How to hot wax/p-tex?

[skifreakKDL]

I put a good sized gash in my ski and i went to the store and got some p-tex and some hot wax, I have an iorn and a place to work on my skiis. The guy at the store was being gay and bassically said i should bring them in and pay them for a tuned but the edges are still sharp. I dont' want to pay a shit load to get them fixed and i wanted to make sure that i'm doing it right and don't mess up my skiis. Should i just drip in the p-tex into the gash then flatten it out with plexy glass and after it dries drip the hot wax onto my skis then scrape it with plexy glass to flatten it out. Or should i iorn all the wax/p-tex on to it? What is the best way to hotwax/p-tex?

[seldon]

use the "search" function ;). a while back someone asked this and got referred to a thread at epicgape.

-seldon

[skifreakKDL]

i've searched for hotwax, p-tex, and for epicgape but i can't find anything

[schuss]

I literally just did the p-tex 5 mins ago, so here it is:
1. grab p-tex candle
2. grab lighter (if you don't have one just run around asking for a smoke, then steal their lighter)
3. hold light to p-tex candle (don't burn yourself)
4. don't drip p-tex on self
5. once candle is lit, let it burn and heat up till you can tell it'll drip
6. blow out
7. immediately drip/smudge into gash. I don't know if this is the right way, but its how I did it
8. scrape level with metal scraper

hot wax
1. turn on iron to desired setting (if you're going ghetto and using a normal iron, use the lowest dry setting there is)
2. while its heating up, scrape with plexi/plastic scraper till you get pretty much no more wax
3. brush with nylon brush
4. take wax block to iron, and drip it onto ski in any pattern you want, only drip one line or so down the center (ie not very much wax, should only use a little bit of a block) if the wax is smoking, the iron is too hot
5. iron wax into base until smooth
6. scrape scrape scrape
7. brush


ok, thats about it.

[skifreakKDL]

thanks

[Dr. Crash]

If you have a gas torch use it instead of lighter, the candle will burn cleaner. Doesn't matter much with black one but it will show with the clear one. If you don't keep the candle's lighted end close to a metal scraper, it will burn cleaner too.

drC

[splat]

ptex -
light, drip, scape.

wax-
drip, iron, light scrape, ski

I have a policy of not spending more time waxing than the wax will actually last, since I'm not trying to shave .00's of seconds off my time on a course.

I do my best waxing on hot spring days on the hill. I set my skis so the base (preferably black base) tilt directly into sun's rays, eat lunch, whip out the yellow, and watch it run on the hot bases as if on an iron, smearing it down . Makes the afternoons a joy when everyone else is struggling to make headway through the warm snow.

[seldon]

Lets avoid the "no scraping vs scraping and brushing" debate here, it already happened on Powder ;).

Make sure you're using the right temperature wax, and remember that the waxes are graded for SNOW temperature (i made this mistake a couple a days ago, for like the 50th time.... /smacks himself/)
-john

[BanditXXX]

Wax those skis like you're waxing your ho's ass!:eek:

[Viva]

Originally posted by seldon

Make sure you're using the right temperature wax, and remember that the waxes are graded for SNOW temperature (i made this mistake a couple a days ago, for like the 50th time.... /smacks himself/)

Now, if you're doing laundry, you no longer have to worry about which detergent to use- One detergent, all temperature Cheer!

http://www.cheer.com/images/home/cheer_logo.gif

[Duker]

Originally posted by schuss
[5. once candle is lit, let it burn and heat up till you can tell it'll drip
6. blow out
7. immediately drip/smudge into gash. I don't know if this is the right way, but its how I did it
8. scrape level with metal scraper

[/B]

Almost right.... Do Not blow out the candle! Just let it drip into the hole. do not ever toucht the ptex stick to the ski. and scrape with plexi glass not metal when done...


duke

[CaddyDaddy77]

Originally posted by Duker
Almost right.... Do Not blow out the candle! Just let it drip into the hole. do not ever toucht the ptex stick to the ski. and scrape with plexi glass not metal when done...


duke

You weren't supposed to give away the "do not touch the ptex" that was supposed to be a self-discovery moment.:eek:

Here you go, read up.

http://www.tognar.com/tunebasics.html

[Canuk]

What would Einstein say? Keep it simple stupid....

(sorry I couldn't help myself)

[seldon]

Originally posted by Canuk
What would Einstein say? Keep it simple stupid....

