Tuning a ski before each season will boost performance and add life to this important tool. The tuning process cleans the skis and removes old wax before repairing the surface dings and honing the edges. Professional tuning companies will grind edges over and repair ski surfaces with specially made tools. If you are looking for a solution that will not dent your finances, tuning skis at home can help. A few tools and some candle wax will allow you to tune your skis and get ready for this year's snow fun.
Cleaning
Step 1
Lay the ski out on a solid surface, such as a table. Place the ski face down with the bottom toward the ceiling.
Step 2
Apply a degreaser along the bottom of the ski. Degreasers come in many varieties. The Colorado Springs Gazette recommends a citrus degreaser to remove old wax and debris.
Step 3
Rub the bottom of the ski with a clean, dry cloth. Work the degreaser into the surface of the ski and use the cloth to wipe off the wax and dirt accumulation.
Repair
Step 1
Move fine-grit sandpaper lengthwise along the bottom of the ski. Rub the sandpaper to concentrate on smaller surface scarring and scratches. Remove as many scratches as possible with the sandpaper. Wipe the surface down with a clean cloth to remove sand dust.
Step 2
Slide 400-grit sandpaper along the bottom, moving from the tip to the tail of the ski. This will continue to smooth the surface and erase deeper scratches that the fine paper missed. Wipe the surface again to remove debris from sanding.
Step 3
Fill deep gouges with wax from a polyethylene candle. Light the candle and let the wax begin to melt. Drip wax onto the gouged area. Allow the wax to cool and scrap of the excess with a metal scraper. Apply 400-grit paper to the filled regions to smooth them flush with the surface of the ski.
Step 4
Use a sharpening stone to remove dings in the edges of your skis. Set the stone flat on the upper edge and angle it slightly downward. Run the stone down the length of the ski, covering only the metal edge. Focus on bends and burrs in the edging. Cover both sides of the metal edge, beginning on the bottom and turning the ski over to sharpen the front edge. If necessary, apply a metal file to severely damaged areas that stick out.
Wax Skis
Step 1
Clean the bottom of the ski a second time with degreaser. This will remove any particles left from the repair.
Step 2
Apply wax to the bottom of the ski. Follow the directions on the product for proper application. Use a household iron to melt the wax onto the ski and smooth it to a thin layer.
Step 3
Run a metal scraper over the wax to remove it. Wax soaks into the surface of the ski. Scraping wax off leaves just the embedded compound.
Step 4
Buff the waxed ski with a scrub pad. Follow the directions on the wax for proper buffing. Most waxes respond to a light rubbing of a scrub pad along the surface. The buffing process seals the wax into the ski base and smoothes it.
Tips and Warnings
- Home tuning will not give you the level of results that a professional tuner can achieve. It your skis are in bad shape, consider going to a professional for your tune.
Things You'll Need
- Citrus degreaser
- Cleaning cloths
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- 400-grit sandpaper
- Polyethylene candle
- Lighter
- Metal scraper
- Sharpening stone
- Metal file
- Ski wax
- Iron
- Scrub pad
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