How to prepare skis for skiing or competitions? Alexander Vertyshev: we make a cycle for the preparation of cross-country skis What is ski cycle.

By appearance The ski scraper is very similar to the scraper used to scrape flat wood and concrete surfaces. It is made of metal, used to remove notches from wood, plastic. The difference lies in the double-sided cutting element and a wider range of materials from which it is made:

plexiglass;
polymers;
rubber plastics;
metal;
wood.

Scrapers of the required degree of rigidity are selected according to the task that must be performed with their help. Professional cycles for skis are designed for a certain width and height of the workpiece.

Purpose

Cycles of various configurations are used to remove paraffin, which improves ski glide at a certain air temperature. With frequent changes in atmospheric air, even amateurs often have to cycle skis, and not only professional athletes and adherents of alpine skiing.

If you need a quick surface treatment of skis for the whole team electric cycles are used.

The width of their scraper, its working surface, must be sufficient for grinding a straight surface. To remove or evenly distribute wax during application, you will need a special scraper that allows you to process both a flat undercarriage and grooves. The consistency of the ointment can resemble both candle wax and Goya paste, which affects the choice of material from which the cycle is made.

At different air temperatures, skiers use the appropriate ointments. Professionals use lubricants for various purposes. When applied:

paraffins - improves slip;
fluorocarbon powders - speeds up;
fluorine-containing - restrain.

In each set of lubricants, products are selected for use in different weather conditions.

The most popular brands of ski waxes:

swix;
Rode;
toko;
star.

The same firms make skis and accessories for them. In fact, the design of the cycle itself does not depend on what temperature the ointment is designed for. In any case, the paraffin should be heated before removal. When choosing the material of the working surface of the scraper, it is necessary to take into account the temporary increase in the temperature of the removed material, its resistance to high temperature and the components of the ointment.

For paraffin ointments used at temperatures of 0 ° ... -10 °, a plastic scraper is suitable. For specialized ointments that make the mountain descent dizzy, you will need a metal tool that is resistant to chemical additives.

Manufacturers of ski preparation tools

Swix, in addition to the professional cycle, offers a number of products: a brush with nylon bristles, a bar, napkins. The Swix scraper itself comes in a set with two interchangeable squares with an abrasive layer of different hardness and fastening. Clamps are used to fix skis on the surface of a workbench, table, they are also produced by a sports equipment company. For sharpening edges from the side sliding surface at an angle of 1°, the sports equipment manufacturer offers a guide made of aluminum.

Firms ToKo and master-Ski offer Russian buyers reliable, stable tables for pre-launch preparation, on which skis can be cycled in high quality in field conditions.

From SkiGo, the following products are presented on the market:

profiles - sets of three parts: stands and two fixing elements;
scrapers for cleaning the groove;
folding portable table with fastenings necessary for horizontal processing.

Products from Rex are brushes that can replace the abrasive nozzles of professional cyclers, wipes for removing paraffin residues.

How to use correctly

Why scraping is needed and how to conduct it correctly - this question is often asked by beginners. Cycling of skis is carried out as mechanical damage is received and, if necessary, a change in the lubricant based on them.

Before scraping, you need to check the geometric correspondence of the edges of the lower part of the skis. To do this, they are turned upside down with the sliding side and measurements are taken with an object that has a flat side. To do this, you can use a ruler, a triangle, since you need to compare the uniformity of sports equipment in width.

In a significant area, cross-country skis have a bend, which prevents the level from being compared along their length. With the help of a scraper made of thick metal with a double-sided cutting part, you can bring the sliding base to almost perfect condition. Of course, if the deformation is not associated with natural changes obtained during the drying of the wood.

Overheating of the plastic base when applying refractory paraffin powders can also cause severe irreversible damage.

How to make a cycle yourself

For specialized ski care, there are workshops at each equipment rental point, especially at a sports club. It remains to figure out how to scrape skis at home in the absence of specialized tools.

Properly prepare your skis for winter season you can make homemade cycles. For its manufacture you will need:

knives for an electric planer - 2 pcs.;
furniture channel - the length corresponds to the width of the knife;
bolt M-4 - 2 pcs.;
narrow aluminium.

Tools for work:

drill with a drill for metal;
file;
construction knife;
file.

Work progress:

On one of the knives, round holes are drilled for bolts above the finished oval ones.
A corner is formed from a thin aluminum plate, 1.1 mm thick. The width of its shelves is equal to the thickness of one knife.
When combining knives, the cutting parts must be outside.
Between the knives one shelf of the corner is laid, the second will be fixed on the top of the additionally drilled knife.
The top of the structure is placed in the channel;
Knives are fastened with bolts.

If the scraper assembly freely enters the channel, polymer or rubber glue should be used to fix it.

