Edge rust... prevention

[IHeartWhistler]

I've tried searching for advice on this, but couldn't find anything...

For the longest time, I never cared about ski tuning and ski maintenence. Usually I would just grab the skis at the start of a season, have them shop tuned, then never take them back in the shop all year. This is because I was always using old hand-me-downs from my older brother. But a number of years ago I finally got my very own new pair of skis (it was one of the best days of my life...).

Anyways, that pair has since been skied to hell, and resulted in a delaminated tail. After bringing those skis into a shop, I was told that the reason this happened was that water had gotten between the layers and damaged the glue bonding. Since then I have purchased a new pair of skis and tried to dry off my skis after every day of use before putting them into the car, then again when I get home and put them in the garage. And yet, when I looked at my skis at the start of last season, the edges were still covered in rust...

So, to finally get a straight answer... I figured I'd throw this out there: what is the best way to store a pair of skis? Is a garage the best? Or would a warm place indoors be better?

Oh, and on a related topic... When putting summer wax on skis, are you supposed to cover up the edges also? Would this prevent summer rusting?

Thanks everyone, it'll be good to finally get my questions answered.

[iceman]

Good god, man.

[IHeartWhistler]

What? I just never had to deal with it before... I know it's a simple question... so simple answers are all I need.

[Core Shot]

Dry storage is best - low humidity.
Summer storage in a garage is not that good unless you are in the desert southwest or high mountain country.
Basements are often too damp if they do not have dehumidifiers or if you don't run AC a lot in the summer.

summer waxing helps. It at least covers the bottom edge and prevents base from drying out. It helps the side edge if it covers it, but I do not obsess about side edge coverage.

Side edge rust is no big deal if its light.
Use a gummi stone to remove rust.
Then file and polish the side edge and you will be good to go.

I dont wipe my skis, although I guess it doesnt hurt anything.
If they are outside in the cold dry air, they will not rust.
If I bring them inside, I just separate them while they dry.

[iceman]

Do your skis know if they're in the garage or the house? Do you think it really matters where you store your skis as long as they're not damp?

Do you think steel will tend to rust more with or without a coating that prevents oxygen from contacting it?

C'mon.

[wildstyle]

Ok, rust is caused by oxidation of the metal edge and is speeded up by the prescence of water/salt.

During summer, apply summer wax to keep the base moist and make sure it covers every bit of the edge as well. This will prevent the rust due to the lack of 2 elements that cause rust. Oxygen and water.

I always try and keep skis at low temperatures as big increases in temp from -10 to 25 degrees in the car home will cause the different layers in the skis to expand/contract at different rates helping to cause delamination. a garage is a good place to store but there will always be mosture and a bit of rust.Definitely dry off the skis at the end of each day if you want to preserve the skis for a long time but you can never prevent rust buildup completely during the season. Its just impossible.


So to sum up.

Dry them off then store in cool/cold garage to keep the skis at a steady temperature and don't worry about a little bit of edge rust that will inevitably occur. Just get a finishing block and rub it off before skiing.

[iceman]

You two are way too patient.

[wildstyle]

Do your skis know if they're in the garage or the house? Do you think it really matters where you store your skis as long as they're not damp?

Do you think steel will tend to rust more with or without a coating that prevents oxygen from contacting it?

C'mon.

I think if you keep taking a pair of skis from -10c to +25c every day through the season, it will help to cause them to delam due to expansion/contraction.

I've always stored in cool places and never had a delamination.

[Core Shot]

You two are way too patient.

or painfully bored

[wildstyle]

or painfully bored

yeah, answering skiing questions is way better than the day job at the moment.....

[Core Shot]

I think if you keep taking a pair of skis from -10c to +25c every day through the season, it will help to cause them to delam due to expansion/contraction.

I've always stored in cool places and never had a delamination.

I think that is a bullshit argument.
I have skied full season 120 days and had a room temp storage locker.
So everyday my skis went from hot to cold to hot again.
My skis did not delam.

Also, I did not wipe my skis. I lightly banged them on the cushioned floor to knock out most of the snow from the bindings and put them in the locker to finish melting and drying. They did not rust either.

If a ski delams from freeze/thaw or expansion/contraction, it is defective.
If the epoxy is done right, there is no room for water to get in there.

[IHeartWhistler]

You two are way too patient.

It's not like I don't know that moisture/oxygen are the cause of rust... It's more a question of what's good for the inside of the ski that I don't know about.

Option 1: Store in cool garage... are colder temps better? Obviously there will be more moisture in the air, leading to a possible problem of rust (moisture).

Option 2: Store inside... this will cut down on the moisture problem, but are there fundamental probs that this could cause? As wildstyle was kind enough to point out, the temp difference could cause problems with delaming.

Thanks guys.

[IHeartWhistler]

I bang them on the floor ...

This is another thing I was told was bad for my skis that delamed. The shop guys said that this could open up the ski near the edges and allow water to penetrate the layers of the ski, allowing for moisture damage to the inside of the ski.

Any ideas on this?

If a ski delams from freeze/thaw or expansion/contraction, it is defective.

Just wondering, were there any reported problems with Volkl G30's delaming in large numbers? That was the one I had probs with...

[Core Shot]

This is another thing I was told was bad for my skis that delamed. The shop guys said that this could open up the ski near the edges and allow water to penetrate the layers of the ski, allowing for moisture damage to the inside of the ski.

Any ideas on this?

Yes.
It is bad.
It can (and does) cause tail delams, particularly if done on concrete.

I should have clarified that I did it lightly and on a cushioned surface.

[iceman]

were there any reported problems with Volkl G30's delaming in large numbers?

No, they just delamed one by one.

[Particle]

I think the real question here is what kind of skis were they that delaminated? Some brands/years were more prone to self-destructing than others...notably K2 and Rossi.

Cuz I treat my skis like shit and have never had a tip/tail delam (not counting 2 pairs of old XXX's that I completely explodered).

Everything else is just superficial.

edit: doh just saw the G30 above. Iceman is taking the correct tact with this thread.

[TurxSki]

Summer Storage ? A bit late eh ?
I just smear a regular candle along the edges, and that'll guard against rust. The bases should be fine, left alone. Get 'em tuned/checked out when the season starts
I read to keep tails off concrete when storing.
If in a garage, you could make a shelf/hanger for them. Might help.
Best thing ? Do what we do, keep 'em in your bedroom. Something to look at all summer
Just Thought. If you carry ski's on the roof of your vehicle, tips facing forward, that's supposed to de-lam

[Particle]

Just Thought. If you carry ski's on the roof of your vehicle, tips facing forward, that's supposed to de-lam

JPPS

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