Damage to your snow skis is inevitable. Although the majority of their use sees them gliding over soft snow, at some point the skis will come in contact with hard surfaces, including rocks and fallen branches, that strike the skis and penetrate the wax covering which serves to reduce friction between the skis and the ground. Although light scrapes are often better off left alone, scrapes greater than 1/2-mm deep should be filled with repair wax to prevent further damage to the location and to maintain a smooth, friction-resistant surface.
Step 1
Turn the ski so that the bottom is facing up. Scrape off any excess wax around the damaged location with a metal scraper or wax scraper.
Step 2
Apply a base cleaner to clean the interior of the scrape and prepare it for repair. The best way to do this is by using a wire brush to get into the narrow crevices of the scrape. The wire brush will also rough up the interior of the scrape, making it easier for your repair wax to bond to the surface.
Step 3
Light one end of your repair candle using a match or lighter. Wait for the candle to start flaming and melting the wax, then hold the candle close to the scrape so that the wax will drip onto the scrape. Cover the scrape but do not let the repair wax overflow, then extinguish the candle.
Step 4
Wait for the wax to cool and harden. This will take about 15 minutes.
Step 5
Use a metal or wax scraper to smooth the surface of the ski and the repair wax. Move the scraper against the wax at a 45-degree angle to remove excess wax and produce a smooth finish.
Step 6
Further smooth the repair wax with a fine sandpaper. Once the wax has been sanded the ski is safe to have ski wax reapplied.
Things You'll Need
- Metal or wax scraper
- Base cleaner
- Wire brush
- Repair candle
- Match or lighter
- Sandpaper
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