The ski cycle is widely used in the preparation of wooden sliding surfaces, less often plastic ones. This is a special tool, presented in the form of a heavily sharpened (with an angle of up to 90 0) metal or glass plate (manual scraper), another option is machine-tool professional equipment (mechanical scraper). The manual version is much more common, it is not difficult to purchase it, but you should follow the basic requirements - it is made of durable steel, did not have burrs, chips on sharpening.

Scraping is the removal of villi, the leveling of a bumpy surface, the removal of scratches, pits, shells, other defects and mechanical damage on a sliding surface by scraping. It is better to do this with a manual cycle.

After mechanical processing (shteinshlift), it is far from always possible to correctly scrape the surface, and in some cases such processing leads the skis to complete disrepair. When scraping, a microscopic layer is removed with a chip thickness of tenths or hundredths of a millimeter. Before scraping, prepare the skis by first moistening them several times with water, this will soften the wooden surface, facilitate and simplify the process of its processing.

Attention! In the absence of experience and practice in scraping, you should not start the “cognitive process” with new cross-country skis, you should first practice on old ones, which is not a pity. Over time, it will become clear to you how to loop.

How to make a cross country ski cycle

High-quality cycles are quite expensive, it is no cheaper to contact a specialized equipment care workshop, sports clubs or rental centers. Such tools are made independently, without special costs and special knowledge. You only need:

2 knives for electric planer;
2 bolts M-4;
furniture channel, suitable in length;
narrow aluminum plate.

Using a drill on one knife, you need to drill a round hole, slightly higher than the factory one, having an oval shape, it should correspond to the diameter of the bolt. Shape an aluminum plate 1.1 mm thick into a corner so that each of its shelves is the same width as the thickness of the knife.

Align both knives so that the sharp edges are located on the outside. Lay one shelf between them, the other should fix upper part drilled knife, fasten the resulting structure with bolts. It remains to place its upper part in the channel, for reliability, put it on rubber or polymer glue.

Skiing without paraffin

Most ski enthusiasts support the opinion that paraffins for lubrication are indispensable. They are used to increase sliding qualities, a smooth, soft ride. Without this, the grip on the snow surface will be too great and unsatisfactory for the comfort of the skiers. But choosing the right one is quite difficult, especially for beginners, temperature indicators, air humidity, snow temperature and its condition should be taken into account. Contrary to popular belief, normal sliding is achieved without paraffin lubrication if fluoropolymer drums, knurls or cycles are used. With their help, it is easy to change the structure, which achieves perfect glide in all weather and snow conditions.

Homemade cycle from disposable blades

You can cycle skis with high quality using factory-made products and home-made ones, which will be an excellent alternative to expensive tools. For manufacturing you will need:

wallpaper replaceable blades (18 mm);
a small piece of wood;
2 bolts.

First you need to make a holder for the cycle, a suitable bar is selected, preferably from ash, it lends itself well to processing and is strong enough. Saw it, give it the desired shape, at your own discretion, the main thing is that it fits comfortably in your hand. Make a longitudinal cut in the center at the bottom of the rib, corresponding to the thickness of the blade. Attaching it to the holder from above, mark the location of the holes, and use them to make through holes with a drill.

It remains to grind the finished holder, insert the blade into it and fix it with bolts. When making, keep in mind that it will change often, depending on the quality, after 1-3 scrapes, so care should be taken to insert and remove replacement blades quickly and easily.

Skating preparation

The most important thing when - applying structure for optimal glide, regardless of weather conditions and track conditions. There are a lot of ways to do this: mechanical, using a steinslip or stone, manual, using special cuts, sanding paper and, of course, cycles. Other skiers use a metal brush, but this requires some skill, in the process it is easy to damage an existing structure.

Repair of the sliding surface of plastic skis

Starting, it is necessary to prepare the skis, clean them of contamination, wipe, dry. Fix so that they are stationary, and the sliding surface is in a horizontal position and turned up. Damage is repaired using a repair pencil, cofix or Teflon sticks. You can simply set them on fire, but it is better to use a soldering iron to melt the polyethylene and fill in the damaged areas.

After a day, when the fill hardens, scraping is required, be sure to scrape from toe to heel over the entire surface.

Cyclia Kuzmina

The Kuzmin brand repair kit includes 4 tools used in certain conditions:

Plus cycle - for processing at the initial stage.
Minus cycle - for low temperatures.
Universal cycle - applicable for scraping under any weather conditions.
Rotary - for cleaning the sliding surface and grinding it after scraping.

Looping errors

The most common scraping mistakes are as follows:

badly fixed skis. They will not allow you to give the sliding surface the necessary smoothness;
too much scraping. No need to make strong pressure, it should be medium at the initial stage, light at the final;
long scraping time. Well cycled skis - not those that have lost a significant layer, usually 3-4 passes along the entire length are enough;
wrong angle of rotation. Scraping at a large angle can damage the structure, the optimal slope of the cycle is 40-45 0;
too frequent cycling. Scraping after each ride will be superfluous, on average it is applied after 200-250 km of run.

