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12/15/2011 10:03PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Pros/cons of the benches out there? Like the Swix bench but like the price of that one made in Prior Lake a whole lot more. Can't remember the brand..Wasa bench or something like that.
Thinking of finally taking the big splurge for one of these so any input is appreciated.
Thanks
 
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12/15/2011 10:55PM  
i made my own using an old pair of plastic skis. it works as well as store bought.
 
12/16/2011 07:25AM  
Thanks John. I like your set-up. I may consider doing something like. My big issue is the dedicated space required for something like this. That is why I was looking at the benches that can be folded and put away when not in use.
With the ample supply of old skis in thrift stores at way cheap prices, thiswould definitely be the most cost effective way to go.
Currently considering it.
Thanks again
 
12/16/2011 09:33AM  
I don't have a dedicated space for waxing- I bought this swedish bench and mounted it on a saw horse. When I wax I throw a big oil cloth tarp on the floor to catch the drips and most of the shrapnel. One thing to consider- if you are going to wax skis with significant length variation it is nice to have your supports be adjustable. My bench works great for my skis but when waxing skis for high schoolers on the ski team I could not adjust for the shorter skis.

I've used the wood benches (though they were mounted on a fixed bench and not the stand) and they've worked very well.

On another note- if you wax a lot of skis the FastWax brand "sport wax" shop bars (made in Minnesota) are an excellent and inexpensive glide wax, especially the Teal and Blue. Make certain to get the "bulk" or "shop" bars. Their Prep Wax is also excellent.



Fast Wax
 
12/16/2011 12:13PM  
After 41 years of skiing, I'm still a "rest the tail on a rug, hold on to the tip, rub some wax on in the wax pocket, and smooth with bare or gloved hand, sometimes a cork" guy.
 
12/16/2011 01:20PM  
quote gutmon: "After 41 years of skiing, I'm still a "rest the tail on a rug, hold on to the tip, rub some wax on in the wax pocket, and smooth with bare or gloved hand, sometimes a cork" guy."


Gutmon-

You're at a good place.

Skating lead to glide waxing and now I cannot control the impulse to seek evermore glide....

One bit of technology I would suggest you consider is a "synthetic cork", shaped like an old school cork for skiing but made from a foam like material. The advantage is that rubbing with it generates more heat making it much easier to smooth the kick wax in the wax pocket.
 
schweady
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12/16/2011 05:03PM  
quote gutmon: "After 41 years of skiing, I'm still a "rest the tail on a rug, hold on to the tip, rub some wax on in the wax pocket, and smooth with bare or gloved hand, sometimes a cork" guy."


Right with ya, gutmon. (And here I thought that I was so smart when I "upgraded" to the 'rest the tail on the rug' technique.) The scraper and cork are the same vintage as my Sigmund Ruud skis: March of 1974. A rainbow of individual Swix waxes and I'm all set.

I was just thrilled when I found Swix pine tar online at REI. That has been a bugger to locate the past few years.
 
12/17/2011 06:25AM  
I've found nothing that holds wax better than properly pine tarred wood skis.
 
schweady
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12/17/2011 08:53AM  
Yeah, having given up decades ago on finding bottles of Bergendahl's Dyp Impregnering and Grunnsmoring, (ooh, there's another one for the 'If you could go back in time and buy.......' thread) I was enjoying a Swix 'Instant' ?? pine tar prep that also didn't need burning in. I can't find that anymore, either, so now I've been using the regular Swix pine tar and heating it in for the past couple of seasons. (First times I've ever taken a torch to these old skis) Takes a bit longer, but really nice results.
 
12/17/2011 10:16AM  
You lost me there. Pine Tar? I skied a lot as a kid in the 70's and 80's and now the last few years again. I don't recall any pine tar. What is this for? Under the kick wax? Or is it a kick?

As far as the bench goes. In the past we always just put the wax on by hand while holding the ski up and end on the ground as well. Rub it in with cork or hand and call it good. When I got back into it the last few years I have been learning about all this new stuff. Perhaps it was all around back in the day but we didn't get anything but that Swix rainbow.

So we have all this base coat stuff now. That is what the wax stand is for correct? And the glide. At least the class I went to a couple years ago at Finsissu taught me that.
Perhaps I better go buy a book and stop going of the '70's technology I learned with. ha

Don't you put a base under the kick wax?
Personally I don't see a need for it as the only thing I am told it is really doing is protecting the ski. Probably good if one is out doing 10k everyday but I am not. Still, I want these overpriced skis to last the next 30 years as my old ones did.

Is it time for me to go back to school?

Banks - your stand is pretty much what i am looking for. I could build one with an old ski as jwart did but I would have to do it out in an unheated garage. That will not work. I want the bench so I can do it in the basement laundry room and there isn't anymore room down there for a solid work bench set-up. Only a bench that I can put away when I am done with it.
 
12/17/2011 11:07AM  
On classic skis I glide wax everything but the wax pocket. After finishing scraping and brushing the glide wax I rub a kick wax that is rated as cold or slightly colder than the kick wax I would use in the wax pocket, run the iron over it, do the process again and then polish the pocket with a cork. This serves as the base wax for the kick, helping to make your kick wax (that you rub and cork just before taking off on the trails) adhere to your skis better and longer (though not as good as the aforementioned pine tar....)

Finn Sisu is a great ski shop. They offer good waxing clinics. If you want to ski in the Ely area I can teach my backwoods methods. Glide waxing can make your skis faster and consistent waxing can preserve the life of your ski bases. However, improper use of the iron (or a crappy waxing iron) can also destroy your bases.

Pine Tar is used to seal/coat the bases of all wood skis (wood bases). As noted it really bonds well with kick wax (great for klister skiing).

Plead for snow...
 
schweady
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12/17/2011 03:14PM  
quote Banksiana: "Plead for snow..."


Yeah, you can almost see the sad little tears on the lonely wax cans...
 
plaid wool
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12/18/2011 08:59PM  
Fitgers1-

I made a wax bench out of some cedar I had left over from a cedar deck project. Last winter during a blizzard my son and I took a couple of scrap pieces of cedar 2x6 and and layed it flat and then placed a ski on them and took a pencil and traced the outline on the side. I used a jig saw to cut the shapes out.

I then took a piece of 1x4 cedar and set the cut pieces on edge and layed my longest ski on it to get the spacing right. I then cut some slots in the 1x4 and put a couple of lag bolts and washers up through the bottom of the 1x4 into the edge of the profiles to allow me to adjust the distance of the profiles for my 210's and my son's 140's.

I will put a clamp in the center to hold the ski, but for know I just hold the ski. I am going to cut some holes in the profiles to install a threaded knob to make it easier to adjust. I put the 1x4 into my work mate when I use it and stand the profile in the corner when I am not using it. It was pretty easy and works.

Have a good one,

PW
 
12/18/2011 09:30PM  
Thanks for all the great input thus far.

Banksiana - I just might take you up on that offer.

PW - Could you possibly post a picture of that set-up you have please.

I was originally going to build something - the last two years. Obviously didn't so that is why I started the thread with input on manufactured benches.
I am going to build myself one and I thank you all for the input. I hope to get a bit of everyones' input incorporated into it.
 
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