| Mr. Fix-it: Helpful hints from the cross country skiing backshop By Mitch Mode I got a phone call from the editor of this magazine last
winter. It wasn't the normal "C'mon, where's your column, you're late again" call that he typically makes around the first of each month. No, while the voice contained his normal "late column" frustration, the subject was different. He'd been trying to remove an old set of bindings from his skis and, doggone!, he just couldn't get one screw loose from the epoxy it had been set with. Now the screw head was nearly shot, as were his nerves and patience.
So he called,
knowing that in 25 years of working in a cross country shop backroom, I might be able to help.
In those 25 years I've probably seen it all, forgotten most of it, remembered enough to be a mix of dangerous and helpful, and keep on, after all these years, learning more. Talk to anyone who's spent much time in the backroom of your local ski shop and you'll get the same. Anyone who's done some time in those off–the–sales–floor havens can tell you tales.
They can also, in a minute's
time, tell a desk jockey of a magazine editor how to remove a screw that's been set in epoxy. They also know, based on those years of experience, that the editor of this magazine is not alone in trying to puzzle out some basics of ski repair. There are, I would venture to say, legions of readers of this magazine who are in the same boat. Hence this column.
Let's begin with epoxy. If the soul of a ski is an ephemeral thing of whispy snow and frigid air, of feel and touch, of glide and
stride, the heart of the ski is arguably borne of epoxy. Epoxy is a wonderful two–part glue that gives strength beyond the norm, flexes with the demands of the sport, holds together disparate materials and does it all well. When a ski is built, the laminations are bonded with epoxy. When a ski is repaired, the work, very often, is held together with epoxy.
Epoxy in the cross country workshop is often from a hardware store. When equal parts of the hardener and resin are squeezed out and
mixed together, the epoxy takes on the consistency of a thickish honey. In ski repair, it is often used to give additional holding power to binding screws. Once it sets up, it's pretty much immovable.
This is all good for holding the screw tight but can be a bit problematic when one wishes to remove the screw. The usual response is having at it with a screwdriver that is applied with increased pressure and decreased patience as the screw fails to budge.
The solution is simple: Apply
heat to the screw, which loosens the epoxy and allows the screw to be backed out quite easily. The application of the heat in the old days of metal three–pin bindings was a simple matter of turning the flame of the propone torch to the binding and screw for a minute. The advent of synthetic bindings changed as fast as flame melts plastic.
So the advice I gave the erstwhile editor of this magazine was basic. Hold a metal bladed screwdriver firmly against the binding screw and apply heat
to the shaft of the screwdriver. I use a torch but I think Greg heated the driver on a stove burner. (Editor's Note: Nope. No torch, no stove burner: I touched the head of the screw with my stepson's wood–burner iron. Worked great). Either way, the heat is conducted to the metal screw and the epoxy softens and after a bit of time it is an easy task to turn the screw out. It works for me; it worked for Greg; it will work for you.
Should you use epoxy every time you install a binding?
No. I use epoxy only when the screw cannot be tightened fully when you are remounting a binding in an existing binding hole. If you tighten the binding screw down firmly and it does not continue to twist but snugs up tight you do not need epoxy.
When I mount a binding on a new ski, I normally use some carpenter's glue. It doesn't hold the screw as much as it helps lubricate the screw when it's being tightened. When the glue sets up, it provides a seal against moisture. A new ski, and
most of the older ones being remounted, do not need any additional adhesives.
But if the screw hole was drilled oversize or if an older binding has loosened and the hole in the ski has become larger than normal, use epoxy. Mix the epoxy in small amounts on a piece of paper or cardboard, dab some in the hole and some on the threads of the screw and hand tighten the screw down against the binding. If the screw does not fully tighten, I usually use a small C–clamp to hold the binding
firmly against the base and push the screw down flush. Then I place the ski base side up (so the epoxy settles around the threads) and keep it inside and warm until the epoxy sets up.
If the binding hole is a real cavity, I add some filler to take up some of the space. Toothpicks and wood golf tees held in place with epoxy work well. I swab the epoxy around the wood, push it firmly into the hole and let it set. After it hardens I trim the excess wood, lightly sand the surface, and
redrill for the screw.
As a rule, longer curing epoxy (sometimes sold as "24 hour") will work better than the quick–setting "5 minute" type. The long cure stuff is more flexible when cured and not as brittle. Use that whenever possible. Epoxy's great stuff. It fills gaps well, provides exceptional hold for screws and is invaluable on every ski workbench.
Let me add a couple words here on drilling a hole for a binding. First off, with a new ski that's never
been drilled, take it in to a shop and have them drill it. I know, I know – you can figure it out on your own; this isn't rocket science. But a shop has a binding jig, a metal plate that clamps to the ski and positions the holes exactly where the manufacturer specified. That's the most accurate way to do it. Believe me, I've done it by "eyeballing" everything, by using the binding itself as a guide, by taping the binding in place and locating the holes that way, and about every
other way imaginable. My advice: Use the jig! It takes about a minute or two and it's accurate beyond what you can hope to achieve.
Make certain that the diameter of the drill bit is a match for the screw diameter. Too small and there's too much stress on the ski; too large and it's a sloppy fit and the first step on the way to the epoxy. Oh, and too deep and you're through the ski and into the table! Trust me, I've done it! I use only the drill bits that are built to the specs of the
binding manufacturer in terms of diameter and length. They also come with a built–in stop so you don't have the embarrassment of running the stupid thing all the way through and out the base!
