Grip waxing fishscale bases?

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phoenix
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Re: Grip waxing fishscale bases?

Post by phoenix » Sat Dec 16, 2017 4:40 pm

I'll second what Telerock said - grip wax tip and tail, but I leave the scales alone (unless it's warm, and I'll wipe some F-4 on them).

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Verskis
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Re: Grip waxing fishscale bases?

Post by Verskis » Sun Dec 17, 2017 2:34 pm

Thanks for the replys, everybody! Maybe grip waxing the tips and tails only would be the easiest solution, if the fishscales are pain in the ass to clean up.

iBjörn, very interesting test! Quite surprising that the fishscale Rebounds were such slow skis. Today I skied a little with the Intelligrips, and on untouched snow and narrow hardpacked trails they seemed fast enough, but on the groomed track they felt not so fast. I think it's just that the perception of speed is different on narrow trails between the trees :)



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Re: Grip waxing fishscale bases?

Post by lilcliffy » Sun Dec 17, 2017 3:48 pm

The biggest problem with grip/kick waxing the scales is not being able to cork in/polish the wax.

A bit more work taking the wax off than a smooth base- but mainly because of the potential frequency of wanting to take it off. Once the cold of winter settles in here I don't have to strip my bases for months.

I do regularly use grip wax ahead of the scales for extra grip.

There is not much point- IMO- to adding grip wax behind the scales. It won't increase climbing grip all that much (certainly not as much as ahead of the scales)- and it won't do anything to increase kick and glide grip. AND- grip wax will smear onto the scales if you put it on behind them- not if it is applied ahead of the scales.

Anyway- my experience- and advice would be to add grip wax ahead of the scales- rather than on the scales- I would at least try this first.
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iBjorn
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Re: Grip waxing fishscale bases?

Post by iBjorn » Sun Dec 17, 2017 3:53 pm

Verskis wrote:Thanks for the replys, everybody! Maybe grip waxing the tips and tails only would be the easiest solution, if the fishscales are pain in the ass to clean up.

iBjörn, very interesting test! Quite surprising that the fishscale Rebounds were such slow skis. Today I skied a little with the Intelligrips, and on untouched snow and narrow hardpacked trails they seemed fast enough, but on the groomed track they felt not so fast. I think it's just that the perception of speed is different on narrow trails between the trees :)
Just remember that there is a lot to consider in the equation. The Rebounds were a little bit short for my weight (to soft camber), it might partially explain the big difference between them and the e99ś The piste Volkl Qaniks was surprisngly fast in the present conditions, but I think the Rebound would outperform them in massive soft snow. But with that said, I am really a fan of the Intelligrip skins - I actually participated with them and my Qaniks(with Telebulldog bindings and scarpa T4s) in a 18km cross-country race, and I actually did not end up last...at least some people thought I was insane, and I had to promise to ski beside the regular cc track...to not destroy the narrow tracks with my fat skis.

It might be advidable to try skin wax on the intelligrp, and also to investigate if there would be an advantage to shorten the grip part of them to increase the glide. Nowadays I have several Intelligrips, some new for going steeper and some well-worned and shortened to inctease glide. And as you might know, well worn mohair skins glides better than new ones.



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phoenix
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Re: Grip waxing fishscale bases?

Post by phoenix » Mon Dec 18, 2017 10:43 am

And I should add: For prepping a waxless ski (if it has a sinered base - skip this if it's extruded), Ill first give it a warm temp hot wax, & scrape, then hot wax a cold temp glide wax as a base. Glides better when you need to, and allows hand rubbed kick waxes over it.
If an extruded base: Cork on a cold wax tip and tail, adjust as you want over that.



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