Important! The wrong direction of scraping of any (cross-country, mountain, skate) will definitely damage the structure, you need to scrape from toe to heel, and not vice versa.

Don't forget ski scraping! This is an important process, even if no damage is found on their sliding surface. This should be done at least 2 times a year: at the beginning of winter and 2-3 days before skiing.

To identify the most effective ways preparation of the sliding surface of skis for competitions, the experience of trainers and specialists in this field was summarized, the recommendations of manufacturers of ski paraffins were translated and analyzed, and special studies were carried out. As a result of the research, the best ways to choose skis, as well as prepare their sliding surface for training and competition, were established.

Brief classification and description design features skis of various companies were presented in the third chapter of our work (pp. 18-27). And now it is necessary to say a few words about how to prepare skis for competitions.

Before you start working with skis, you need to familiarize yourself with certain safety regulations. They are simple:
1. Ventilate the room before and during work
2. Use a respirator with a filter to trap dust and harmful gases
3. When preparing skis, do not use open fire
4. Don't smoke
5. Do not clean your hands with a wash

The preparation of skating and classic skis differs only in that the skis designed for the classic style have a special area under the cargo platform (block) on which the ointment is applied. Sliding surface preparation - what to skating, which is the same for classic ones, and the skis are subjected to the following stages of processing:
1. Ski scraping
2. Preparing skis for primer
3. Priming of skis (before applying the basic paraffin, corresponding to the weather)
4. Priming of skis under the basic paraffin, corresponding to the weather
5. Application of basic wax according to the weather
6. Application of powder, accelerator
The first operation is used only a few times a year. The second and third are typical for the preparation of new skis, as well as for skis that have again undergone factory (steinslip) or manual (metal 28 cycles) processing. The fourth, fifth and sixth operations are done whenever you take up the preparation of skis.

Ski cycle. In the process of training and competition, the sliding plastic of your skis experiences mechanical and thermal effects and, of course, ages. There are two ways to update (scrap) the sliding surface of the skis:
* factory (steinslip)
* manual

During the season, skis must undergo factory or manual processing at least twice: at the beginning of winter and about two weeks before the main start ( we are talking about scraping skis with a hard cycle or a steinslip"). Why two weeks before the main start, and not two or three days? Because experience shows that wads show best qualities sliding after repeated impregnation with paraffin and their corresponding running in (and this takes time).

What should be the cycle? The main criterion is that the cycle should be comfortable for you personally, it should fit comfortably in your hands. Someone makes massive cycles, such that it is convenient to hold them with two hands, someone is very small. The cycle moves in the direction of the ski from toe to heel and should go smoothly, without encountering any obstacles. After the first one or two passes, you will immediately see where there are scratches, pits, bumps, etc. on your skis, since the old (whitish) plastic will be removed from a flat surface, revealing fresh black plastic. An uneven surface will show both bumps (the old plastic will cling to them) and depressions (where it will remain whitish).

How to repair large scratches and other serious damage on a ski? For this, there is a special repair plastic, which, like skis, is divided according to its purpose into positive and frosty ones. It can be of various structures and colors. How to use it? We clean the damaged place from dirt, lightly scrape the metal scraper and degrease it. Then, using a blowtorch or a gas burner, we fuse the plastic onto the damaged area. Fusion should be done only in small layers, remembering that the next layer can only be applied after the previous one has solidified.

After hardening, excess plastic is removed from the sliding surface using a metal scraper. Then the sliding surface is polished and primed with paraffin.

What layer of plastic to remove when scraping? When manually processing skis, it is necessary to cycle the sliding surface of the metal cycle until, if possible, all its defects (irregularities, shells, scratch marks, etc.) are removed. Scraping of the surface should be done with a sharp, non-rounded metal scraper with repeated light movements with little pressure. A dull metal scraper or too much pressure leads to a “burn-out” of the plastic of the sliding surface (this can be determined by the characteristic pattern for this).

In general, strictly speaking, there is literally no burnout in this case. And here's what happens. Today, most of the leading companies in the world - FISCHER, ATOM1C, ROSSIGNOL and others - use graphite-containing teflon for the sliding surface of skis. What does it look like when viewed at high magnification? Roughly speaking, these are numerous particles of graphite that are interspersed in plastic. It is these particles that provide modern skiing good glide. However, these graphite particles are much harder than the plastic itself. If you use a sharp scraper and cycle the ski by applying a little pressure on it, you kind of cut off these microparticles from the sliding surface of the ski in an even layer. If you use a blunt scraper, or press the ski too hard when scraping, you simply pick out these particles from the plastic, and the same pattern appears on the ski, which in everyday life we call “burnout”.
Make sure your cycles are always sharp.