And finally, realize that the screwhead pattern on the modern binding screw looks like the traditional four–sided Phillips head, but is not. It's a slightly different pattern and thus needs a different screwdriver to fit it correctly. It's called the Posidrive but there are probably other names as
well. Just remember that using the right screwdriver for the screwhead will give you a more positive grip on the screw and help prevent rounding over of the cut slots.
How many holes can you drill in a ski before you weaken it? That depends on the ski. A wood core in a ski, or binding plate that is built into the ski during manufacture, can take a surprising number of remounts. Years ago, when the binding systems were being developed and rushed to market, I had a pair of old Karhu
Kevlar race skis. I'd test the new boot/binding systems by mounting one binding on one ski and a completely different binding on the other. That was (and still is) the best way to compare as you ski in the same conditions with each set.
Over a couple seasons I tested a lot of bindings. By the time I was done, one ski had 14 different binding holes and the other an even dozen! How many would it have taken before the ski broke? I still don't know. But I did learn that a quality ski,
manufactured to some pretty good standards, will take a lot more drilling than anyone would reasonably expect.
Most of the bindings today use some sort of plate that extends under the foot. Some companies screw them in place; others use some form of tape. If you need to hold one back down, get some double–backed tape, the type used to hold down carpeting. That's a simple way to keep that plate in place. You can pick up the tape at most hardware stores.
Let's flip the ski over and see what we can do about the base.
First off, we can clean it. Now, I don't care what anyone says about substitutes for store–bought base cleaner; I use the good stuff. I've heard for years about how some inexpensive solvent can do the same for a lot less money, and it may be true. But I've also seen my share of ski bases ruined when that cheap solvent reacted with the base material and destroyed it. I've got a lot of money tied up in my skis and I'm not
going to risk it all by trying to save a few bucks on the base cleaner. I'll do the same for any customers in the shop. Instead, I make sure I scrape as much of the wax off before I use the solvent. A well–scraped base needs only a little bit of solvent. I usually get several seasons from a single can of the stuff. Use the other stuff at your own peril!
I use a plastic scraper a lot. I clean off the wax buildup on the plastic blade by using a metal scraper or metal blade from a putty
knife to take off most, and then some solvent to clean up the rest. I sharpen it by holding it flat against some medium grit sandpaper (although this season Swix has come out with a nifty little sharpener that's now mounted on my workbench). I use that to do most of the wax work.
I know that the hot deal now is to use a metal scraper and not sandpaper but I still use sandpaper to smooth out gouges, especially on my backcountry skis where glide is not critical. Always back the sandpaper
with a wood block or good waxing cork to keep it flat.
Epoxy in different forms can be used to great advantage on base delaminations. But a word of caution here: the normal hardware epoxy will loosen when heat is applied. Remember the binding screw example above! It is thus not much help in repairing a base that will be hot waxed. The heat of the iron working in the wax will soften the epoxy and you'll be right back to where you were before the repair work. However, there are types of
epoxy that will hold well under heat if you plan on doing any type of base repair search them out.
Through the years in the shop I've had good luck with epoxies that were intended for marine use where heat was a factor. I also have used an epoxy that I found in a catalog with supplies for building recurve bows! The key was that they both hold well under heat. I now use an epoxy that I buy from, of all places, a ski shop supplier! Without the heat–resistant epoxy, you're wasting your
time.
To repair a base delamination simply pull the base material out as far as you can, clean the area well and spread the epoxy evenly. Then clamp the material down with firm pressure but not so much that you squeeze all the epoxy out. I usually use some small C–clamps but in a pinch I've wrapped the ski tightly with a strip of bike inner tube. I've also used clip–style clothespins for real small areas. If I am working on a longer section, I will often lay an old wax scraper along
the repair area to spread the pressure of the clamps over a longer area. When I do, I always apply some masking tape to the scraper lest it bond to the base.
Let it set up overnight then remove the clamps and use a scaper and fine sandpaper to remove the excess epoxy from the edges. If I'm in a hurry, I'll use a heat lamp or just a standard light bulb in a shop lamp to add some heat to the repair and speed up the curing of the epoxy.
For gouges in the base, use P–tex repair
material. Just melt some on, let it cool and then sand smooth. I usually don't do much with scratches in the base unless they are deep enough to get into the core material. Then it's important to repair them as much to seal them against moisture.
Skis take up most of the repair time in a shop but poles require a fair amount of work as well. The most common repair on a pole is the replacement of the tip ferrule. They're usually glued on and getting them off can be a chore. I like to
heat them with a good heat gun or, if the tip is beyond repair to start with, a torch. If you don't have access to either, boil some water and soak the tip in that. When the tip is warm enough, pull it off. On a composite pole try to pull the tip straight off instead of twisting, which can damage the shaft.
You can use epoxy to re–glue a tip but a hot–melt glue is better. Both fill gaps well but hot melt is cheaper and probably more effective. These come in little sticks and you can
find them at hardware or craft stores. I heat them up over a candle and dab the molten glue on the shaft. Then I reheat it enough to soften it again but not burn it, and then push the tip straight on. Just make sure the tip is lined up correctly with the handle. In a minute the hot melt sets up and you're ready to go. Grips can usually be loosened with heat. I normally use a hot melt to fasten the new grips and apply it in the same manner as the tips.
If you are replacing a basket that
needs to be pushed onto the pole tip, as is the case with some less expensive recreational poles, use some soapy water to lubricate it first. It'll slide on with much less effort.
Talk to anyone who's put some time in a ski shop and you'll get a dozen more tips. Most of them are common sense and all of them are time–tested and learned the hard way. If you have questions, ask the people who do the work off the sales floor, in the backshops that you'll find in all cross country stores.
More often than not, they'll be glad to share some of their hard–earned knowledge and you'll be well on your way to doing simple and effective repairs on your skis.
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