(sorry I couldn't help myself)

canuk.... <stuttering with rage>I'm g-g-going t-t-t-to KILL KILL KILL DEATH PAIN KILL DEATH Y-Y-YOU</stuttering with rage>

:D

[Canuk]

Originally posted by seldon
canuk.... <stuttering with rage>I'm g-g-going t-t-t-to KILL KILL KILL DEATH PAIN KILL DEATH Y-Y-YOU</stuttering with rage>

:D

You wouldn't have passed it up either....lol

That thread was way too funny

[seldon]

its the BEST...

some classic quotes:
the original death
"Einstein always said "Keep in simple". Get the correct wax for the snow and temperature conditions. If you have to mix waxes that's ok. Dribble it on, run your iron on until the wax is smooth, and then leave it alone. That's right, don't do any scraping. You're asking yourself, what the hell is he talking about? I've done this for years with great success. The reason why I don't scrape the wax is because I let the first run down the mountain do the scraping for me. If you don't believe me try it out. If you are an Olympic Downhiller looking to make up 100th's of seconds in a race, ya the scraping and polishing is critical. But if you're a gaper on the groomer, don't be so anal. They'll slide just fine daddy o "

post #2
"Wrong you are pear breath. You are probably the guy I glided past last week at Crystal. Unstable ski? Come on. I'm gonna have to send you back to Physics class. 1/64 of an inch of extra wax won't make a ski unstable. A guy that skis with his feet together will make an unstable ski. I'll have to send you back to ski waxing school also, LOL!! Believe me , I know what I'm talking about. I've had lenghty discussions about this with Louie of Greenwater Skis. He is the guru of ski tuning. Don't knock it until you try it. "

post #3
"Like I said, don't knock it until you try it Einstein. For your information I structure my skis before I wax them. Oh geez, brilliant idea. What? Get the wax into the ski first. Ya, I know I saw you now. You were the guy going over the handle bars on Queens Run. Oops, forget to put the correct wax on? Wax is way more important than you state. Ever try to ski fresh powder on a 10 degree day with soft compound wax? Yep, I knew it, you got stuck before you got on the chair lift, LOL!! Hey, you go ahead and keep sticking to the snow, and I'll just glide on past gaper!! "


and teh rest: http://forum.powdermag.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=003006#000005


the gaper in question had a handle of "bandit"

[splat]

Originally posted by seldon
Make sure you're using the right temperature wax, and remember that the waxes are graded for SNOW temperature (i made this mistake a couple a days ago, for like the 50th time.... /smacks himself/)
-john

Check out Purl's all-temp wax. Freakin rules!

[dipstik]

Originally posted by seldon
its the BEST...

some classic quotes:
the original death
"Einstein always said "Keep in simple". Get the correct wax for the snow and temperature conditions. If you have to mix waxes that's ok. Dribble it on, run your iron on until the wax is smooth, and then leave it alone. That's right, don't do any scraping. You're asking yourself, what the hell is he talking about? I've done this for years with great success. The reason why I don't scrape the wax is because I let the first run down the mountain do the scraping for me. If you don't believe me try it out. If you are an Olympic Downhiller looking to make up 100th's of seconds in a race, ya the scraping and polishing is critical. But if you're a gaper on the groomer, don't be so anal. They'll slide just fine daddy o "

post #2
"Wrong you are pear breath. You are probably the guy I glided past last week at Crystal. Unstable ski? Come on. I'm gonna have to send you back to Physics class. 1/64 of an inch of extra wax won't make a ski unstable. A guy that skis with his feet together will make an unstable ski. I'll have to send you back to ski waxing school also, LOL!! Believe me , I know what I'm talking about. I've had lenghty discussions about this with Louie of Greenwater Skis. He is the guru of ski tuning. Don't knock it until you try it. "

post #3
"Like I said, don't knock it until you try it Einstein. For your information I structure my skis before I wax them. Oh geez, brilliant idea. What? Get the wax into the ski first. Ya, I know I saw you now. You were the guy going over the handle bars on Queens Run. Oops, forget to put the correct wax on? Wax is way more important than you state. Ever try to ski fresh powder on a 10 degree day with soft compound wax? Yep, I knew it, you got stuck before you got on the chair lift, LOL!! Hey, you go ahead and keep sticking to the snow, and I'll just glide on past gaper!! "


and teh rest: http://forum.powdermag.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=003006#000005


the gaper in question had a handle of "bandit"


that was my favorite piss battle EVER! :D

[seldon]

haha dipstik... i watched in awe as bandit died in flames :D

[nightpanda]

God that piss war was hilarious

first round: dipstick vs. bandit

and everything else after that was bandit getting slammed down by everyone on the pmag board.

