Waxing new skis with fish scales

[Scratch]

I have been skiing on Glittertinds with fish scale base since late 1990s. At the start of each season I clean the entire base. I then hot wax the tips and tails with Swix Universal Glider wax, treat the fish scale section with Swix liquid glider wax. Never had much success with Maxiglide lasting for very long whereas the Swix seems to have staying power. The secret seems to be letting the solution dry overnight and then buffing it to a nice shine.

[fisheater]

@bbense @wabene
I am aware of skin skis, and I have an Access Skin Tindan, and X-Skin MT-51, Gamme, and FT X. I was just really expressing my feelings for scales. I do note that for some locations and weather conditions scales are best.

[wabene]

@bbense @wabene
I am aware of skin skis, and I have an Access Skin Tindan, and X-Skin MT-51, Gamme, and FT X. I was just really expressing my feelings for scales. I do note that for some locations and weather conditions scales are best.

Agreed scales can be a drag, but also offer many things. When wax is right, my first choice.

[mca80]

@bbense @wabene
I am aware of skin skis, and I have an Access Skin Tindan, and X-Skin MT-51, Gamme, and FT X. I was just really expressing my feelings for scales. I do note that for some locations and weather conditions scales are best.

Agreed scales can be a drag, but also offer many things. When wax is right, my first choice.

What kinda wax do you use for cool to cold dead maple leaves?

[Stephen]

@bbense @wabene
I am aware of skin skis, and I have an Access Skin Tindan, and X-Skin MT-51, Gamme, and FT X. I was just really expressing my feelings for scales. I do note that for some locations and weather conditions scales are best.

Agreed scales can be a drag, but also offer many things. When wax is right, my first choice.

What kinda wax do you use for cool to cold dead maple leaves?

But, on a more relevant note: I have hot waxed a scaled skis, like the Voile Objective, then used a heat gun (hair dryer?) to heat the wax in the scales, while wiping out the excess with a paper towel (as Fisheater mentioned). Works good.
Only negative is that the scales are extruded (vs sintered) plastic, and the wax doesn’t last very long.

[wabene]

Only negative is that the scales are extruded (vs sintered) plastic, and the wax doesn’t last very long.

Yep and that's why even your hot wax and a hairdryer method, while it does sound like the answer, is probably not worth the effort IME. The reason why I will take the time to hot wax, scrape and brush the tips and tails is because of the payback in performance and durability. For the scales I just brush in paste wax, the night before if possible.

[mca80]

Only negative is that the scales are extruded (vs sintered) plastic, and the wax doesn’t last very long.

Yep and that's why even your hot wax and a hairdryer method, while it does sound like the answer, is probably not worth the effort IME. The reason why I will take the time to hot wax, scrape and brush the tips and tails is because of the payback in performance and durability. For the scales I just brush in paste wax, the night before if possible.

Same reason why I juse use universal liquid glide wax on scale portion, which seems even easier. Definitely take care.of tips and tails as one would any ski.

[Stephen]

Only negative is that the scales are extruded (vs sintered) plastic, and the wax doesn’t last very long.

Yep and that's why even your hot wax and a hairdryer method, while it does sound like the answer, is probably not worth the effort IME. The reason why I will take the time to hot wax, scrape and brush the tips and tails is because of the payback in performance and durability. For the scales I just brush in paste wax, the night before if possible.

Have to agree that makes more sense.

[satanas]

Here in Oz we often get sticky snow, so waxing pattern bases or at worst carrying some sort of glide wax is pretty well essential.

While positive patterns are a PITA to wax, many negative patterns are cut into sintered P-Tex that will hold wax. Depending on the pattern, it may or may not be easy to wax the whole ski. With my old Swallows with half moon cutouts I used to hot wax and scrape everything a couple of times a year, including each half moon. This would obviously be way more hassle with fishscales...

[wabene]

Here in Oz we often get sticky snow, so waxing pattern bases or at worst carrying some sort of glide wax is pretty well essential.

While positive patterns are a PITA to wax, many negative patterns are cut into sintered P-Tex that will hold wax. Depending on the pattern, it may or may not be easy to wax the whole ski. With my old Swallows with half moon cutouts I used to hot wax and scrape everything a couple of times a year, including each half moon. This would obviously be way more hassle with fishscales...

I've never skied a negative patterned base. The old S Bounds and Outta Bounds always seemed like skis I'd like to try.
Skiing in the land down under, what'll they think of next? I wanna see pictures... I always think of it as a hot place with deserts and sweet beaches. The skiing must be in the far south, on Tasmania or is there skiing in Victoria?