Essential Ski Tuning Equipment

[goldengarbageman]

I am looking to start tuning my skis at home, and I was wondering what tuning equipment people can't work without. Specific products would be helpful, and where the best place to get it all is. Thanks in advance.

[PNWbrit]

[goldengarbageman]

That's already on my "getting through the day" checklist

[Timberridge]

Everyone has their preferences and you'll get all sorts of answers. Some guys can tune skis with just sandpaper and a flat stick. Others need the equivalent of mission control at Johnson Space Center.

All I can say is stay away from anything that says "all-in-one" or "4 tools in 1" in the description.

[adrenalated]

It really depends on how good of a job you want to do, and how much work do you want to do yourself vs. paying a shop for major repairs. After spending lots of money on tuning tools and many years tuning my own skis, here's what I've learned.

Somewhere in the depths of this forum, there is an excellent how-to with photos for tuning skis. Search for it.

The only absolute necessities for freeride skis are:
-beer
-a ski vise. Many people go homemade, or you can buy one.
-a wax iron
-wax. I like the Purl all-temp.
-a stone to deburr edges after you skitter across rocks. I use this: http://www.alpinebaseandedge.com/ski...hop-stone.html
-scraper. Use the thickest plexi one you can find.
-scraper sharpener. Most don't use this, but I consider it a necessity - a sharp scraper makes your life soo much faster and easier. http://www.slidewright.com/toko-scra...-world-cup.php
-rags and water to clean dirt off skis prior to work, especially if you ski in the springtime.

This is all you really NEED. Knock the burrs off the edges, wax, scrape, done. You don't really need or even want razor sharp edges for most off-piste skiing.

If you want to sharpen your edges, you'll need some more stuff. After using cheapo combination, all-in-one edge tools for years and finally buying the good stuff, I'd honestly say don't waste your time with the combo tools. If you want to do it, do it right and buy the better tools. I use:
-SVST Final Cut base guide: http://www.slidewright.com/svst-the-...eling-tool.php
-SVST Pro Edge side beveler: http://www.slidewright.com/svst-pro-...wear-plate.php
I avoided these for so long because they're spendy and you can't adjust the edge angle. But, I settled on a base/edge bevel that I liked for every ski, every condition and bought these. They are light years better in every way than any adjustable combo tool. Easier to use, more accurate, cleaner cuts, etc. I go 1deg base and 2deg edge.
You'll want a decent file and a basic set of diamond stones to go with them. 2-3 different grits of stones are plenty unless you want a perfect racer finish. I haven't used enough different stones to have an opinion on brands.

I'd personally get base repair stuff before the edge tools above though. For simple scratches, some ptex candles (black only, clear is worthless and actually looks worse, even on bases with graphics), a lighter, and a metal scraper will do fine. You could pick up a ptex repair gun if you're coreshot-prone. I've had good luck with this little guy: http://www.slidewright.com/ski-mende...air-pistol.php

For a better finish after waxing, get a nylon brush and brush the bases after scraping. Not required, but does make a minor yet noticeable difference.

I don't get into any base flattening. I pay a shop for a base grind about once a season.

[NW_SKIER]

Well said^^
Or you can make friends with someone who used to race and use their shit. I buy him a couple bricks of wax a year and bring a six pack on occasion. Works for me.

[SB]

First of all you need several girly
pin up posters on the walls near where you plan to tune.

Next learn to brew beer, this is the most important part. Spend the next three years brewing beer, drinking it and looking at the posters.

Then you need to go skiing, do this for another 2-3 years while brewing beer and checking out the posters.

Now you are ready to buy new skis cause you roached them out by never tuning them.

Buy tools along with nu skis.

Yur welcome.

[PlayItLeo]

<<<<<<<<The search function is thisaway

Epic is thataway>>>>>>>>>

However, seeing as I feel generous, here's a few tips. Beer is necessary for a standard tune. Add whiskey if major base/edge work is required. And weed is mandatory either way. If your not catching a buzz, why tune your skis.

[MC Slayer]

Wax, iron, Bastard files, guides, gummy stones, ptex, metal scraper, plastic scraper, sandpaper, and a utility blade.

[lordf]

Also never use base cleaner, it dries out the bases. Hot scape instead to clean them out.

[skuff]

Use this guide- http://www.skituning101.com/

Created by this guy http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...3059#post63059 for people just like you.

[reynolds.trailrun]

Some cheapass shitty skis might be your best bet for your first few runs at base and side-edge sharpening as well as base repair. First pair of skis I did much tuning work and mounting cost me $50 NIB in 2009. If you f'up cheap skis, who cares? You f'up some nice sticks that are in the 5 hundy range. It hurts a bit more.