[seldon]

anyone know what happened to that bitch? i hope someday he appears on tgr and starts regaling us with his personal connection to einstein :rolleyes: :D

[Dexter Rutecki]

For the record, both Plakespear and Vinman can attest to the fact that scraping is not a big deal. They were with me as I skied a freshly waxed, completely unscraped ski. We skied side-by-side on flats and my skis were very fast.
Just had to get that in.
Bandit blows.

[Vinman]

Dex was fast that day. But then again on the day in question anything short of a ski with sandpaper glued to the bases would have been fast.

[BanditXXX]

Scraping is not a big deal-Dex

You're finally learning. Took you a while. I guess you found out it was better to be on the slopes than polishing the bases of your skis all day. Or were you the guy I saw polishing the brass at The Hotel Vancouver? LOL!!:cool:

[Summit]

Here are some observations on what we do at our shop:

Customer wax:
(everything else)
drip wax, iron in, let sit, scrape until little comes off, buff with scotchbrite pad to make pretty.

Rental wax:
(base work, edge and belt grind base)
roll ski over roller wax, scotchbrite pad for pretty

Personal tunes:
(everything else)
drip wax, iron in, let sit, scrape with plastic until little comes off, buff with cork


We rarely use metal scrapers instead opting for the plastic scrapers... thoughts on that?

I think it leaves a little more wax on.

[seldon]

from powdermag bandit:
"Sounds to me from reading some posts here is that we've got ourselves some closet non-scrapers and non-brushers, LOL!! Alot of us don't want to admit that we don't scrape or brush our bases. But the truth of the matter is plain and simple, there are alot of straight waxers here. Sure, every ski shop has scraped and polished the bases for decades. But if you are in the privacy of your own home the unscraped wax can be accepted as a job well done. I have a friend who has a really nice Harley. The trouble is he spends most of his time polishing the chrome and not riding. Same with the skiing. If I wanted to spend a bunch of time at home scraping and brushing and polishing my bases hell I'd be better off renting a Ginger Lynn porno and polishing my own chrome if you know what I mean, LOL!! Bottom line is I want wax on the bottom of my ski to repel the effects of the snow. IE: I want to glide. Easier glidng makes for easier turns , less effort etc. It boils down to a personal choice of what works and what doesn't work. I've done alot of experimenting with all kinds of ways to wax, and believe me I've found the best way for myself. I bet some of you guys could get a job at The Hotel Vancouver, where they have full time people polishing the brass rails, LOL!! "

I think we have a match here :rolleyes: . unless banditXXX is being sarcastic... /hopes///

[schuss]

Originally posted by Duker
Almost right.... Do Not blow out the candle! Just let it drip into the hole. do not ever toucht the ptex stick to the ski. and scrape with plexi glass not metal when done...


duke

first time I did it, only a few mistakes. Sounds good to me. Someone told me to blow it out, don't know why, I didn't most of the time, only when it dripped to much. And why plexi instead of metal? seemed to do the job the best... (referring to p-texing, not waxing, thats always a plexi, I was a little high on fumes when I wrote the post...)

[Dexter Rutecki]

Originally posted by BanditXXX
You're finally learning. Took you a while. I guess you found out it was better to be on the slopes than polishing the bases of your skis all day. Or were you the guy I saw polishing the brass at The Hotel Vancouver? LOL!!:cool:

Uhh, no. Read again. I was the one who originally said scraping was often unnecessary. LOL!! (God, I hate that)

[ak_powder_monkey]

ok strait from one of the US ski team waxers (my ski coach, quite possibly the best nordic waxer in the world) brass brush, drip or crayon wax (depending on the the temp range) iron in, let cool, scrape, the white nylon brush like hell, then blue nylon like hell and you should be good

[bagtagley]

How do I keep the ptex from cracking when it cools? Every time I've done a ptex job, it cracks a little.

[zion zig zag]

Originally posted by bagtagley
How do I keep the ptex from cracking when it cools? Every time I've done a ptex job, it cracks a little.

yeah, that happens to me on the big core shots. what gives ?

[BanditXXX]

White and blue nylons? Are you sure you weren't dripping hot wax on a Vancouver, B.C. hooker? :eek:

[seldon]

Originally posted by BanditXXX
White and blue nylons? Are you sure you weren't dripping hot wax on a Vancouver, B.C. hooker? :eek:

wow... mybe he's improving... no "LOL!!:cool:" at the end :rolleyes:

[CaddyDaddy77]

Originally posted by flykdog
yeah, that happens to me on the big core shots. what gives ?

