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Links on this page:
Equipment | Base Preparation | Base Repair | Bevelling - Base or Edge
Wax Chart | Waxing
Riser Plates | Snow Types | Storage
Wintersteiger 'Micro Finish' Technology

Special Links: Price list of equipment mentioned in this Guide

All of the procedures here can be used for either skis or snowboards but for convenience I shall use 'skis' to mean both skis and snowboards.

Why tune and wax your skis?

When skis are used the base can be damaged from striking rocks, twigs or other hard objects in the snow. The tip or binding of the other ski can also cause damage if contact is made. Even when the skis are stored the base can become oxidised or the edges can rust. I will discuss storage procedures later.

Any of these conditions will inhibit the gliding characteristics of the ski. 'Tuning a ski' basically involves removing or repairing any of these conditions and setting up the ski to maximise its gliding abilities.

The finished, 'tuned', ski will have clean, flat bases which are waxed and polished to suit the conditions of the day, and have rust-free, bevelled edges.
In order to do this some equipment is needed:

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

A good tune should be able to be achieved using the essential items, a bit of ingenuity and tool handling skills.

PREPARATION OF THE BASE (RUNNING SURFACE)
Use a brake retainer to hold the ski brakes up and out of the way of the base and edges. Secure the ski in a vice with the base upwards. (If the ski has bevelled side walls an adapter may need to be used.) (email me for advice) Use a scraper to remove any old wax or damaged base. Use a base cleaner & cloth to thoroughly clean the base of the ski**. Make sure all grime and wax is removed from any scratches, holes and any running groove in the base. Allow to dry thoroughly before proceeding
** The best way to clean the base of your ski is to use a bronze brush and vigorously brush out any grime and / or old wax. Base cleaning fluids can tend to dry out the base of the ski and leave an oily film which can hinder wax absorption. We use a product called 'Citro Clean' which is available at most hardware stores and supermarkets (in Australia). Methylated spirits or kerosene can be used. Use all products sparingly.

REPAIRING THE BASE

At this stage the aim is to get the base as flat as possible by filing and scraping.

Check the 'flatness' of the base by holding the straight edge of the scraper or a true bar across the base of the ski. The base will be one of the following types.

If the base is concave, fill the lower areas with suitable base material (as discussed later), or convex, remove excess material with a file or scraper. If the base is severely curved this process may be best performed by a ski technician using proper machinery.

The advantages of having a ski technician perform this process for you are many:

• Time saving
• The base will be properly flat
• Using technology such as Wintersteiger 'Micro Finish' machinery, as we at Viking Ski & Board Hire use, a structure can be put into the base of the ski to optimism its gliding characteristics.

If the base of the ski is damaged or concave it will need to be repaired or filled.

The base of a ski is made of a substance called Polyethylene (or P-tex).

1. To repair bases P-tex needs to be applied to the base in the area of the damage. P-tex candles, strips or powder can be used.
2. P-tex candles need to be lit and, while holding over your scraper, allow to drip until clear, unless using black. Drip the material into any holes or gouges in the ski base and allow to cool thoroughly before scraping off the excess.
3. P-tex strips can be ironed in. Some irons will not get hot enough. The Toko Wax Mouse we have for sale is ideal for P-tex strips.
4. P-tex powder can also be ironed in. Just fill the gouge with the powder, cover with silicon paper or greaseproof paper and apply the iron as per the instructions*.
   The graphite powder is especially recommended for use on skis with a graphite (usually black) base. The repair will not compromise the ability of the base to absorb wax.
5. The Toko Wax Mouse iron we have is ideal for applying P-tex powder.
6. Scrape off any excess P-tex with ametal scraper or a sharp edge of a perspex scraper.
   
   *Place the Mouse on the insulating non-woven heating fabric (supplied) which has been placed over the top of the P-tex powder, wait 20 seconds, remove the iron, wait at least 60 seconds, remove the insulating non-woven heating fabric and scrape or file smooth.