[Cayuse]

Some speakers and an mp3 player of some sort also help with the task.

[DougW]

I really like my Beast side edge file guide
http://www.tognar.com/side-of-beast-...e-angle-guide/

the Beast base guide is ok my SVST base guide is really nice
http://www.tognar.com/sun-valley-ski...-bevel-guides/

AS your at KH I find i use my iron to repair ptex a fair amount
http://www.tognar.com/tognar-p-tex-b...n-120v-us-can/
I would not go back to candles

[old goat]

There's a whole section in epic ski on tuning and repairs. guys over there are pretty obsessive. One word of advice--don't touch the base edges, except to lightly remove burrs. The base edge should only be set and sharpened after the ski is ground completely flat--which most people will have done in a shop, somewhere between once a year and never. If you sharpen your base edges in between base grinds, as you remove edge material the edge gets higher and higher off the snow and harder and harder to engage and hold. As far as repairing bases--unless the gouge is against the edge or a core shot there's no good reason to fix them. If they are next to the edge or a core shot you need some kind of base repair iron, and metal-grip as well as ptex ribbon-not candle. if you're a family man, tell the rest of the family to tune their own skis, unless you really need to get out of the house.

[Lindahl]

Scratches and shallow gouges aren't worth filling. The fill material doesn't soak up wax well and will just slow your skis down.

I've always had a hard time knocking down base repairs flat afterwards. I've found that heating up a metal scraper with your base iron gives you a nice flat straight edge to smooth them out. Press the base repair iron to the metal scraper until the metal scraper can melt the base repair material. Do it in layers so you don't add too much. Pain in the ass to remove excess base repair material. I use the SkiVisions base planar tool to finish it off, but its not quite as good as a stone grind.

Any other suggestions/advice for getting base repairs flat? I find I still need to get a stone grind to get the base totally smooth and ripping fast - I wait until the snow depth is deep enough, which is usually around Jan.

And yeah, beer/music is essential.

[SB]

I like to think of minor gouges as extra structure. Trim off any fins or strings and call it gud.

[PlayItLeo]

Any other suggestions/advice for getting base repairs flat?

I've always had good results using a nice, sharp 1" chisel. Probably frowned upon by some tuning nerds, but if you're careful it works great. YMMV and all that

[old goat]

I've always had good results using a nice, sharp 1" chisel. Probably frowned upon by some tuning nerds, but if you're careful it works great. YMMV and all that

That's what I use, but it presumes having the stones and ability to keep the chisel sharp. If anyone wants to try this don't try to level the repair in one cut--take it off in thin slices so you don't pull the repair out. I usually finish with a sharp woodworking scraping with a burred edge-flexed and used on the push so only the repair is shaved. If the repair is far enough from the edge you can also use a small hand plane.

[Timberridge]

Any other suggestions/advice for getting base repairs flat?

I use 6" inch Bahco cabinet scraper. http://www.rockler.com/bahco-cabinet-scrapers It takes more passes than the chisel but its safer IMHO.

[DougW]

Any other suggestions/advice for getting base repairs flat?
.

Just be careful on how much material you add. I use an iron so can its pretty easy to control how much you add and you can keep smoothing as you go. Of course doesn't apply to drip. If much excess will use planer skivision and a bit a sand paper.

If you go with an never go back to drip. The drip stuff has a way lower melting point and way softer which is a pain when doing a iron repair near an old drip repair.

On other matter above , I see no problem using base cleaner. I use on new skis to get out shipping wax /dirt before waxing or abound a repair area . Just wax right away no harm done

[XXX-er]

forget the drip use pure ptex and i just use a heavy razor blade to cut the excess flush

[altacoup]

I’m curious about this product. Estimated price? How many grinds can be done with tool before replacing?


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[Danno]

For anyone reading this old forum still, one addition tool you may want in your ski tuning arsenal is a base grinding tool. This is a tool to flatten your bases, remove the old and scratched PTex, and set a new micro structure in your base to reduce friction and allow your wax to last longer.

Since shops charge a lot for a base grind and there wasn't a great tool on the market for DIY people, my business partner and I ended up developing this product ourselves. We're currently preparing to open up a window for pre-orders.

You can check out our website (srphardware.square.site) if you're interested to learn more. Make sure to sign up for the email list to be the first to know when the product will be available to purchase. Feel free to email with any questions or thoughts as well, we'd love to hear from you all.

This is what's known, in the parlance of our times, as spam. Which makes you a spammer.

[skiburgher]

I checked on this product. It looks a lot like the Skivisions tool