The second very important point in scraping is the angle of inclination of the ski in relation to the ski. In no case should the scraper be located at right angles to the ski during scraping. The deviation from the right angle should be 20-40 degrees, and the more uneven the surface of the ski, the greater this angle should be. Otherwise, if you cycle the ski, placing the cycle at a right angle, you will only aggravate all the irregularities by catching up with the “wave”. At the same time, remember that with each new pass, either the left or the right edge of the loop should go forward (otherwise, if you do not do this, you can catch up with an oblique wave). And only the very last pass is done at a right angle.

If this is your first time ski scraping, then you will almost certainly “break firewood”. Therefore, in no case do not start by scraping your cross-country skis - it is better to start with old training ones. But even in this case, you will have a long way of mistakes and discoveries of the Americas. The best option is to find a person who has been doing this for a long time and more or less professionally. It is enough to watch his work once, and you will be able to avoid many mistakes of the first stage. Experience shows that even after steinslift, some pairs of skis do not have a very even, as if bumpy, surface. Here the following danger may lie in wait for you: when trying to melt the powder to such skis, you suddenly notice that in some places the powder adheres well to the ski, and in some it does not. Still trying to melt the powder in those places where it was not possible to do it the first time, you achieve only the effect that the iron on the bumps sticks to the ski, and the plastic burns out in these places. Burnt plastic is cycled, then it is much more difficult than usual.

If burnt bumps appear on your skis and it’s difficult to remove them, you can fix it as follows: take a fairly long bar (approximately 15-20 centimeters), wrap it with sandpaper and work hard on the sliding surface (this applies, by the way, not only to burnt skis, but in general any skis that have such large irregularities that they can no longer be corrected by cycles). And after processing with a bar with sandpaper, having achieved the appearance of a flat surface, the skis should be carefully cycled. Good work with a bar with sandpaper and subsequent careful sanding can sometimes bring life back to even completely “killed” skis.
After each scraping, it is desirable to process the edges. With one or two movements at an angle of 45 °, we chamfer with fine sandpaper, removing excessive edge sharpness, burrs, etc.

Do not overdo it - we are talking about two or three movements. But the chamfer must be removed necessarily and always. Even if you don’t see burrs with your eye, believe me, they are there, and it’s better to remove them, because they (especially when skating) will slow down the movement.

SKI PREPARATION FOR PRIMING Before proceeding with the preparation of new skis, it is necessary to determine how the sliding surface is processed. Skis that have been polished at the factory require a light hand sanding (sharp metal scraper), which removes only the villi, but not the plastic (i.e. without erasing the pattern - the steinslip on the sliding surface). If there was no factory grinding, then it is necessary to check the condition of the sliding surface, removing defects. This is done by removing a thin layer of the surface of the metal cycle, which alternates with paraffin impregnation (soak abundantly with paraffin, then cycle - repeat this procedure several times). Then we clean the skis from paraffin residues with a brass brush and hard fibertex.

SKI PRIMER After scraping the ski of a metal cycle, it is necessary to carefully clean the sliding surface with a brass or bronze brush and hard fibertex, and then apply a primer wax (Special primer or any more or less soft one with an application range of 3-10 degrees. Purple is usually used). In this case, it is desirable to use paraffin in excess, warming up the skis two or three times without intermediate scraping and adding paraffin insofar as it is absorbed into the surface.
Cool skis. After 20-30 minutes, remove excess paraffin with a plastic scraper and treat the surface with a nylon brush. Carry out this treatment of the sliding surface several times with a thorough cleaning with a nylon brush after each layer. With the above ski primer, we must achieve the creation of a gleaming layer on the surface.

With this treatment, carbon fibers are released from the surface graphite, which penetrate into the lower layer. Thus, carbon chains are obtained that conduct heat to the sliding surface of the ski. The temperature generated by skiing friction is neutralized when the heat of the sliding surface of the ski in contact with the snow is transferred by means of carbon to the inner layers of the ski. At the same time, less water is formed on the bottom surface of the ski, as a result of which the absorption of liquid is reduced and the glide is maintained.

In terms of microstructure, synthetic sliding surfaces are composed of crystalline and amorphous regions. The molecular structure of the crystalline regions is rigid and they do not absorb the ointment. Amorphous regions, on the contrary, are capable of some deformation under the influence of pressure and heat. This reaction to impacts means that after heating with an iron, scraping and brushing, the surface will, as it were, "sweat" with micro-amounts of ointment as a result of diffusion from the surface material when cooled.

This effect is especially noticeable when the skis are taken out of the room with room temperature to the street, in the winter frost.
"Carbon soil" acts as one of the active factors that improve glide. When priming, it is very important to use the correct graphite mixture. If the used sliding ointment is very soft, then the interaction does not occur, as with solid ointments. After priming the sliding surface, you can start lubricating the skis according to the weather.

If the weather conditions require the ski to have structure and the skis do not have a factory topcoat, the appropriate cut must be made by hand. The structure is always applied before the base wax is applied to the ski. True, sometimes the weather interferes with this work order: for example, in the last hour before the start, temperature and humidity change dramatically. In this case, the cutting has to be applied after the main paraffin.

