base repair/tuning

[skiyak777]

Hit a few rocks this summer and need to find a place that is skilled with P-tex and base grinding. Anyone have a recommendation for a shop/skitech near Boston or the white mountains? I always worry about whether the high school tech at Skimarket knows what they are doing.

[P-HUG]

Dude, 3:58AM and your thinking about ski tuning....
hehehehehe....must be that time of year.

Sorry, don't have any rec's, but my sticks need some serious work too.

[BladeGirl]

When I was an instructor at Cannon I used their on mountain shop regularly and they did a great job. The main guy there comes back every year and he really knows what he is doing. He turned a pair of blades that were about to be "rock blades" into almost new (the tops still were beat up but who cares?), and for no extra charge.

-BG

[RR]

Ditto, but I'll do my own bases and edges and waxing. Dudes, check out the Tuning video on TT (32meg WinVid): http://www.telemarktips.com/video/PrepQuiver.wmv
Go to the Tele-vision Page for other formats: http://www.telemarktips.com/Moviepage.html

[skiyak777]

Dude, 3:58AM and your thinking about ski tuning....
hehehehehe....must be that time of year.

Sorry, don't have any rec's, but my sticks need some serious work too.

Yeah, I was already awake thinking about how to explain to my wife that I can't go to that weekend couples communication workshop because I need to go to Shasta for Sept turns. Went better than I expected: Now all I have to do is take the kids to Storyland (again- M@ I'll keep an eye out for the Crazy Barn attendant this time) and spend Thanksgiving at the mother-in-laws, which, unfortunately, is in Tucson, where skiing is a bit unlikely. Man, I liked it better when she lived in Hood River.

[skiyak777]

When I was an instructor at Cannon I used their on mountain shop regularly and they did a great job. The main guy there comes back every year and he really knows what he is doing. He turned a pair of blades that were about to be "rock blades" into almost new (the tops still were beat up but who cares?), and for no extra charge.

-BG
Thanks for the suggestion. As I want to get them fixed soon, maybe I'll take a look at RRs tuning video.

[Justin]

Hit a few rocks this summer and need to find a place that is skilled with P-tex and base grinding. Anyone have a recommendation for a shop/skitech near Boston or the white mountains? I always worry about whether the high school tech at Skimarket knows what they are doing.


Ya, My basement. seriously, Aside from a stone grind I do the rest at home. I gave up on P-tex a long time ago and have since gone to Metal Grip (http://www.liski.it/sci/en_sci.htm)
Waaaaaay better. P-tex always falls out.... this stuff will fill a gouge 8 inches long and and an inch wide and stay put.

[RR]

MetalGrip looks awesome...how do you use it?

This calls for a forum for Tech Tips in the Lunch Rocks :cool:

[PWDR8S]

Thanks for the suggestion. As I want to get them fixed soon, maybe I'll take a look at RRs tuning video.
What?... The kids? Isn't it too young to have your kids fixed?

[Justin]

MetalGrip looks awesome...how do you use it?

This calls for a forum for Tech Tips in the Lunch Rocks :cool:


Just like P-tex... But it grips.. like metal ;). Single best tuning "thing" i have. I hit rocks (often :()

[skiyak777]

What?... The kids? Isn't it too young to have your kids fixed?

Actually, I'm the most likely family member to have to undergo that, except my daughter's new beagle puppy who is still too young:
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1821dog-med.jpg

[skiyak777]

Just like P-tex... But it grips.. like metal ;). Single best tuning "thing" i have. I hit rocks (often :()

Sounds great. Any idea where to buy it? (Google wouldn't cough it up.)

[RR]

Just like P-tex... But it grips.. like metal ;). Single best tuning "thing" i have. I hit rocks (often :()I have found I can iron in ptex with my waxing iron...it's not a neat as lighting the p-tex "candle" but it smells better.

I have been heating the candle on the iron till the candle is really hot, then heating the area to be repaired and then smashing the hot candle into the gouge with the iron and moving the iron over the same spot while holding the candle still. Eventually I get a decent surface that responds well to a 2" carpenter's plane after the materials have cooled. So far so good.

So, again how are you using the "metal"? Burning and dripping or iron-in?

[ATP]

I have found I can iron in ptex with my waxing iron...it's not a neat as lighting the p-tex "candle" but it smells better.

I have been heating the candle on the iron till the candle is really hot, then heating the area to be repaired and then smashing the hot candle into the gouge with the iron and moving the iron over the same spot while holding the candle still. Eventually I get a decent surface that responds well to a 2" carpenter's plane after the materials have cooled. So far so good.

So, again how are you using the "metal"? Burning and dripping or iron-in?

Use a soldering iron, or get a PTEX iron (available as is metalgrip at Tognar (http://tognar.com/base_repair_tools_iron_ptex_gouges_damage.html)). The PTEX iron has a better temperature than the wax/clothes iron (too cold) or soldering iron (too hot). Metalgrip is definitely a step up on regular PTEX in terms of durability, although it's a little more stubborn when it comes time to flatten it back out. Fact of the matter is, the important repairs (core shots and gouges next to the edge) pretty much require it, unless you plan to put in a PTEX patch. (A good reason to keep old skis around.)

I'm not sold on the benefits of stone grinding. Sure it makes your bases look pretty and imparts nice structure (although I can structure them myself), but the price can be a year's worth of PTEX and edge off the bottom of your skis. Having said that, I suspect my boards are a little base high, so I may submit them to said abuse. Any deep thoughts on the benefits of stone grinding?

I encourage anyone who thrashes their skis like I do to do their own tuning. It's a fine way to keep your pesky conscience happy during your beer-drinking/music-listening quality time.

