Waxless Skis Icing Bad

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MikeK

Waxless Skis Icing Bad

Post by MikeK » Sat Jan 02, 2016 8:38 pm

This is a bit of stoopid question, but our Glitts seem to be icing up bad on the waxless pattern, even using rub on 'glide' wax.

They've been pesky before, all our waxless skis have, but they seemed extra bad today. Temps were like 28-30°F, so not really the worst case for them.

I used the paste on both the skis we were using, but the Glitts were the only ones causing an issue. I think it's something to do with how beat up the scales are, they are really ground down and grey without the paste on. And it doesn't seem to be penetrating well enough.

My thought is maybe to rub on some bar glide wax and cork buff it. See if I can actually get it into the pores again. Thoughts?

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satsuma
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Re: Waxless Skis Icing Bad

Post by satsuma » Sun Jan 03, 2016 11:20 am

Here's a stupid answer--maybe you should try liquid glide wax first. I don't know what the grey stuff is, but if you have ground something into the ski base, you might try cleaning that off first. Soap and water couldn't hurt here. Rinse well.

I think the solid wax would need to be heated in, and it's a semi-permanent solution, it will come out very slowly.



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tnevins530
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Re: Waxless Skis Icing Bad

Post by tnevins530 » Sun Jan 03, 2016 1:42 pm

I always have reoccurring problems with ice after getting a ski wet. (sometimes you don't even see the water under the snow until you are on your way back on the same trail)

Just my experience. I did notice quite a few wet spots on jackson hill road trails today.



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Woodserson
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Re: Waxless Skis Icing Bad

Post by Woodserson » Sun Jan 03, 2016 2:11 pm

Your not going to get hard glide wax in the pores without heating it. The grey is indication that they are waxed starved. This is tough with the scales, because it obviously clogs them up and then they are not scales, unless you have a stiff bristled brush and knock them clean as the wax is hardening. This is a job best done at home, when you have time to go back and chisel out each scale that you missed with the brush.

A longer soaking with paste wax over night in a warm area, may help for next time.

As mentioned, even a little water, which is easy to run into this early in the season (even mid-season on lakes with a deep snowpack) can easily lead to icing without even knowing you were in it.

At our club, we commit heresy and sometimes will hit the scales of a ski with some silicone spray if the situation is really bad. Once you get the icing, it's tough to remedy on the trail unless you can get the ski completely dry.



MikeK

Re: Waxless Skis Icing Bad

Post by MikeK » Sun Jan 03, 2016 5:55 pm

Yeah the skis got wet over a stream crossing and iced. I cleaned them and put some more paste on them, but it seemed to keep coming back. I had always had good luck scraping and rewaxing when they would ice from water.

Maybe there was some water in the pores that caused this?

I do wax the scales with the paste at home before we go, let it sit in for a while at room temp. Then I'll reapply some if they get sticky, and it usually works.

These skis are my oldest I have now and have lots of rough miles on them. The scales themselves are pretty ground down, and it would be nice to get some hard wax in the pores. I'm a bit unsure how to do this with an iron.



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Woodserson
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Re: Waxless Skis Icing Bad

Post by Woodserson » Sun Jan 03, 2016 6:11 pm

I find that once they get wet, they are very difficult to get dry, so the icing just continues. It's frustrating, but it's not water in the ski...it's water on the wax...it's like a nicely polished car... it's wet, and you go to dry it, and it just sends the water skittering around in a million smaller droplets... and the car doesn't dry. So you pull out a chamey/chamois cloth and use that. I wonder if a chamey or a micro-fiber would help with this age old problem?

This is why I always carry a scraper and a rag.



MikeK

Re: Waxless Skis Icing Bad

Post by MikeK » Sun Jan 03, 2016 8:44 pm

Ahh I see. I thought the wax was supposed to repel the water and keep the ski from icing. At any rate, I knew water on the skis was a bad thing, but it's damn near impossible right now because the ground isn't frozen and you never know when you are going to stride into a puddle when you are breaking through fresh snow.

I had better luck today. Got my Eons wet and managed to get the water and ice off quick enough it didn't do any long term damage. Those Glitts have been problematic though... I had issues with them last year too.



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Cannatonic
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Re: Waxless Skis Icing Bad

Post by Cannatonic » Mon Jan 04, 2016 3:26 pm

28 to 30? Sounds like Violet Special territory to me, it works well in that range, no need to break out the scales.
"All wisdom is to be gained through suffering"
-Will Lange (quoting Inuit chieftan)



MikeK

Re: Waxless Skis Icing Bad

Post by MikeK » Mon Jan 04, 2016 3:41 pm

Yeah I don't own a single wax ski right now, and if I did, I'd probably not push them beyond blue territory.



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Cannatonic
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Re: Waxless Skis Icing Bad

Post by Cannatonic » Tue Jan 05, 2016 1:08 pm

in my travels last year I found that Violet Special works really well right up to the freezing mark. That and Blue Extra are the ones for around here where it's warmer. As soon as it's above freezing and the snow is melting I"m back on the scales, those brown E99's are perfect for 30's and 40's.
"All wisdom is to be gained through suffering"
-Will Lange (quoting Inuit chieftan)



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