If you need advice please email
(There are some questions we cannot answer - check here for those before sending email)

Now for the edges:

Bevelling The Base Edges

1. The first thing is to check for edge damage, rust and / or hardened areas. (Hardened areas are blue / black in colour.) These areas need to be filed out, rust filed off and damage filed smooth. Care needs to be taken to avoid excessive hollowing out on just one side.
2. Work in the tip to tail direction with long, firm, uniform strokes.
3. The next step is to bevel the base edge at 0.5° - 2° to the base by using the Base File Control of the desired angle. See below.
   This will allow the ski to 'rock' from edge to edge allowing quicker and smoother edge changes.
4. Use a rubber block to polish the edge and remove any burrs left by the file.

Recommendations for the degree of bevel used:
< 1° - for more precise & very fast edge changing - most aggressive
1° - 1.5° - for precise edge changing - aggressive & for 'shaped' skis**
2° - 3° - for tips and tails only on non-shaped skis and snowboards - see later
and for use in the 'terrain park' on the rails. A large bevel will help to keep the edges from damage from the rails.

** Shaped Skis - The optimum base edge bevel has been found to be 1° with the side edge at 88°. The ski needs to be kept sharp from tip to tail.

Bevelling the Side Edges
Place the ski into the vice on its side. We will work on one side at a time.
The first thing is to check for edge damage, rust and / or hardened areas. (Hardened areas are blue / black in colour.) These areas need to be filed out, rust filed off and damage filed smooth. Work in the tip to tail direction with long, firm, uniform strokes. The next step is to bevel the side edge using the File Holder of the desired angle. Use a rubber block to polish the edge and remove any burrs left by the file. Repeat this process with the other edge.

Determining the Side Angle

The usual method for determining the angle of the side edge is to choose an angle, which combined with the base bevel angle makes a 90° edge: i.e. if the base is bevelled at 1° then the side is to be bevelled at 89°.

Determining Edge Sharpness

Recommendations for 'edge sharpness': 90+° - for less edge bite - least aggressive 89° - recommended sharpness 88° to 89° - for more edge bite - more aggressive < 88° - not recommended unless seriously racing

When the edge is at the desired angle we now need to lessen the 'edge sharpness' of the tip and tail of the ski or board to prevent it catching in the snow.
With a 'shaped' ski the optimum base edge bevel is 1° - 1.5° with the side edge at 88°. The ski needs to be kept SHARP from tip to tail as it is these areas which do all of the work in the turn.

We recommend either of two methods for 'non-shaped' skis and snowboards:

OPTION 1: Round off the tip 5 - 10 cm back and the tail 2 - 5cm forward with either a file, a carborundum stone or a rubber dressing block.
This is the least aggressive alternative and will allow the ski to 'come out of the turn' more easily than option 2.

OPTION 2: Keep the same angle on the edge and base all the way to the tip and the tail. Using a rubber dressing block lightly round off the tip and tail around 2 cm back from the contact points of the curve.
The ski or board will carve easier and for a greater period of the turn.
Ideal for racing and carving all turns.

After this has been done the edges should be deburred with a rubber dressing block rubbing it along the length of the ski edge a few times. Apply more pressure at the tip and tail of the ski.

Clean the base of the ski thoroughly and vigorously with a bronze brush. If you use a base cleaning fluid and a cloth for this process, allow to thoroughly dry for at least 30 minutes.
If you choose the combi brush, use with the nylon area in front and the bronze area will clean the structure in the base.

Now is a good time to have the ski 'Micro Finished' to put a structure on the base in order to enhance the skis' gliding abilities.

We are now ready to wax the skis.

WAXING

When the ski is thoroughly clean, dry and at room temperature place it base upward in a vice.
Clean the base of the ski with a bronze brush or combi brush to remove loose P-tex from the base structure.
Melt the appropriate wax (see waxing chart) against the base of the iron while moving along the length of the ski. Not very much wax is needed so be frugal. It is best to use less wax now and put more on later than to waste wax.
Heat the iron so the wax spreads smoothly - around 120°C - too hot and the wax will smoke, which will change the characteristics of the wax. Iron the wax into the base from the tip to the tail in smooth even strokes until the base is saturated with wax.
After allowing the ski to cool to room temperature use a scraper to remove ALL excess wax and clean out any running groove in the centre of the ski.