SKI PRIMING FOR APPROPRIATE WEATHER When priming a sliding surface under basic paraffin, remember:
The melting point of the wax used in the primer must be higher than the melting point of the base wax, i.e. the priming wax should be more refractory (in this case, the base wax does not mix with the priming wax). In the case of cold weather, when frosty, and therefore refractory hard wax is used as the main wax and it is not possible to use a harder one as a primer, we prime the skis with paraffin similar in hardness to the main wax.
With very old, hard, “aggressive” snow, if the weather is the same for a long period of time (especially frost), and just to remove electrostatic voltage from the surface when priming, it is recommended to use “antistatic” paraffin (for example, “START” -antistatic or "REX"-antistatic, art 433, etc.)

When priming skis for the appropriate weather, it is necessary to use plain paraffin for ordinary paraffin, and fluoride for fluorine-containing paraffin.
The primer is made in the usual way, using an iron with a normal melting temperature for this paraffin (As a rule, this is a temperature of 120 degrees. To obtain such a temperature on the “sole” of the iron, the thermostat must be set to +150 degrees). Apply paraffin to the sliding surface, melting the paraffin bar on the iron and thus filling the ski with a thick layer of molten hot paraffin.

It is not always possible (primarily financial) to pour paraffin on the ski like a river. Many ski lovers use the following method: with a short quick movement, a paraffin tile is melted on an iron, and with the same quick movement of this tile (while there is melted paraffin on it), a section of the ski is rubbed. The procedure is repeated several times until the entire ski is covered with paraffin. Then the paraffin is melted on the ski, as usual, with an iron. This method is not bad, as it allows you to achieve significant savings in paraffin.
Then it is necessary to cool the skis, remove excess paraffin with a plastic scraper and carefully treat the surface with a nylon brush.
Graphite-containing sliding surfaces are best primed with graphite or fluoro-graphite paraffins.

APPLICATION OF BASIC PARAFFIN (APPROPRIATE FOR THE WEATHER) The choice of sliding ointment (paraffin) is made on the basis of experience or according to the temperature ranges given on the package. It should be remembered that temperature is only one of the changing factors; there are also relative air humidity, snow age, moisture, pollution, ski tracks (natural or artificial snow), etc., as already mentioned above.

All ointments for low temperatures contain synthetic paraffins. These waxes are a valuable wax additive, especially when competing on artificial snow at very low temperatures. The addition of synthetic paraffins to the composition of the ointment increases the resistance of the ointment to abrasion and the penetration of snow crystals. When applying such paraffin, it is necessary to remove most of it with a plastic scraper before it hardens, because if the refractory paraffin is allowed to cool completely, it will become hard and will chip off the ski in pieces during scraping, leaving large areas of the ski without paraffin. After the final cooling of the ski, the remaining paraffin is removed with a rigid plastic scraper and then with a stiff brush like a white nylon Swix (T161) or a mixed fiber brush (T155) with strong pressure.
Soft paraffins are processed in a similar way. The only difference is that the soft wax should be allowed to cool completely and then removed with a plastic scraper and a medium hard nylon brush. Otherwise, the procedure for applying and removing paraffin is identical to that used for FU NTO in skiing.

APPLICATION OF THE LAST LAYER: ACCELERATOR (LOW OR COMPRESSED POWDER)
The powder is sprinkled with a thin layer on a sliding surface, and then melted with an iron (the correct melting of the powder is evidenced by the peculiar “dancing” sparks or stars that appear within one or two seconds after the passage of the iron). At the same time, it is desirable to melt the powder or accelerator in one motion, when the iron slowly moves along the ski. Many skiers use ordinary household irons to melt the powder (the “Kid” iron is very popular, for example). However, household irons have a sharp edge, and if such an iron is moved along the ski, it begins to rake and throw off the powder from the sliding surface (branded irons, as a rule, have a crushing edge). Trying to avoid this effect, skiers make a very serious mistake - pressing the iron for a few seconds to one place from above with one-time movements, they melt the powder to the ski. At the same time, they forget that household irons have different temperatures in the middle and at the edges of the sole. The result, as a rule, is deplorable - those same set fire mounds appear, which we spoke about above. True, when you melt the powder, they are not visible. But as soon as you start cycling skis afterwards, you will immediately find them.

After cooling, the sliding surface of the ski is cleaned of excess powder with a natural brush (horsehair) and polished with polishing paper. Everything! Your skis are ready to race.
When cleaning the sliding surface from powder residue, do not press hard on the ski - make soft movements with slight pressure on the brush.

Accelerators are also available in compressed form. They are more convenient to use - they can rub skis and in a hurry when there is no table and machine at hand. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to keep the skis strictly horizontal, there is no need to be afraid of the wind (which the powder can easily blow off your skis if you work in open areas, etc.), no need to be afraid that someone will accidentally hit the ski , and the powder will shake off the ski.

