XC ski question

[snowshoe]

Does anyone know if it is possible to resurface the bottom of waxless XC skies. I have a pair of beat up skis that I use and want to get some of the nasty scratches as well as areas that are showing the wood. They are getting slow. Can this be fixed like a downhill ski.

 

[el-bagr]

You can do a P-tex candle repair just as with alpine skis. Note that it's probably not worth it to re-incise the fishscale pattern, so you will be adding some speed (and slip) back into the beaters.

Some people do use a sharp/hot edge or router to cut the negative traction pattern into the bases, but I think that's overkill.

 

[snowshoe]

If I use the p-tex wax on the entire ski could I then apply a slower wax to the middle were the scales would be. and then throw a faster was on the Front and back ends. You think that would help reduce the slipping without the scales.

 

[el-bagr]

Sure; that sounds in essence like treating the beat-up waxless ski as a waxed ski. It won't be as fast as if it had started life as a waxed ski, but it should do the trick.

If you do choose to p-tex your core-shots and glide wax your tips'n'tails, be sure you grip wax properly (i.e. find the wax pocket). Waxing is a whole new world!

 

[snowshoe]

Thanks for tips

 

[Rick]

Snowshoe - If you are going to entirely resurface your ski base with a Ptex candle, you are in for a long, long job.

I have used P-tex over the years for mostly gouges digs and scrapes, it's great stuff, but I think it is an awful lot of work to do and entire ski base.

I think if you could drip a fairly level coating, which seems like an impossibility), you would still need to iron it on, which is trickier than Ironing on cleaner or glide wax. You would likely have to get a riller and rill the base also - "Course I am not an expert on replacing bases.
It is probably much less troublesome to just get a pair of wax or no-wax ski's on sale now - The end of season sales are starting to come up.

 

[dave.m]

snowshoe,

I'm not clear what your goals are?

If you want to repair gauges with tips and tails, then standard p-tex repairs are the way to proceed. I would do this by hand as opposed to taking it to a shop.

If you want to repair gouges in the no-wax pattern, you can do this by hand too, if you are careful about laying in the P-tex and willing to trim with an xacto knife. I wouldn't bother unless the gouge has gone all the way through the base.

If you want to clean up the waxless bases to take off the burrs that make them drag, I've no good idea. A quick blast with a propane torch might do it but that's a good way to ruin a ski.

If you want to convert the ski to a waxable ski, that can be done by a really good shop. Strands in Worchester, MA did it for me to great success. I'll never go back to no-wax.

I know some folks who occassionally put kick wax on no-wax patterns. Its a mess to clean up.

A final option may be kicker skins.

 

[snowshoe]

My goal is just to fix the gouges that are in the skis. there are few spots on the edges were the wood is showing. I am not looking for anything perfect. These skies are just an old beat up pair that I like to use when conditions are not so perfect. Im not really looking into a new pair since I already have a good pair. Plus if I bought another pair my wife would kill me. I will give it a try and fix them myself, I have nothing to loose. Thanks everyone for the info it is greatly appreciated.