WAXING ILLUSTRATED

Melting the wax	Ironing in	Scraping off the excess

Brush the remaining wax out of the base structures using a nylon brush.
Second and subsequent wax layers should be applied now. (See below for special 100% fluoro wax application procedures.)
Use a horse hair brush to give the finishing touch and to neutralise any static charge generated by the nylon brush.
Polish with a cloth.

GO SKIING!

For those who want the maximum glide from their skis, perhaps you race for your club or enjoy NASTAR, we shall discuss layering the ski with various waxes.

But first some discussion on waxes and snow conditions.

WAXING CHART

Use this chart to determine the appropriate waxes for the given conditions:

FOR USE WITH TOKO WAXES

Basically, the wetter the snow and the more humid the conditions - the more highly fluorinated the wax needs to be.

Toko waxes in order of fluorination (from none to highly fluorinated):
SYSTEM 3 WAX
LOW FLUORO WAX
DIBLOC HIGH FLUORO

NEVER MIX FLUORINATED WAXES WITH NON-FLUORINATED WAXES

• The percentage of Red or Blue wax can be increased as snow aggressiveness increases.
• As the temperature of the snow approaches the divisions the percentages of the harder wax can be increased in the mixture:
  e.g. If the snow temperature was -4°C and you were using the Low Fluoro Wax a mixture of one third Yellow and two thirds Red would be used.
• Jetstream is used for acceleration over the first few gates of a race and is ironed or rubbed on over the wax and should not be the only wax used.

SNOW TYPES

There are 4 main types of snow which need to be recognised in order to choose the appropriate waxes:

1. Powder Snow - Harder Waxes - the Red & Blue System 3 waxes
   • Crystals have sharp points & edges
   • Friction is high.
     
2. Marbled Snow - Mix Hard and Soft Waxes. (More hard than soft wax) - Yellow & Red System 3 or Low Fluoro waxes.
   • When snow falls between 0°C - 3°C or when the temperature rises sharply after a new snowfall.
   • The points of the crystal are rounded.
     
3. Old Snow - Mix Hard and Soft Waxes. (More soft than hard wax) - Yellow & Red Low Fluoro Wax
   • Totally lost its crystalline structure.
     
4. Wet Snow - Soft Waxes - Yellow Fluoro. Low Fluoro or Dibloc waxes
   • Around 0°C with free water between the crystals
   • Friction reduced

Use the appropriate Dibloc Wax if racing or higher speeds are needed.

Nowadays there is a 5th snow type to consider:

• Man-Made Snow - Extremely hard waxes - Man-made snow wax
  • Less artistic structure than natural snow
  • Sharp-edged and pointed
  • Tremendous friction.

Once the snow type has been identified the appropriate waxes can be applied following the procedures discussed previously.

Second & subsequent coats of wax can be applied:
Apply a base wax then a 2nd coat wax using previous procedures. Here you can mix your waxes to best suit the conditions.
After application of a 2nd coat you can really enhance the glide of your skis by applying a Top Coat wax.

• Top coat waxes, such as Jetstream, generally come in paste or block form.
• Because all top coat waxes are expensive be careful not to use too much. You will need to use a reasonable amount, it is expensive, but if you don't use enough you are wasting what you have used. It will only last half a run if you are too frugal - 2 runs if you use a little more.
• To apply top coat waxes you can either rub onto the base of the ski or iron it in.
• Allow to dry or cool depending on the method of application.
• Brush and polish to a very high sheen.

Some Practical Hints from us at Viking & The Village Ski Hire

We have had considerable email about waxing. This is probably the hardest section to understand unless you have done a reasonable amount of waxing and have had experience with snow conditions etc. We thought we would share some of our favourite wax techniques and 'blends' with you and hope this goes some way towards clearing up some of the mystery and confusion about waxing.