In principle, after each application of the powder, it is desirable to lightly cycle the skis of the metal cycle with a mandatory subsequent primer. Why? Because the use of powder, or rather, the high-temperature treatment of the surface of the skis when applying the powder, causes the appearance of a hard plastic film (this is a different degree of plastic burnout). However, it must be remembered that very frequent scraping of the skis will lead to the rapid removal of all sliding plastic with a change in the structure and rigidity of the skis. In a word, good ski care implies a fairly frequent use of a metal cycle. However, this practice will certainly shorten the life of a given pair of skis.
Powders and accelerators can also be ground cold, without using an iron. To do this, the powder is sprinkled on the sliding surface of the ski (and the ski is rubbed with an accelerator, respectively) and rubbed with a hand, natural cork or a special polishing cork. Then they are processed with a natural brush and polished with polishing paper. This processing method compares favorably with the “hot” one in its efficiency: firstly, it saves a significant amount of powder, and secondly, due to the lack of contact with a hot iron, it saves the plastic of the ski sliding surface from burns.
However, the powder applied in this way is retained on the ski worse than the powder fixed on the skis with a hot iron, and this method of preparing skis is recommended only when participating in competitions for short (5-10-15 km) distances.

When preparing skis for training and competitions, their sliding surface is subjected to the following stages of processing:
* ski scraping
* preparation of skis for primer
* priming of skis (before applying the main paraffin, corresponding to the weather)
* priming of skis under basic paraffin, corresponding to the weather
* application of the basic paraffin corresponding to the weather?? application of the accelerator.
The first operation is used only a few times a year. The fourth, sixth operations are mandatory for each ski preparation process.

The use of modern composite materials instead of wood, it has greatly simplified and reduced the cost of maintaining equipment in such a sport as rowing. On the contrary, in skiing the transition from wooden to plastic skis led to a noticeable increase in cost, labor intensity and time spent in preparing and caring for skis. If at the 1972 Olympics the average cost of preparing a pair of skis was about $ 1 with a time investment of 15-30 minutes, then at present it takes several hours to prepare a pair of skis, and material costs have increased several hundred times.

One of the ways of inexpensive, but high-quality processing of skis and obtaining the best condition of the sliding surface of the ski is manual scraping with a high-quality sharp tool. In contrast to the surface treated with a steinslief, the scraped surface has a significantly smaller amount of burrs and villi that increase friction.

High-magnification photographs of the sliding surface show that after machine processing (steine polishing), the sliding surface has a large number of burrs and villi. The surface treated with a sharp scraper by hand is smoother and has a more regular structure - an arrangement of microscopic longitudinal grooves and grooves.

For a long time, it was not possible to purchase a high-quality cycle for ski preparation on sale. Major manufacturers of tools and lubricants do not release high-quality scrapers for free sale. Ski lubrication specialists used for this purpose a tool made piece by piece at the factories of the former military-industrial complex or made in artisanal conditions. Unfortunately, all such products have a wide range of characteristics. As a rule, each sample was made from an individual steel grade and had an individual sharpening. Recently, the Swedish company Kuzmin has started mass production of high quality scrapers for manual ski preparation.

Kuzmin™ cycles are manufactured on industrial equipment from high-quality HSS steel, the working edge of the cycle is sharpened strictly at a certain angle and has a certain structure of the working surface.

In the photographs shown here, you can see the working faces of the KUZMIN™ cycle at multiple magnifications. Regularly located grooves of various depths are clearly visible, which, when processing the ski, are "imprinted" on the sliding surface. When processing skis of such cycles, microstructures are created on the sliding surface - grooves and grooves, due to regular irregularities that are hardly noticeable to the naked eye on the sharp edge of the cutter.

Kuzmin cycles are available in three versions:

for warm weather - designed to prepare skis at temperatures from + 3 ° and above. Best suited for pretreatment of skis.
moderate - designed to prepare skis at temperatures from +2° to -8°
cold weather - scraper designed to create the smoothest surface, effective at temperatures from -8°C

The options differ in the angle of sharpening the tool and the pattern applied to the surface of the ski.

Application cycles KUZMIN

Before scraping, the sliding and side surfaces of the ski must be thoroughly cleaned of ointment and paraffin residues using a solvent wash.
The ski must be securely fixed on the ski profile, the slightest movement of the ski or profile can lead to fatal damage to the sliding surface.
Scraping should be done with both hands with uniform, gentle pressure.
Finish processing when the surface is even and smooth. During the first treatment, it is necessary to spend 20-25 minutes on each ski in order to completely get rid of the remnants of the structure. When re-processing, three or four passes are sufficient.
Deburr the sides using the same scraper.
To improve glide, treat a clean sliding surface with a fine metal brush.
Treat your skis after every 50-500 km (depending on snow conditions).
If necessary, in warm weather and wet snow, an additional structure can be applied on top of this microstructure using manual knurling.