Sounds like in both cases the base wasn't warm enough. On core shots, with Volkl's and some other skis there's a sheet of titinal under the base, unless this is warm the p-tex won't really bond with material. Also, for core shots, with metal sub-structures, or shots that are against the edge, use Metal Tex (http://tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3949) Also, it helps to reduce bubling and leavind air inbetween layers by pressing down a metal scraper on top of the freshly laid p-tex.

dos pesos.

[Vinman]

Another good core shot material is a dark grey epoxy called PC-7. You can find it in most hardware stores. This stuff is tough, won't crack like normal 5 min epoxy and it bonds to metal very well. After it cures it can even be drilled and tapped. Not that you would need that for a ski, but just demoing how strong it is.

[CS]

Don't know about the PC-7 stuff, but JB Weld works a lot better than ptex, and is pretty easy to work with. I've never had it crack and has deflected subsequent rock shots with no problem.

[schuss]

Originally posted by CS
Don't know about the PC-7 stuff, but JB Weld works a lot better than ptex, and is pretty easy to work with. I've never had it crack and has deflected subsequent rock shots with no problem.

with enough JB weld and duct tape, there is nothing you can't fix.

[Vinman]

Originally posted by CS
Don't know about the PC-7 stuff, but JB Weld works a lot better than ptex, and is pretty easy to work with. I've never had it crack and has deflected subsequent rock shots with no problem.

I've had direct hits to a PC-7 core patch with no damage. Scratches on either side of the patch in the ptex but nothing on the epoxy. This stuff is strong and cheap. Probably less than $10-12.

Where can you buy the JB weld stuff that sounds good too? and how much $$.

[schuss]

Originally posted by Vinman
I've had direct hits to a PC-7 core patch with no damage. Scratches on either side of the patch in the ptex but nothing on the epoxy. This stuff is strong and cheap. Probably less than $10-12.

Where can you buy the JB weld stuff that sounds good too? and how much $$.

any auto store, and its about 4 dollars for a tube.

[Crinkle]

Originally posted by Vinman
I've had direct hits to a PC-7 core patch with no damage. Scratches on either side of the patch in the ptex but nothing on the epoxy.

Is it light weight too? Sounds like we should just make our bases out of this shit. Or would it not flex?

[Vinman]

Not sure what light weight would mean? all I know is this stuff really does the job. Probably would have too much drag if used on large areas.

[ColdBoarder]

P-Tex your board or Ski's

I have read all the articles and had a go. There are some good info and some bad.

Firstly, this is the first time have done it and 'Art is what i achieved'.

After three attempts on P-texing and scraping it back out, the first attempt was golden brown, then yellow and the last was perfect. This is what i found.

Firstly cut the P-tex candle at an angle on the tip so it's not round anymore, more sharper on the tip (This makes it easy to burn and better to get the P-tex in your gauge).

Secondly when lighting the P-tex candle use the blue part of the flame so as not to burn the P-tex.

Thirdly as the P-tex is melting and starting to drip, move it over the gauge, as it is almost at the point of dripping off, gently touch the tip of the drip on the board and slowley move it along the gauge.

It will leave a trail of P-tex in the gauge.

I found by doing that I had the perfect amount of P-tex in the guage. I know people have said never touch your board with the P-tex, but after three attempts that was the best way i found of doing it.

You also want the P-tex to be alight itself with a small blue flame around it, this way you won't get any brown in your nice white board. By cutting the P-tex at the beginning you require less heat to get a drip and reduce the chance of it burning and going brown/yellow.

Fourthly with a blade from a stanley knife, let the P-tex cool for about 30 seconds and then at a gentle angle scrape the top layer of P-tex from the board.

Walaa - Artwork that you never thought you could do. You will be so impressed you will be searching your board for more smaller ones to do.

[strode420]

^i believe the word you are looking for is gOUge.

[Jim J]

How deep does a gouge have to be to bother p-texing?
I put a scratch in one of my bases. It's about a foot long, but only a mm or two deep.

[jondrums]

holly-bumpola!
nice timing for me - I just got a box in the mail from tognar, and I'm about to do my own full tune job. Glad to see the advice above. I've always just lit the ptex candle on fire and let it drip little round drops into the gouges, then scraped with plexi. I never though to cut the candle at an angle to get it started, that's a good idea!

[steved]

a flat-faced soldering-iron (see tognar.com) works really well..you can pack in the ptex when you heat it...the flatter ptex sticks are easier but whaterver you have...but not a lot of difference between solder gun...both good. The little bit of JB Weld sounds good too...