OUR FAVOURITES FOR AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS:

1. For just all round recreational riding or skiing the procedure for Australian conditions we use most often is just one coat of Toko Blocx Fluoro wax - iron in well and allow to cool thoroughly then scrape off the excess and polish with a horse hair brush and polishing cloth. SIMPLE but very effective for all types of Australian conditions.
   (After a while (about 10 to 12 applications of ANY Fluoro wax you MUST clear the base of all fluoro wax residue otherwise the fluoro part of the wax clogs the pores and the ski will no longer absorb any wax at all. To do this effectively use any non-fluoro wax - the bulk wax is great - saturate the base and iron in very well with a hotter than usual iron (be careful though - not too hot). While this wax is still 'wet' scrape it ALL OFF again. This will pull all of the fluoro wax out of the base. Repeat this a couple of times. The base will change texture slightly and the finish will look duller - you will tell when it is right).
2. For the more technically minded and for those days when the snow is great (or not so great) and you want to get the most from your slide.
   Start with the Toko System 3 Yellow Wax - iron on, cool, scrape brush and polish. Then apply a 2nd coat of the appropriate mixture of the Toko System 3 Yellow & Red waxes as per the Wax Chart or a coat of the Toko Man-Made Snow Wax (if you anticipate that most of the snow is solid or man-made). See it is easy really. If you are competing you put a block of Jetstream and a polishing cloth in your pocket and put some on at the start of the race.

OUR FAVOURITES FOR OVERSEAS CONDITIONS:

1. The one I use the most for US & Europe is a base coat of Toko System 3 Yellow Wax with a second coat of Toko System 3 Red Wax - but only put the red wax on the front third of your ski or board. The hard red wax will abrade and melt the aggressive cold snow and the yellow base wax will cope with this dramatically changed snow condition - it really works! Sounds weird but see testimonial below
2. Don't use the fluoro waxes for US until really late in the season when the snow is wet and heavy. West Coast, California and Canada West Coast - you can use waxes for Australian conditions most of the time - but if you get a cold snap or very cold, light powder resort to the Yellow / Red mix.
3. Firn snow conditions in Europe try Low or High Fluoro Yellow Wax or even NO WAX AT ALL.

OUR FAVOURITES FOR RACING CONDITIONS:

Fairly easy and straight forward really for the non-professional racer

1. Use the appropriate Toko Dibloc HF Race wax for the prevailing snow temperatures & conditions. In Australia the most frequently used is the Yellow Dibloc Race wax. As the snow temperature approaches the colder extreme (-5°C) start mixing in a proportion of the Red Dibloc Race wax.
2. Follow this preparation with a coat of Jetstream.
3. We also have supplies of Toko Dibloc HF Training wax - This is more economical than the race wax and should be used for race training or those times when that extra slide is needed.

THERE IS ONE MORE SPECIFIC WAX TO USE

If your ski or board has a graphite base (usually black) then an occasional coat of Toko Molybdenum wax is most appropriate and recommended. This will help the base to keep its 'wax adsorbability' at a high level. Your base will absorb more of the wax you apply and it will last longer between waxes.

I hope this helps a bit in your understanding of waxes. Please feel free to send me email regarding your own experiences - even if you find my suggestions don't work. We will all learn then.

SOME TESTIMONIALS FROM SKIERS & BOARDERS.

From time to time we here from people who have been happy with our suggested waxing techniques or just happy with the wax.
We will publish them here from time to time so we can all learn and share each others experiences.
This is really the only way to learn the art of waxing.

FROM: Fermin Joubert
Laval City, Quebec, Canada. (sic)
Dears Sirs:

I went to Your website to consult Your ski and snowboard waxing and tuning
guide.
I liked a lot Your practical hints for waxing, and let me tell You that it
was very helpfull last weekend. We (my wife, sons and me) were at a resort
north of Quebec City called "Le Massif" (north america east coast in Canada)
and it was very cold and humid, about minus 32C and 63% RH. This resort is
one of those beautifull places of the world, but very cold and humid because
is on the riverside of the great St. Lawrence River.
The only waxing that allowed us to do some good carving (we ride Alpine
snowboards) in those conditions was the combination of an all temperature
all conditions Toko snowboard wax and as per Your hint, the first third of
the carving board with a hard wax. This waxing was amazing! it really works!
Thanks a lot for publishing this usefull information, it saved our day!
Thanks again and have a very Happy New Year!