[Justin]

So, again how are you using the "metal"? Burning and dripping or iron-in?


Ohh right... yes, just like that.

[RR]

As I suspected! Long ago it was explained to me that the drip method made for sections where the wax would wear off quickly. Then, more recently, "sintered bases" were explained and I thought about maintaining the pores so that the wax would last better on repairs. Since heat and pressure were the secret in the first place, repairing the bases that way followed. The carpenter's plane is super sharp and really holds an nice flat cut, revealing more pores in the fresh repair than a scraper would.

I have some nice graphite sticks, but getting some "metal" is on my list!!!

[ATP]

Hmm. I'm going to have to get some new blades for my grandfather's nice, old carpenter's plane that I inherited and try that out this fall. The versaplaner is fine for removing excess PTEX, but it isn't ideal for flattening bases (could be part of why they feel base high, as they've got PTEX repairs scattered throughout).

[RR]

Hmm. I'm going to have to get some new blades for my grandfather's nice, old carpenter's plane that I inherited and try that out this fall. The versaplaner is fine for removing excess PTEX, but it isn't ideal for flattening bases (could be part of why they feel base high, as they've got PTEX repairs scattered throughout).I'm using Gramp's 1930's plane...them old guys knew their shinola!

[RR]

...http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1821dog-med.jpg...Cute pup...Beagles could well be called Bugles for the way the sing....

[Justin]

Cute pup...Beagles could well be called Bugles for the way the sing....


MMMMmmm.... Bugles....

[Sledhaulingmedic]

I'd go broke if I relied on shops for tunes. Maybe once a year for a stone grind if the bases aren't flat. I left everything tunes but with a thick coat of all-temp wax for the summer. This fall: Scrape and go, baby!

[Jolly J]

I'd go broke if I relied on shops for tunes. Maybe once a year for a stone grind if the bases aren't flat. I left everything tunes but with a thick coat of all-temp wax for the summer. This fall: Scrape and go, baby!
I'm lazy, I tune the first one of the season after that, drop off a box of donuts and my boards, go have breakfast and they are waiting for me when I head back out.

[Sledhaulingmedic]

I'm lazy, I tune the first one of the season after that, drop off a box of donuts and my boards, go have breakfast and they are waiting for me when I head back out.

That could work...

[Rainman]

Any deep thoughts on the benefits of stone grinding?


Stone grinding is great for taking all the damage you've done to skis over the past weeks (or years for normal peeps) and if the base repairs are solid making it all good and like new. CAUTION In my experience depending on how good the guy doing the grinding a pair of skis can withstand 3 to 5 base grinds MAX if you are hard on your equipment. Once you hit that point there won't be enough ski left to hold in the edge and you'll roll the whole damn edge out. Happen to two pairs of skis before I backed off of the monthly stone grinds. :eek: Now I do it once or twice a year MAX by a good guy that I know that knows how I ski. He only shave just a tad off. Not quite a pretty as the dude that shaves them down .. but then again I seriously considered paining my last pair of new ski’s flat black. Pretty is not really an issue for me and skis.

[Justin]

Pretty is not really an issue for me and skis.

That's just the thing... Unless your a racer you bases don't need to be perfect -- just protected and maintained. Sure I use metal grip to fill my gouges for a better glide but mainly to keep out the h2o and prevent base/core/edge damage.

Bottom line, unless your counting fractional seconds, "pretty doesn't matter".

"Form Follows Function" -Louis Sullivan.

[Freebird]

Dude, 3:58AM and your thinking about ski tuning....
hehehehehe....must be that time of year.


Yeah... it IS that time of year again. I starting checking the skis out last week, seeing how the summer was treating them. Got the itch to start scraping wax.

Like Rainman said, a stone grind is the best way to clean up your bases. So sharpen it up by hand, throw it through the machine for the bases, give her a wax job, slap her on the ass, and you're off!

Usually the techs at ski market aren't high schoolers. If you're just having them throw it through a machine, sure it's the high schoolers. Go talk to the manager of the shop, and have him do a personal tune for you, then you got a different story. Problem is paling up with one of them. The manager in Manch when I worked there used to tune for racers for over 9 years up in Killington.

Talks of ski tuning... OOO OO OOOO!!!

[idahobobb]

hi all i am a ski tech here in sun valley and agree on a lot of what everyone is saying---about stone grinding though---yes, you should definetly make sure that the tech has a good amount of time before turning your boards over--i'm not sure who mentioned it but a ski will take MANY more grinds than 3-5 but they are light grinds--bringing us back to knowing the tech knowing his machine!!!you can get as fine or as gnarly as can be---a ski can be destroyed in 1 grind no problem if the tech is new. i recommend a grind in the beginning of the season followed by copious amounts of wax (which is an eas do it yourself) because the grind will strip the nice wax you have built up in your ski--a newly ground ski is VERY slow (racers NEVER grind anywhere close to a race) and that should do---now if your constantly getting your edges done and the tech keeps base beveling and base beveling then you'll need to get flatter sooner-- i tend to MAINTAIN the bevel--meaning if that base edge is in good shape i will just clean it up with a set of stones and then sharpen the side. Ultimatly though bases and edges are made to be tuned and skis are tools not jewels so don't short your ski enjoyment by not tuning occasionally-i hate how the industry has kinda made tuning cost prohibitive but you'll think its you who are the problem for a terrible day and it WILL actually be your gear thats holding you back............phew hope that wasn't too much--i am back home now and will be on this site thru winter so throw those tech questions out there !!!!!!!!! ps careful of those spendy waxes (ie flouros) they are ULTRA bad for your lungs so use a respirator or in a WELL vented area glad to be back :)

[idahobobb]

pps---beer goes a LONG way to defraying the cost of that tune ;)