Pre Season Ski Tune Up

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Skiing is a seasonal sport throughout much of the world. Most skiers will store their skis during the off-season in their garage or basement where the ski will sit and may become neglected. It’s likely the edges will rust. Plus you may have been aggressive and abused your skis during the last season. You’ll probably see scratches and gouges on the bases and they’ve likely dried out and need a new coat of wax. A pre-season tune up is a good habit to have for your skis to perform their best and to last longer. There are two ways to tune up your skis. You can either take them to a ski shop where it’s done for you or you can do it yourself.
If you are going to tune up your skis yourself here are the tools that are necessary. A vise to hold the ski and wood blocks so the vise doesn’t leave an impression on the ski. A ski iron - they’re similar to a clothes iron without the steam holes. If you try a clothes iron, wax can enter the steam holes and that can be messy and possibly lead to a fire. You’ll also need: a ski file, ski cleaner, P-tex scratch filler candles, a metal scraper for the P-tex, a non-abrasive fiber pad, a gummy stone, ski wax and a Plexiglas scraper for the wax. These items can often be found together in a kit. Follow the steps below to tune up your skis just as a professional.
Note: Before you begin be sure that your work area is clean.

1. Ski Evaluation

The first step of tuning up your skis is to evaluate the condition of your skis. Look over the base of you skis. They may be in good condition and you might find: minor blemishes, rusty edges, small dings and dried out in need of a coat of wax. Most ski shops consider large gouges extra care.
 
2. Preparation and Cleaning

ski base cleaningOnce you’ve determined what needs to be done, you need to prepare the ski by first placing a strong elastic band around the binding brake lever to get them out of the way. Place the ski base up in your ski vise. If you do not have a ski vise you can use a standard workbench anvil vise. Be sure to place wood blocks on either side of the ski so the vise doesn’t leave a negative impression on the sides of your skis. The base of the skis need to be cleaned. Start by scrubbing the base with a brass brush from tip to tail, to remove any crud stuck to the base. Then wipe the base clean from tip to tail with a specially formulated ski base cleaner.
 
3. Flatten The Base By Sanding or Scraping
Skiing over things such as rocks, ski poles, other skiers and stepping on binding release levers can gouge the base. Gouging will displace the base material resulting in deformed bumps. Those bumps need to be flattened. Many ski shops will wet belt sand those bumps. At home you can use a metal scraper to shave those bumps flat. Before you begin be sure your scraper goes across the width of your ski. If it’s too short one side can dig into the ski base and you don’t want to do that.
 
4. Base Gouge Patching – Base Welding – Core Shot Filling

ptex meltIf you have a gouge in your skis it needs to be filled with P-tex. Most ski shops will consider this an extra step with an additional fee. You can do this yourself. Melt the end of a P-tex candle and apply a liberal amount into the gouge of the base. Be sure to avoid air pockets when filling the gouge. After the applied P-tex has cooled, usually about 15 minutes after the application, scrape off the excess P-tex from the base of the ski with a metal scraper. Repeat this process of gouge filling if there are any other dips or valleys on your skis.
 
5. Sharpen The Bottom Ski Edge
When the base is clean and flat its time to sharpen the base edge. Most ski shop will use a machine that will put a 1-degree bevel angel. (If you’re going to drop them off at your local ski shop and want a different angle be sure to mention it.) Sharpen the edges one side at a time from tip to tail. Be sure to clean off any filings before you start the other side. The file can press those filings into the base.
 
6. Stone-Grinding
The next step a shop will do is stone grind you base’. This process puts minute directional lines along the base of the ski. It’s best to have this step done professionally.
 
7. Sharpen the Sides, Detune and Deburred
To sharpen, detune and deburr your ski, place them in the vase on their side. Sharpen them with your with a diamond stone running from tip to tail. You can test how sharp they are with the back of your fingernail. Detuning is usually done at this step. Detuning is to dull the tips and tails with a flat file. The need for detuning is debatable. You may or may not need to detune depending on the type of skier you are and the style of ski you have. After detuning, the edges need to be deburred by a running gummy stone tip to tail.
 
8. Wax the Skis
waxing skisMost ski shops can offer either a machine wax or the more costly labor intensive hand waxing. Ski waxing by hand is done by placing the ski base up in the vise. Ski wax is pressed into a hot iron and dripped evenly down the length of the ski. Then use the iron to even the wax throughout the base of the ski. You don’t want the iron so hot that the wax smokes. If you do have smoke, turn the heat down and go out to get some air. With the wax even throughout the base you’re ready to scrape off the excess. This is done with a Plexiglass scraper. Scrape the ski base from tip to tail three or four times.
 
9. Buff and Examine
ski buff brushThe Final Step is to buff and examine the ski base. A ski shop will likely use a power buffer wheel. You can do this yourself with a nylon brush and a non-abrasive fiber pad. The base of a ski has structure, a fine channel embedded into the base of the ski when stone ground that allows water to slide under the ski with more ease. Brush the ski from tip to tail. After you brush, rub with a non-abrasive fiber pad form tip to tail and examine the base for any flaws or blemishes you may have missed. With the ski buffed you’re ready to hit the slopes.