Waxing

Now that you skimmed the pond due to proper waxing and technique (and hopefully not your good gear) , it’s usually a sign for most that it’s time to put your boards in storage.

Following is a recent bulletin from Toko:

TECH BULLETIN
Source: Toko Brand Management Office, Heber City, UT info@TokoUS.com 866-TOKO-USA

Here are Toko’s recommendations for storage waxing of skis. First clean the
skis well. This can be done with wax remover or by simply brushing the bases
out well with a copper brush depending on how dirty they are. Then drip on a
generous amount of NF or LF Red. Iron it in making sure that there is enough
wax to provide a thick layer on the base and that the iron is hot enough to ensure
a good bond between the wax and the base. This ironing procedure is normal,
but sometimes a person rushes through storage waxing and the wax is not really
heated outside of that it becomes liquid. The ski bases often times don’t even
become warm. This will result in air between the base and the ski and less
protection.
Red is our choice for storage waxing as Blue is so hard that it is more difficult to
make sure that there is no air between the ski and base and Yellow is so soft that
it gets “eaten away” quicker. NF or LF Red is perfect because their consistency
is perfect.
If waxing Alpine skis, slop the wax over the edges and cover them too.
A SUMMARY:
1. Brush skis out well with Copper Brush
2. Iron in System3 Red or LF Red making sure adequate wax is used and
that the wax is heated in well.

See the Toko Information Center for more tips and helpful hints.

In addition to the aforementioned rationale for using a medium temperature wax versus soft/warm temperature wax for storage, it is more likely that it will be appropriate for the initial snow temps you’ll encounter next fall than the soft. In the fall/early winter, for those wishing to minimize extra steps, time and expense, you might be good to go by simply scraping, brushing.

FAQ

One of life’s simple pleasures is getting out for skate skiing, touring or making turns on a warming bluebird day, with an inch or so of wet sweet corn on firm crust or solid base. Spring & summer predawn hikes on crust to harvest morning corn is right up there.

The best corn comes after a freeze of transformed, wet snow from the day before. The snow is no longer flakes or crystals, but saturated ice ‘kernels’ known as frozen corn. Depending on timing, aspect and other factors, this can start out like a coral reef, a very abrasive crust, sun-cupped, or ‘icy’, among other consistencies. As it melts and transforms again to wet corn, how do you prepare your boards to perform well all day in these variable conditions?

If you wax with a warmer & softer wax for the warmer, wet conditions, you can easily wear off the wax on highly abrasive, colder snows, while you wait for conditions to moisten and soften (or not). If you wax with cold wax, you may miss out on the best glide and enjoyment when it becomes prime time.

One option is to simply wait until conditions soften and you hit it when the conditions are best and wax accordingly. This may be easier said than done for some and as the unreliable weather can change, this plan may backfire.

We’ve found the best balance between ideal wax temperatures for glide and abrasive snows is to start with an aggressive base structure, wax with a very durable mid and broad temperature base liquid or solid wax like Briko-Maplus Race Base Medium, and top it with a warm temp Low Fluoros like Briko-Maplus Universal Hot or LP2 or Toko Dibloc LF.

The base structure doesn’t seem to matter relative to the coarse, frozen snow, but makes a huge difference when the snow becomes saturated by channeling water and reducing suction. The durable base wax provides a longer and better protection for the bases and runs very well in a wide range of condition if the softer wax wears off. Depending on how the day goes, the LF wax may be perfect for the entire day and will provide an extra bump in glide.

Additionally, since it is a softer wax, it can easily be reapplied if desired or necessary by crayoning/rubbing on solids, wiping on cream/paste or liquids, or spraying (most convenient and durable option) high-melt waxes and then corking and polishing with a brush.

(Minor revisions & updated links 3/26/13)

With the new season fast approaching with expectations of much more snow than last year, here is the 2012-13 Briko-Maplus Wax and Tool catalog. As with all of our tools and supplies, if it is not found in our store we probably can order it for you. So drop us a line if you have questions or are looking for something.

Here is the Briko-Maplus Waxing Manual for detailed instructions for waxing applications. This covers hot, liquid, powder & grip waxing from recreational to elite racers. waxing

Updated: 2/15/13

As counter-intuitive as it sounds, glide waxing climbing skins improves efficiency while backcountry touring. By improving the glide and preventing ice build-up and snow clumping, wax may quicken your pace while reducing effort. On rolling slogs improving the speed you carry on slight downhills is a nice benefit and in some cases, you won’t need to spend the time to remove skins for a short slope and then need reattach them.

Rub-on solids, paste, liquid and spray waxes are easy to apply and coat the skin fibers, but are short lived compared to hot waxing solid glide wax. Like adding heat to wax applications on skis and snowboards, you will typically achieve higher durability (read, longer glide). Of course there is the concern of adding too much heat and possibly damaging your skins or melting the skin glue. But by using as low of a temperature you can to melt and apply the wax of the day (same as on your ski or splitboard bases) to the skin, you can benefit from the easy process as shown in this Toko video. Follow it with a light brushing against the nap after the wax cools to open the nap again.

User Guide For Toko-Red Creek Rotating (Roto) Brushes

Important:

To protect the eyes we recommend the use of protective glasses whenever working with rotating brushes. Make sure no one is standing close to the drill without eye protection.

With the exception of the brass and horsehair brushes having a rotating speed of approx. 800 per minute -the normal working speed is between 2500 and 3000 rpm without using any pressure on the rotating brushes.

Brushing out like professionals:

Before waxing:
Brass brush: To be used before waxing for the pre-cleaning of the ski base. The recommended rotating speed is approx. 800 per minute. Please work only with single shaft with plexi hood without
using any pressure.

- After drawing (scraping) off the wax layer using the acrylic glass blade (plexi-scraper):

First step: Remaining wax is brushed out of the base using the horsehair brush. This gives the base a matte surface whereby wax-residues remain at the depth of the base structures.

Second step: The remaining wax of the base structure is brushed out using the nylon brush until
no wax particles are visible anymore. Now the base has to be polished for getting a perfect High-Glass finish.

The black nylon brush is especially suitable for polishing with optimum finish for all waxes. Can be used as a universal brush.

5 New Race Tuning Videos Featuring Willi Wiltz Added
5 new race tuning videos featuring renowned ski and snowboard technician Willi Wiltz have been added to the TokoVideos.com.  Willi serviced Tommy Moe, Daron Rahlves, and Bode Miller to their medals and biggest successes.  Additionally, Willi has worked with snowboarders Nate Holland and Shaun Palmer with great results too.  Learn from the best at your own pace at TokoVideos.com

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Metal Edges (Alpine Skis and Snowboards)

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