STORAGE PROCEDURES

To store your skis properly so as to prevent oxidisation of the base and edges the skis should be preferably tuned, but at least waxed (do not scrape the excess off until the next use), and some Edge Protect has been applied to the edges.
They should be placed upright in a warm dry environment - preferably in a ski bag.

WINTERSTEIGER 'MICRO FINISH' TECHNOLOGY

Which base surface gives the best possible gliding characteristics for the conditions?

1. Belt grinding leaves a great deal of polyethylene fibres on the base of the ski which oxidise and greatly impair the gliding characteristics of the ski.

2. The 'MicroFinish' process gives:

• a totally flat base
• ensures a clean, fibre-free base structure
• greatly enhances the gliding characteristics

The machinery and technology used in the 'MicroFinish' process ensures highly accurate grinding patterns will be put on the base of the ski. These patterns consist of a number of crisscrossing grooves. The length of the diamond pattern dressing on the stone determines the gliding characteristic of the ski. See below.

Stone grinding or Base grinding changes the surface of the base of the ski or board and thus the friction. Structured bases show better gliding and turning properties.
At low temperatures and on aggressive snow, fine structures are better suited because they reduce the frictional force. At warmer temperatures and in wet snow, linear and rough structures divert the water and prevent a suction effect.
This is done using a Stone Grinding Machine, the stone of which is dressed with high grade diamonds to create the desired patterns which are then transposed to the base of the ski or board in the grinding process.
Linear structures are mainly used for Downhill Racing as their effect can lead to the ski or board being difficult to turn because the structure wants to go in a straight line and extra force is needed to make the ski or board turn.

CHOOSE FINE STRUCTURES FOR COLD, FINE GRAINED SNOW
CHOOSE COARSER STRUCTURES FOR WET SNOW & LARGE CRYSTALS

We will certainly utilise the correct structure for the prevailing conditions if you bring your skis into
Viking Ski Hire or The Village Ski Hire.

Prices for our tuning service can be found if you click here.

RISER PLATES

Putting a Riser Plate between the ski and the binding effectively raises the skier higher off the ski and snow to achieve 2 main aims:

1. Because of the aggressive carving nature of shaped skis a skier can lean over a lot further thus increasing the edge pressure & the ski carves better. What happens if there is no riser plate is the tendency for the boot to touch the snow - Yes you can easily get over that far on shaped skis!!
   The riser plate allows more "edging" to occur before 'boot out' happens.
2. The major reason for a riser plate is one of simple physics and leverage. The higher the boot is off the snow (skis edge) the greater the pressure on the edge for the same angulation. The illustrations below show this effect.

The distance the knee has moved in A is less than in B.
Less movement of the knee provides the same edging effect when a riser plate is used.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WE CANNOT ANSWER

(Please do not send email regarding these as we regret we cannot answer your query on the subjects to follow):

If your problem does not fall into any of the categories below please do not hesitate to email us.

1. We receive numerous requests for guidance on binding release settings - we regret we cannot and will not answer these, one for legal reasons and secondly because we really do need to see the binding system and be satisfied that it is functioning properly. If it isn't then the binding release setting is somewhat immaterial! Bindings need to conform to DIN standards now-a-days for your safety. A lot of older bindings no longer conform and therefore the release settings cannot be deemed to be accurate anyway.
Have your nearest ski shop check your bindings and adjust them for you. They may charge - but how much is your safety worth?

2. We cannot give out the addresses of any ski product related manufacturers. If you have warranty problems go back to the place of purchase and pursue the matter from there.

If you wish to download this guide as a PDF (70kb) - click here

To download a PDF (549kb) of a price list of tuning equipment - click here

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