Helpful information

When processing a ski, a large amount of chips are formed. However, it is mostly air. During the initial treatment, the thickness of the removed polyethylene layer is no more than 35 microns, and during subsequent treatments it is only about 1 micron. Thus, the ski can withstand up to several hundred treatments.

When processing classic skis, it is necessary to remove all lubricant, including holding ointment, and process the sliding surface of the cycles along the entire length, including the holding area.

Attention! because scraping skis is a job that requires high precision, high-quality scraping is possible only with a securely fixed ski in good light.

Preparing skis without wax

A specialist in the field of skiing, Leonid Kuzmin, who currently lives in Sweden, defended his Ph.D. thesis on research in the theory of ski sliding, in particular, the problem of reducing sliding friction between skis and snow. The results of his research can be called sensational, not without reason they caused a heated discussion in the ski world.

The most important research results largely refute the traditional concept of ski preparation, based more on marketing interests than on scientifically proven facts.

Based on elementary knowledge at the school level and simple logic, Leonid argues that the sliding surface of modern cross-country skis, made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), does not have pores into which rather bulky paraffin molecules could penetrate. If the sliding surface could absorb paraffin molecules, it would absorb relatively small water molecules with even greater success, thus becoming similar to an ordinary sponge.

In reality, all the grease applied by the traditional "hot" method remains on the sliding surface in the form of a layer several microns thick, no matter how much grease is spent in preparing the skis. What's more, none of today's greases, including fluorocarbon grease, provides a lower coefficient of sliding friction than perfectly surfaced UHMWPE, which is also ten times more abrasion resistant than extra strong carbon steel. Thus, Leonid came to the conclusion that no better way ski preparation than scraping the sliding surface and bringing it to a perfectly even state.

The graph shown here shows how hardness changes with temperature.

When the temperature drops from 0 to -20°C, the hardness of ice (or snow crystals) increases several times and is practically equal to the hardness of high molecular weight polyethylene used as a sliding surface. Here you can also see that the hardness of the paraffin layer increases slightly.

In cold weather, even the hardest sliding lubricants are much softer than the polyethylene of the sliding surface, and, accordingly, softer than snow crystals. This allows us to conclude that in frosty weather, skis prepared in the traditional way will glide worse than carefully cycled skis.

The following are excerpts from an interview with Leonid Kuzmin published in November 2006 in the Nordic Ultratune Newsletter. It provides answers to typical questions and objections of opponents who hold traditional views on the ski preparation process.

Are you saying that the water repellency of a structured sliding surface is lower than that of a non-structured surface?
LK: If you carefully read the theses of my Ph.D. thesis, you will be convinced that they do not contain such terms as “surface with structure” and “surface without structure”. My opponent, Mark Waechter, most likely means by the first skis that have passed through the "steinslip", and by the second - smoothly cycled skis. He argues that the hydrophobic properties of the skid (expressed as the angle between the convex "lens" of the water drop and the horizontal surface) do not correlate with the speed of the ski. This is a fundamental mistake. The relationship between the hydrophobicity of the sliding surface and the sliding speed of the ski has been proven by scientific research.
Your opponent also believes that "machine structure" makes it possible to reduce the role of such a factor as "viscous friction of wetted surfaces" (that is, the so-called "water suction"), which is inevitable in the case of a perfectly smooth sanded surface.
The surface scraped with the KUZMIN™ scraper is not perfectly smooth. Moreover, the surface of skis with a "machine structure" (in the comparative experiment, skis prepared by one of the world's leading experts Lars Svensson on a Tazzari RP13.2 machine) are smoother than the surface of cycled skis. The KUZMIN™ scraper creates a smooth, hard polished surface with regularly spaced microgrooves (see illustration above). If this is not enough (for example, in warm weather on wet snow), additional structure can be applied using knurled-reelers.
Are you an opponent of the "machine structure", considering it useless?
Yes, in my opinion it is. The most important result of our research should be considered the proof of the fact that artificial lubrication is not needed to improve the glide of a ski on snow if a natural "water" lubricant is formed during the sliding process. Good gliding requires a smooth and hard surface with optimum water and dirt repellency. All these properties are fully possessed by UHMWPE polyethylene. Processing skis on a steinslift machine only worsens these properties.

1. TOOLS

1.1. Table for lubrication and processing

First of all, for the lubrication and processing of skis, we need a table of convenient height, equipped with the necessary devices for work (electrical sockets, additional lighting, etc.). Tables are either homemade or manufactured by some firms (for example, "SWIX"), stationary or portable, with a wide variety of designs and their modifications.

1.2. Ski profile machine

Machine - a device on which you can strengthen the ski in such a way that it has support along its entire length. Machine tools can be, just like tables, self-made or "branded" ("FISCHER", "ATOMIC", etc.). By design, they can be very different (one-piece, collapsible, with variable length, etc.). Usually they are attached to the table with clamps or have independent "legs". The last option is designed to work in the "field" conditions.

