer factory, where engineers at the lab showed him their test equipment. They told him that skis do not lose their camber... adding that usually, those who claim their camber is just not like it used to be may well be a little (?) heavier than when they first bought their skis. I guess Joel was smiling mainly because there is some truth in that: I am 15 pounds heavier that when I bought my last pair of skis! And also because he knows that I would rather buy new skis than lose weight. However, until I decide which skis I will get, I will try to kick wax shorter and thinner. Maybe that will help offset the reduced glide due to this "lost camber"!!! JMC P.S. In short, I don't see how to restore camber, if a ski can't lose it... |
#4
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Restoring Camber on Old Wood Skis
I don't think sauna would help old ski much though.
I would heat the ski with iron spraying base with water so it doesn't burn until all the ski is hot to the touch and clamp with piece of wood 1.5 bigger then anticipated chamber and let it stay for 24 hr. or so. I've never bent the ski like that, but bent plenty string bass fingerboards which is ebony (very hard wood). Wood bending temp. is slightly bellow burning (when iron leaves brown marks), so be careful. You probably have to treat it with pine tar and so forth afterwords. |
#5
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Restoring Camber on Old Wood Skis
Can I do anything to restore the camber? I've always stored the skis
w/ the tips and tails tied together, wedging a wooden block just under the binding but this doesn't seem to be enough. You can put them into a warm, moist sauna for 2-4 hours, then clamp them, tips and tails tied together with a spacer block in the camber section. The spacer block should be larger than the camber that you want, to allow for "springback". You can also put them into a warm water bath, if you have the vessel for that. Basically the wood needs to be softened before you bend them back into shape. You will need to allow the skis to dry and set before using them again. If they are the really 'old time' solid wood one piece construction the sauna thing may work. If they are the 'newer' type of wooden skis made with many layers of laminations this will not work. On a laminated ski it is actually the glue and adhesive that holds the shape of the ski. Nothing you can really do to help it once the camber goes. Ron Bott |
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