G3 Skin glue: too tacky?

[XXX-er]

Wow, another thread where Rawj shares his myopia stoke, talking about a product he hasn't put the time in on. I have g3 skins that have worked great - and their tip\tail connector is better er.

Rog always cuts the tail connector off so this wouldn't apply

[NoPostholio]

Ya, cause he has his skis over his shoulder like a beater. He could prob cut off tip connector too.

[effexed]

I've had this same problem with residue from my G3 skins staying on my skis. I think it's largely due to me not drying out my skins properly or leaving them in the sun stuck to the ski. And if I do everything right, this seems to be the most troublesome on spring days were the temperatures are warm and everything seems to stick.

I know there's a bunch of debate about the cheat sheets (G3-Skin Savers) but I like using them. Recently all the dirty glue from my skins started leaving all kinds of residue and I started searching all over on how to remove the residue from my ski and the cheat sheets. I couldn't find anything useful about the base of the ski or the cheat sheets. So I started experimenting and nothing seemed to work including a scraper, 409, cloth, dish soap, paper towels, hot water… I wasn't going to try the iron on the cheat sheet, and I did not dare try what some people on other websites suggest: the highly dangerous MEK solvent. (I couldn't find my citrus cleaner or Simple Green so I don't know if those will work either).

So, I finally took to my home remedy that I use for removing labels off jars and cleaned off my cheat sheet with: Vegetable Oil!

It worked like a charm! Rather than spending an unnecessary $20 to purchase another cheat sheet, I soaked and rubbed the cheat sheet in vegetable oil. It's said that the base of the oil reacts to the acid in the glue, neutralizing it. (I'm no scientist but that's what I've heard.) The residue came off after a couple of cleanings. I cleaned it twice more with dish soap and let it air dry.

I have yet to see if this will work, or how my skins will react to the "clean" cheat sheets. At the end of the day, I have a clean cheat sheet and on my next spring tour I may through in a small bit of vegetable oil just to make sure I have a backup to clean any residue on the base of my skis. (I have no idea what the oil will do to the ski wax, but in a pinch with a sweet run ahead, anything would be better than a patch of residue sticking to the snow like velcro!)

[telepariah]

The glue on every brand of skins varies from batch to batch. The worst just need to be stripped and replaced with Gold Label. Two thin coats a day apart works best.

When glue gets gooey it is, as noted by several above, due to water in the skin. Paper bags and parchment both work. I have used paper to strip glue but parchment -- with the smooth side on the glue -- leaves them glassy as new. I believe the best temperature for ironing new Gold Label is around 150 deg F but I go over 200 when renewing glue because I want to see that water leave the glue. I use a meat thermometer to measure the temp of the iron and just try to stay withing +-10 degrees if I can.

Just put the skin upside down on your ski and put the ski in the vise. Iron it on medium and remove the paper before it cools or some of it will stick.

Wax, scrape, and brush your skis often if you are skinning a lot to prevent glue from sticking to skis.

Fold skins in half, not in quarters. Quarters only exposes more glue to contamination from dog hair or whatever else is in your pack and your truck.

If the glue is super sticky, I stomp out a decent packed platform in the snow, stand on the tail with the metal clip next to but not under my boot, and pull them apart using my leg strength. No reason to struggle as I'm old and scrawny in the upper body.

I don't use the cheat sheets even for storage. I want my kit to be ready to go at all times, 12 months of the year, so there is no difference for long term storage.

Hot wax your skins with glopstopper every 5 - 10 touring days. They glide better and never get glopped.

About glide. Rockered skis do not need skin coverage on the rockered parts of the base as long as they aren't reverse camber or extremely rockered designs. It actually creates drag. Even though BD says not to taper the skins because it will weaken the material, I do it. The difference in drag is huge and the difference in weight is noticeable. And skins are pretty much indestructible.

All the skins I've ever owned have outlasted the skis I use them with and I never hesitate to walk right over rocks and shit with them all the time.

[Lindahl]

True about glide. Wall to wall is extremely overrated. More energy spent, especially with BD Ascensions.

My G3s do have super sticky glue. I roll mine. Way easier to deal with.

[ak_powder_monkey]

well after 9 seasons of abuse, dust, spruce needles, and general mistreatment my BD skins are still going strong...

