Ski Tuning Tips

Ever wonder how you could save money skiing. With a little knowledge and experience you can save money by learning to tune your own skis. One problem that I see with many people is that they neglect their skis. Your skis should be properly cared for after every time you ski. A properly tuned pair of skis can improve your skiing ability and performance.

Ski Tuning Materials---Basic Tuning---Race Tuning

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E-mail Toby Weickert

This Page was last updated on August 20, 1996.

What the heck do you need?

A good edge sharpener with variable degrees.
A diamond stone.
An old iron without steam holes.
Some hot wax (different temperatures)
A plastic plex-a-glass scraper.
An 8 or 10 inch file (buy from a ski store for better quality)
A soft gum stone.
A cork or some other brush polisher.
A pair of vices is useful but not necessary.

BASIC TUNING

After every day of skiing...

Dry your skis off to prevent rusting.
Check your skis to see if any work needs done.
Use you edge sharpener with the diamond stone to polish your edges.
This will keep your edges sharper, longer.
Make sure to run over your edges with the gum stone to remove any burrs.

After every three days of skiing...

Check to see if any work needs done.
Use your edge sharpener with the diamond stone to polish your edges.
This will keep your edges sharper, longer.
Make sure to run over your edges with the gum stone to remove any burrs.
You now need to wax your skis.
- Take the ski and put it in a vice if you have one.
- With the hot iron drip a bead of wax down the entire ski.
- Now iron the bead and your ski to cover every area with wax.
- Be sure not to stay in one area to long.
- Let the wax dry and then scrap all the excess wax from you skis, with a plexaglass scraper (Never use a metal scraper). Keep scraping until you can no longer remove wax.
- Polish your ski with a cork or polishing brush.

After every five to eight days of skiing...

Check your skiis for any damage.
Check to see if your skiis need waxed. (If the base looks dry they need waxed).
Your skiis are probably in need of an edge sharpen.
- To do this use your edge sharpener and apply to side edge.
- Move along the entire length of the ski. Being sure that the entire edge is done from about 6 inches from the tip to about 5 inches from the tail.
- Caution edges are very sharp and can cut you severely if you are not careful.
- Now run over you ski again with the diamond stone to polish you edges.
- You now must detune the front and rear six inches of you ski edges by using a flat file at 45 degrees. You want this area to be dull not sharp, otherwise you may find you ski grabbing a lot.
- Finish by running over the edge with the gum stone.

Now this has been a very generic lesson. Different types of skiers require different amounts of tuning. Try to ask someone like a coach or a ski tuner what would be best for you. It is always easiest to watch someone first before you try yourself. This can help prevent screw ups. Just use this as a guide to help you on your way.

RACE TUNING TIPS

The same pricples of tuning apply as in the basic tuning except you get a bit more fancy.

Here are a few things to try.

Put a degree other than 90 on your side edge. You will find you will get better edges. Try 88 or 87. Experiment!

Another thing is to wax the right temperature and wax your skis often.

Try different brands of wax.

Even try racing wax.

Also with race tuning you will want more professional tools. A good brush will put a nice polish on your skis.

Experiment with different things. With experience you will have a much faster and better turning ski.

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