WAX SIMPLE
A quick way to wax
and get out the door
By Lee Borowski You better have a long memory if you are trying to recall part one of this newly emerging miniseries; it was in the February issue
of last year's Silent Sports. Since then, I've discovered some new tricks that make waxing safer, easier, cheaper – and at the same time make those skis perform to their maximum. In other words, you'll save time and money – yet still soak your skis in wax – making them lightning fast. But the added benefit is that this new method is safer for both you and your skis as it produces less fumes to inhale and less heat to damage the bases. Modern wax can be very expensive and I've always cringed when I've seen most of it scraped off the ski base and onto the floor. Last year I described a method of applying glide wax that I had been using on my wife Betsy's skis for about a decade. I'd crayon on the wax, lightly heat it in with an iron, let it cool and quickly brush out. Over the years, I'd been amazed that the bases of her skis were always loaded with wax but, more importantly, her skis were always as fast as mine, which was frustrating since mine required a lot
more work. This year I've added a slight modification which makes the quick method of waxing safer and, like the older method, still leaves most of the wax in the pores of the skis with almost none scraped onto the floor. I just love it when a bar of wax seems to last forever. And because waxing becomes so fast and convenient, you'll wax more
often (even each time out) so the bases will glisten with wax. What is different about this new method? The wax is still crayoned on but a safer method of applying heat is used – a heat gun.
Just what is a heat gun? It's like a high–powered, bionic hair dryer that produces extremely high temperatures. Mine has the brand name "Milwaukee" but ironically was made in China. It has variable heat settings of 130 degrees to 1,000 degrees F. So care must be taken as it
could easily burn your skin (by touching the gun) and there is certainly enough heat to damage a ski base if the heat gun is not kept moving. These heat "weapons" can be purchased at hardware and home improvement stores. Their normal use ranges from stripping paint to loosening rusted nuts and bolts to removing floor tiles or adhesive decals (like last year's state park admission sticker).
I'd been using a heat gun to apply klisters and a blow dryer to apply
Cerax glide wax then it hit me: Why not use the heat gun to heat in normal glide wax? (Note: I still recommend that you use an iron or hot box to soak your bases with a soft wax for the first waxing.)
Here's how it works. First crayon on the glide wax of the day. This will work for any but the coldest waxes. Most waxes for temperatures above 10 degrees F can be applied that way. Then instead of corking in (which is not very effective/durable) or heating with an iron (which can
be touchy because there is not much wax crayoned onto the base and the p–tex could be damaged by the iron), use the heat gun to melt the wax.
Choose the hottest setting and keep the gun moving back and forth over a small area (about 8 inches) until the wax just melts. Then move on to the next section. Continue from one end of the ski to the other. Allow the wax to solidify but while still warm, polish with a cork wrapped in
fiberlene. This process insures that the wax will penetrate the pores. The secret to fast skis, is saturating the p–tex with wax, but having none on the outside surface.
Let your skis cool, then brush out, preferably with a horsehair brush. If you are truly paranoid about getting all the excess wax off the bases, you could use a brass brush, but with this method I've found horsehair is all you need.
An added bonus is almost no mess. I can now wax in the kitchen
without causing a marital crisis. Try scraping excess glide wax, as in the traditional waxing methods, onto the kitchen floor and see how your spouse reacts.
Can your skis be fast using such a quick an easy method? You're darn right they can. First, you'll be more inclined to wax for the day, even for a workout. Just having the correct wax for conditions will make your skis faster. In addition, frequent waxing will make the bases glisten and ensure that they never "dry out."
But what I really like about this method is that an iron never touches the base of my skis. I've seen many a bubbled ski from too much heat from a hot iron. (Warning: You can still overheat a base with a heat gun, so the secret is to keep the gun moving and only heat the base enough to melt the wax.)
The softer the wax, the easier it is to crayon on to the ski base. With harder waxes, you could rub them on an iron to soften them for ease of
application, then use the heat gun to melt them into the p–tex.
As for those colder waxes, I'm afraid you'll still have to use an iron but experiment with your iron so you use just enough heat to melt the wax, and keep the iron moving on the ski. The real secret to applying those cold waxes, however, is in the removal. It is very important to use a sharp plastic scraper, as the wax is very hard. Another way is to scrape
a very hard wax (for 10 degrees and colder) while it is still warm. Allow it to cool and then brush as usual.
If you are interested in economy, you might want to look at Fast Wax. They offer a less expensive alternative to fluorinated waxes. This December, I tested the "heat gun" system using their set of waxes. I was pleased with the speed of my skis and was able to use the "crayon on" technique for all of their waxes from 10 degrees F. on up. Of course, the
most economical way to wax is to use what you already have. Most of you probably have more than enough waxes in your box to last several seasons.
While I independently developed the crayon on method for ease of use, I've discovered that many top racers are also finding this the preferred way to apply glide wax. For a much more in depth presentation of glide waxing, which features the crayon on method, refer to Sierra Nordic's Web site:
www.sierranordic.com/Tech_tips_archives.html.
If you'd like to pursue your waxing education to the ultimate, I suggest the following other websites.
www.ernordic.com/waxbook.htm
www.jenex.com/wax/index.html
www.tokowax.com/EngSeitenNordic/nordic–home.html#
www.swixsport.com/waxwizard.asp?Lang=ENG&Sport=1
www.skifastwax.com/
But remember to keep it simple. One last suggestion: the colder the snow, the less important it is to use an expensive fluorocarbon,
especially at low humidities. A pure hydrocarbon wax for temperatures under 20 will usually be as fast as the more expensive waxes, and the speed of your skis will depend more on the qualities of the skis themselves. Then invest in one highly fluorinated wax for the range of 20 to 30 and one for 30+. Finally, if you use the waxing method of this article your wax will seem to last forever.
THE SIMPLEST WAY TO GLIDE WAX
I picked this up from Dan Clausen, on one of the only four skiable days we had before Christmas. Now, Clausen rents a lot of skis at Minocqua Winter Park and things can get pretty hectic on a busy day. Trying to keep rentals waxed can be a full time job in itself, but letting them go is
not an option either, as no one likes skis with dried out bases. After all, glide is a big part of our sport. So here's a method which requires no heat and almost no time.
Simply rub on Toko Diblock Hi Fluoro paste wax and let it dry for a few seconds, then ski into the sunset. Do this each time you ski. Then occasionally apply normal glide wax (heated in) to insure that your skis don't gradually dry out.
The big question is durability and, of course, Toko paste wax won't
outlast Cera F, or any other heated–in wax for that matter. But Clausen estimates it's good for up to 15 kilometers, and that's plenty fine for most days. A certain bearded editor of Silent Sports used Toko paste wax last year and found it to last for an entire workout.
See the Sierra Nordic Web site mentioned in the main article for a more detailed analysis of Toko past wax.
Interestingly, Clausen finds this paste wax may be even better for
telemarking, where durability requirements are not nearly as great as long distance XC skiing. Obviously, paste wax will not replace other waxes for serious racers, but will certainly do in a pinch.
One note: No–wax skis still need glide wax on their tips and tails and an application like Maxiglide for the "fish scales."
| 