Just saying

I recently got BCA magic carpets, have a little over a year on them... Way to freaking sticky, glide wax helped but it often feels like I have klister on my skis when I ski. However after a season of dust and abuse, they are much better.

[Tele 'til You're Smelly]

About glide. Rockered skis do not need skin coverage on the rockered parts of the base as long as they aren't reverse camber or extremely rockered designs. It actually creates drag. Even though BD says not to taper the skins because it will weaken the material, I do it. The difference in drag is huge and the difference in weight is noticeable. And skins are pretty much indestructible..

not sure what you mean- just in terms of width being only as wide as the non-rockered part? Or you somehow only have skin in the middle section of the ski?

[telepariah]

I like edge to edge coverage only on the cambered part of the ski. The rest is dead weight that causes drag.

I Speedy Stitchered a G3 tail and flat webbing to the skin for the tip. Tapered the STS tail. Skis are 188 Bomb Squads.

[Tele 'til You're Smelly]

that pretty cool Chez- have any companies started to make them that way?

[GeezerSteve]

I've done that, have had problems with snow getting under the skins. A more gradual taper seems to invite less snow but not enough so I stopped trimming skins that way.

[flatNshallow]

I like edge to edge coverage only on the cambered part of the ski. The rest is dead weight that causes drag.

I Speedy Stitchered a G3 tail and flat webbing to the skin for the tip. Tapered the STS tail. Skis are 188 Bomb Squads.

This vs kicker skins?

Also, it would seem that in a new/soft track having coverage on the rockered tail would be a benefit?

New to skinning so flame away, just edjamacate in the process please.

[XXX-er]

I am pretty sure BD used to have that trim as a possiblity in their customer service stuff on the BD site ... called it the bikini trim?

W2W is only overated if you haven't backslide on an existing skin track and the one place where that always happens every year is bear shoulder at rogers pass

[telepariah]

I have zero trouble with snow getting between the skin and the ski.

This is the full length of the running surface, nothing like a kicker skin. And there is plenty of skin behind me. Where the skin ends on the tail they are 143mm wide -- 148 in the front. These climb like banshees with less drag while breaking trail and noticeably lighter.

[flatNshallow]

I have zero trouble with snow getting between the skin and the ski.

This is the full length of the running surface, nothing like a kicker skin. And there is plenty of skin behind me. Where the skin ends on the tail they are 143mm wide -- 148 in the front. These climb like banshees with less drag while breaking trail and noticeably lighter.

Gracias. I smell a little skin surgery coming on this summer.

[PNWbrit]

Two tail clips....

You can't be too careful.

W2W (WIMV means at least only the edge showing) is only overated (sic) if you

....are stupid.

[Lindahl]

I am pretty sure BD used to have that trim as a possiblity in their customer service stuff on the BD site ... called it the bikini trim?

W2W is only overated if you haven't backslide on an existing skin track and the one place where that always happens every year is bear shoulder at rogers pass

Can't you just step off the track for that one spot? Can't be longer than 20' or so, right?

[XXX-er]

Its the whole fucking skintrack up the side of a steep mtn with multiple switchbacks, trees are in the way everywhere , lots of kick turns and it starts across the P-lot from the Rogers pass visitors center so it gets lots of skiers from all over the world who put in the steepest skin tracks possible, cheaping out on skins for sa rogers pass trip is not the place to save $ IME

OTOH if you always make your own skin track you can use any sized skin you want

[telepariah]

Two tail clips....

You can't be too careful.

The BD bail that attaches the tip doesn't stay in place too well on skis with a blunt tip like Bomb Squads and other skis. The G3 alpinist tip is wider than the tail, but you can't buy them separately like you can the tails. Works a lot better. The connectors on G3 skins are superior. I have all BD skins because I have had a deal on them.

[dschane]

So it's not two tail clips, just the skin folded in half. Does look like two though.

[telepariah]

Can nobody see the first picture I posted? If you look at both pictures that should be abundantly clear.

[dschane]

I was too distracted by your well-organized workbench. Mine is a clusterfuck; I'm jealous. Also didn't know the BD centerstrip was stronger than toilet paper.

[PNWbrit]

Can nobody see the first picture I posted? If you look at both pictures that should be abundantly clear.

I was joking.....

[telepariah]

D'oh!