T8 Learning limits of tools or ( How to destroy your skis)

I hope you are all ready to continue now that you have all bought your tools.

Several skiers have noted that some specialized tools are not available at ski shops in their area. At this point you do not need all bevel guides, and file holders for side bevel, however in a few years you will need these if you want to be an effective tuner!

I will give you sources at end of course where you can get products. I also spoke to some of my suppliers and they are willing to "sell" to graduates of this class all products at "wholesale" prices.
PS Another reason to get that diploma from Pavel!

This session will focus on;
1. Tool safety
2. How to avoid destruction of ski
3.Specific skills needed for correct tool use.

This is the most interesting session in course since you will learn how to destroy your skis and see the results of your carnage. For you will in this session; delaminate a ski, burn the ski base, ruin ski edge and finally burn some wax.

You will only do this once, so enjoy yourselves !

THE IRON

This is the tool that has the most potential to harm your skis, harm you and possibly burn your house down, so please learn and apply all the safety procedure.

If you had followed my previous instructions you installed a longer electric cord on the iron. This is done to allow you more room to move about and not to have "restrictions" in sliding iron from tip to tail.

The secret to a correct wax ironing involves and mastery of the iron, that is knowing how to manipulate iron on all axis ( vertical, horizontal) and this is done with a HOT iron!

I suggest you practice first with a cold iron. Get all steps down, so that you can do them without hesitation.

The second key to correct wax application is never to let wax "solidify" on ski base while applying! This is only done well if you have no hesitation.
If you look at a "poor" application it is a series of drips or solid wax islands!
You want rather a stream or zig zag line of wax which is still liquid.

Basic Safety Procedures.

1. Never but never set a hot iron flat on work area.
2. Never let wax smoke
3. Never let wax drip on floor
4. Never touch base with bare hands once wax spread.


I will repeat all tune procedure later, but for this session let us assume you have done all prep work. Now we must calibrate iron to correct temperature.

I hope you have an iron that has a control dial since you need to set your iron at just the right temp.

Plug iron and set dial at minimum level
Every minute check to see if base is heating, by touching base very lightly.

Once base hot, take a thumb size wax piece and lay it on iron that is facing ceiling. That is base is level and facing ceiling. Handle is facing floor.

Watch wax melt. If too slow....increase dial.
Keep increasing dial level until wax smokes. Stop!!!!
Now back off just a little. The smoke should stop.

You have found your critical zone where wax melts fast but does not smoke!
Mark this position on your dial with felt marker. Never move dial again"


Let iron cool!

The next step is to learn to switch axis of iron from vertical to horizontal without burning yourself and without dropping iron!

The first step in using iron is to hold iron with base vertical with tip pointing 10 cm from ski base ( with right hand). If this is your dominant hand!

With left hand hold wax stick. Notice that wax stick has a marrow end section and a broad wide section. By placing the narrow section on hot iron you get a "small" flow of melted wax. If you place the wide section on hot iron you get a more pronounced wax flow.

That is how you "control' the amount of wax you lay.

HINT HINT
Most beginners try to lay too much wax the first time.
Think in layers. If ever you have laid plaster on house walls you know what I am talking about.

This is what I do.
I examine my ski to ski condition of base ( grooves, cuts etc..)
I will lay a thin bead of wax on grooves, This is my filler wax. These grooves are too small to use Ptex repair sticks, yet too large to sand down with 220 grit paper.

I lay a second coat all over base with zig zag bead of wax.

I watch solidifying wax and see if I have any "sponge effects". You will note this effect when some wax seems to penetrate ski base more than other sections and as wax solidifies it leaves a "bare" ski base. You can see the tiny lines from your structuring!

Lay another SMALL line of wax in the sponge area!

Now slowly with one even stroke give a final smooth swipe of iron.

Here is now the key to effective iron manipulation!!!

Laying wax strings means you must have iron on vertical axis. ( ie base is vertical and point is near ski base)

Once the wax is laid ( tip to tail pass and back), quickly drop wax bar on workbench, quickly transfer iron from vertical axis to horizontal axis so that iron base can slide on ski base!

This transfer procedure is the key to correct waxing. YOU MUST NOT ALLOW wax to solidify. That is why you do not waste time s l o w l y
laying wax. Speed is of essence here!

Practice flipping iron while it is cold. Then do it while hot but not wax is used.
Then do it fast ( do not worry about precision here) with wax!

You will discover now why you want a longer electrical cord!

Again watch base and wax solidifying on ski.

You will note some "strange" patterns. Note them! They will tell you a great deal about your skis, your base, and the quality of your work!

We will do a complete session on wax solidification diagnosis! ( very much like "reading tea laves"!!!



PROCEDURES TO AVOID

You will never again do the following procedures, but for the you experience, you will "burn" and ski base and you will try to delaminated a ski. Do this before you lay any wax on your trial ski.

An iron must never rest in one spot on the ski base for more than a second.

The danger areas are at the tip and tail of ski, where heat transfer is maximal.
Take a tail section and reat iron on this section and note time before you see :smoke, smell plastic burning, see base material move!.

You have just ruined a ski!!!

If you continue you will note that ski base material will separate from core!

That is what you must never never do!!

Never leave a plugged iron, (even just to answer phone)

Never but never stop an iron on ski base. Keep moving iron at all times on ski base!


During the week practice this!

Please provide feedback on your destruction!

Have fun!!!