Tune ups

[andyzee]

I usually ski Saturdays and Sundays and have my skis tuned after each trip. Used to tune them myself, but season tunes are so cheap I got one for myself and my wife. We drop the skis off at the shop on Sunday, pick them up on the following Saturday.

 

[koreshot]

Some of you guys sound like seriously obsessed equipment junkies.
Tune up every few days? Perhaps, if you're racing, but for general skiing that's a serious overkill.

I'll have the skis tuned if my edges don't bite into the hard stuff any more and since I rarely ski when the conditions are crappy - couple of tune ups per season and then, an occasional pass with a file is just fine.

I agree. I have been tuning my skis for the last 3 years and firmly believe that under normal (average advance skier) use, under normal East Coast conditions (hard, icy snow) frequent edge tunes don't make much of a difference. Sure, if the bevel on a ski is way off and the tips and tails of the ski are not detuned, the skis will get hooky and impact your skiing, but I think that most skiers out there can take a ski with a factory tune and ski the crap out of it for 30+ days before needing any edge work. The only exception to this are edges that are beat up from rocks. For most advanced skiers, skill, and not the edge tune, remains the bigger limiting factor. My normal process during the winter is to tune the skis in the beginning of the season and retune again by simply taking rock digs and rust out of the edges as needed.

As far as wax goes. Regular waxing makes more of a difference, though even here, waxing every day is probably overkill.

That said - more power to people that tune and wax frequently and regularly. A good edge tune and wax can't hurt, so if you have the time/devotion/money/knowhow and enjoy it, why the hell not!

 

[andyzee]

My mistake, when I said tune every week, I did mean wax and if anything just smoothing out the edges, base grind if needed. The shop I take my skis to also does this.

 

[jack97]

My mistake, when I said tune every week, I did mean wax and if anything just smoothing out the edges, base grind if needed. The shop I take my skis to also does this.

Don't mean to be cynical but it's in the shop interest to suggest this. I tune based on inspection. Wax only when I signs the base is drying. If I been skiing on hard granular or in the glades, I check the edges and the base in case of p tex repair.

IMO, I only go overboard on keeping the edges sharp. I don't know when I will go skiing, so I want to keep them sharp for any type of conditions.

 

[kbroderick]

One other reason to tune more often: it's a lot easier. If you tune every few ski days, you can keep your skis performing well and in good repair without a whole lot of work. Once you've got a whole season's worth of rock damage, it's going to take a lot more effort to repair the skis. When I tune my race skis (which are also my ski-well-covered groomer skis), I usually just provide a light touch on the edges and wax 'em nicely; the few times last year when I attacked the edges on my all-around skis (that go in the glades, over the rocks, and whatnot), it was quite a bit more of an effort; that's one of the reasons I firmly intend to stay on top of tuning on my new all-around skis. And I stopped waxing those a while ago, for fear of damaging the iron due to the edge condition.

(Says Kevin, who started the evening with edge separation on one ski and finished the evening with edge separation on both of the old "all-around" skis, and who is really looking forward to having a bit more snow and having his new skis mounted.)

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

dont think your edges get dull quick esp on east coast hardpack...try this from Tognar and you'll be taking better care of those edges...

SKIVISIONS TUNING STICK
Checking the sharpness of steel edges has long been a bit of a guessing game for most tuners. Shaving the face of your fingernail, or dragging the side of a pinkie finger across an edge doesn't provide consistently reliable or accurate feedback...unless maybe you're an ultra-experienced World Cup level technician.
This tuning stick helps resolve that. It's made of a special hard plastic that subtly communicates how sharp or dull your edges are. You hold it at a 45-degree angle to the edge and, bearing down with moderate pressure, simply slide and try to shave some stick material away. If the edge is sharp, you'll feel and hear a noticeable resistance and sound. If the edge is dull, the stick will not shave...but slide without much resistance or sound.
When you first get a tuning stick, try it on some edges you've ridden for a day or two. You'll be surprised how much duller they usually feel underfoot (due to greater wear from skier/rider weight and pressure) than at the tips and tails. Try it again after tuning and see the difference...it will be noticeable if you've tuned effectively. If you impart a sharper bevel angle underfoot than at the tips and tails, the stick will also detect this. Likewise, you'll also be able to hear and feel the difference between burred edges and deburred/polished edges.
The SkiVisions tuning stick is such a simple yet revealing tool that can give you invaluable tuning feedback

 

[KevinF]

I agree. I have been tuning my skis for the last 3 years and firmly believe that under normal (average advance skier) use, under normal East Coast conditions (hard, icy snow) frequent edge tunes don't make much of a difference. Sure, if the bevel on a ski is way off and the tips and tails of the ski are not detuned, the skis will get hooky and impact your skiing, but I think that most skiers out there can take a ski with a factory tune and ski the crap out of it for 30+ days before needing any edge work.

I agree with this only because most people ski with a "technique" that gives them little hope of having their edges grip on New England hardpack, even with skis fresh out of the wrapper. If your technique has developed to the point that you can consistenly carve, then I believe you need your skis to be consistently sharp. I can easily tell after two or three days of all-day skiing that my skis are shot and that they need some love. There's a reason racers tune their skis daily.

 

[koreshot]

There's a reason racers tune their skis daily.

Yup, and there is a reason that world cup downhill racers can rip down a steep, nasty bump run on their race tuned and race spec SuperG skis (I have seen this with my own eyes)... something an average advanced skier would never dream of. It still boils down to skill. Yes gear helps but IMO for level 7, 8 and even 9 skiers, which is where most of us on the forum fall, as long as the edges are in decent condition (no rust and deep digs - just natural wear induced by snow contact) skill is by far the biggest limiting factor. Whether it is carving, bumps, powder, air, whatever.

Hand Bode Miller a pair of beat up Fischer RX9s and see if you can beat him down any race course on a pair of perfectly tuned race sticks. My guess is that it wouldn't even be close.

This is why I said before that if people feel like tuning their skis every other ski day because it makes them feel better, they have the time & money and they get enjoyment out of it, great! It will even help them ski better and improve, so why not! But the reality still is that the biggest limiting factor for most weekend warriors, and this absolutely includes me as well, is skill. This is why I generally try not to worry about a perfect edge tune, just clean the edges and tune once, maybe twice a year which usually works out to every 20 or so days on the hill.

 

[drjeff]

I'm in the every 2 to 3 day (once a weekend) tune category myself. And as the years have gone on (I've been a hand tuner since the mid 80's) and free time has decreased and I've gone from racer to weekend ski-addict skier, I've changed my regime a bit to make it more efficient.

First off, I have found it so much easier to find the time to tune my skiis since I moved my work bench about 10 feet from my beer fridge! Secondly, although not quite as precise, I've grown to love the efficiency and convience of the Ski Visions products (both the base planer and the edge sharpener). The base planer does a nice job at keeping things flat and if you do some major edge damage, the cutting bar will quickly level the protruding metal off the base side of the edge, plsu you can insert the stone structure bar prior to waxing for a quick opening of the base structure for wax increassed wax acceptance. A couple of quick passes and you have a flat base in under a minute.

The edge sharpener is nice in that you can set your base and side angles from 0 to 3 degrees and simultaneously get both the base and sides of the edge sharpened in 1 pass. Most of the time I use a 300 grit ceramic stone for primary sharpening and then finish with the gummi stone insert for polishing, and if major edge structural damage needs attention I'll put the regular metal file inserts in. A couple of passes over each edge and the edges are sharp in about a minute. So basically 2 minutes after I start a ski, I'm ready for wax.

I've become a fan of stuntwax (www.stuntwax.com), it was basically invented by an instructor/chemical engineer who was tired of trying to find the time to wax his skiis 5 days a week and wanted something more durable that would glide well over a wide range of temps/snow conditions. I iron it on as ususal, and then they tell you not to scrape. I can honestly say that it lasts a solid 3 20 runs days over the gnarliest of scratchy eastern hardpack and I've found the glide smooth and consistent in everything from new made at 0 degrees to wet spring snow and everything in between. Okay, the glide might not be as slick as if you go crazy with high fluoro additives and temp specific waxes, but its a darn good everyday wax. Figure about 5 minutes per ski for waxing, and I'll have a pair tuned in under 15 minutes (maybe a few extra minutes depending on how many beers I have per pair!)

If you start tuning yourself, for an iron, just look at your local walmart for a small, flat, smooth based travel iron (you don't want steam vents on the base or else you'll block them up with wax in about 1 set of skiis). Basically, once you get your supplies, your yearly cost for a freshly tuned/waxed pair of skiis on the hill is quite minimal. Per season, which is typically about 80 days on the hill for me and my wife-40 days each -(basically 15 to 20 tunes), I'll go through less than $100 in tuning supplies ($75 or so in wax for the year and then I'll typically replace one or multiple sets of my file inserts per season as needed)

 

[drjeff]

And does anyone have any advice on Airplane travel with skis.

What I've done my last couple of trips to Utah (especially now that I have 2 young children to tote around the airport and all their associated kid gear), is ship my skiis/gear via Fed-Ex directly to the hotel I stay at. A pair of skiis from the East Coast to Utah for 3 day shipping (with a e-mail tracking number so you know EXACTLY where they are) is about $100 each way. A bit pricey, yes, but less gear to handle and a more reliable means of getting your gear from home to vacation location is worth it to me. Most hotels and even some ski resorts(I know you can ship your skiis directly to and from the base lodge at Deer Valley) will easily be able to help you with this.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

i make sure i am totally packed a good 1.5 weeks before i leave and UPS all my bags to the hotel...its not much money and its alot easier traveling without lugging around the big bags, just grab your carry on and go...then i have the hotel ship everything back to my house....

 

[njskier]

can anyone reccomend a tune up kit good for both ski's and snow boards?

 

[koreshot]

can anyone reccomend a tune up kit good for both ski's and snow boards?

Welcome njskier. I can't answer your questions directly, but I can give you a pretty good source for ski/snowboard tuning gear. http://www.tognar.com/

I don't know much about snowboards, but given that the construction and materials are pretty much the same, my guess is that any ski tuning kit would more or less work on a snowboard... but don't take my word for it, wait for someone that knows more on this topic to respond.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

if anyone will have it, it'll be TOGNAR

 

[MarkC]

I'm usually not done with my bottle of merlot and need to just spend some more time in the basement watching ski porn....

You have the right idea. I usually do most of my tuning at the plattekill bar.:beer:

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

just looked at the wine fridge, i'm outta reds and only 5 bottle of whites, 2 bottle of Bailey (original and mint) a bottle of Perrier Jouet Champagne and a bottle of Grey Goose is all thats left...time to reorder yet another 50 bottles......