ADVICE: if there is an opportunity to buy a "branded" table and a machine, it's good. If this is not possible, do not worry. I was convinced from my own experience that our craftsmen sometimes make these devices no worse, and sometimes even better than well-known foreign companies. The main requirement for all designs is the convenience of approaching the table (machine) and the rigidity of fixing the ski.

There are two types: conventional (for manual processing) and rotating (for machining with an electric drill).

For manual processing, brushes of several varieties are used:

metal (brass, bronze, steel);
nylon (hard, medium, soft);
natural (usually from horsehair);
combined (brass-nylon, bronze-nylon, brass-natural, natural-nylon);
polishing (in the form of natural cork or block with flannel).

For machining (in this case, electric or cordless drills are used as a drive), rotating brushes are used.

They are placed on a special axis, one side of which serves as a handle for holding, and the other is mounted in a drill chuck (like a drill).

The rotating brushes are similar in terms of the "bristle" materials used to the manual brushes listed above. In principle, I could easily name at least several dozen varieties of brushes, but this hardly makes sense. It is probably more important to figure out what principal classes they are divided into, and for what purposes each specific type of brushes is used.

METAL BRUSHES (except steel) are mainly used to clean the sliding surface and microstructure from old paraffin and dirt.
STEEL BRUSHES are usually used not so much to remove paraffin, but to apply a fine microstructure to the sliding surface (depending on weather conditions).
NYLON BRUSHES are hard, medium and soft. Hard wax is used to remove harder (frosty) paraffin, medium wax is used to remove soft wax (intended for transitional and warm weather). Soft brushes are used for final polishing of sliding surfaces.
NATURAL BRUSHES are used to remove soft wax and to treat surfaces after powders and accelerators have been applied to them.
POLISHING BRUSHES are used in the dry (without the use of an iron) method of applying compressed and conventional (loose) powders.

TIP: It will be better if you use one specific brush for each type of powder. In other words, it is not necessary to process positive and frosty powder with the same brush.

1.4. Fibrous porous fabric (fibertex)

Fibertex is a non-woven nylon fiber with or without abrasive microparticles.

RIGID FIBERTEX WITH ABRASIVE is used to remove pile after scraping the sliding surface.
SOFT FIBERTEX WITH ABRASIVE - to remove the upper very thin layer of the surface (actually - a kind of smoothing) without changing the structure of the ski.
FIBERTEX WITHOUT ABRASIVE is used for polishing sliding surfaces.

1.5. Cycles, scrapers

Metal cycles are produced by various companies ("TOKO", "SWIX", etc.) or made to order from special grades of steel. For example, for many years I have been using home-made cycles produced by one Ural craftsman - I will not exchange them for any branded ones. I don’t specifically mention the name of this person, otherwise, I’m afraid, he will then be tortured with orders. Every year in the spring, I rent him pretty much for the old cycles, and he gives me new ones. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him on behalf of our entire team.
Soft metal allows you to sharpen cycles in normal, "field" conditions using special sharpening. Hard metal involves sharpening cycles only in the factory.

TIP: for primary processing, use scrapers made of a harder metal, which allows you to remove a sufficiently large layer of plastic in one pass, and for finishing - from a softer one.
The main purpose of thermal devices is the heating of paraffins and ointments. Commonly used electric irons, heated irons, gas burners, hair dryers. Preference is given to appliances that do not use open flames and that can maintain a constant, controlled temperature for a long time.

Of all the existing thermal devices, the most used are:

ELECTRIC IRONS - for melting paraffins and powders.
HAIR DRYERS - for melting the holding ointment applied under the ski block. If you use an iron for this purpose, you will only achieve that the ointment will “scatter” into the groove and onto the sides of the ski. Hair dryers, unlike irons, are much more suitable for melting ointment, since they allow you to heat it evenly.
GAS BURNERS - usually used in "field" conditions, where there is no access to the mains.

TIP: remember that electric heaters are always preferable to gas burners as they do not have an open flame. Only use burners if you cannot use an iron or hair dryer.

1.7. Devices for applying structures, cutting

The purpose of the cuts or "steinslip" is to reduce the phenomenon of "suction" that occurs between the sliding surface of the ski and the track. The influence of this phenomenon on the final result increases both with an increase in air humidity and with an increase in the speed of movement. The structure and moisture of the snow are decisive when choosing cuts. So, for example, freshly fallen, fine-grained snow suggests a shallower (in depth) structure, and old, granular snow - more powerful, deeper. The style of movement also affects the choice of cuts. The ridge style is characterized by rarer and deeper grooves. In general, the structure for each specific weather is determined by testing directly on the state of the weather and snow in this particular place on the day of the competition. But we can still give some general recommendations based on practical experience:

0.33 mm - 0.5 mm - frosty weather, freshly fallen snow;
0.7 mm - 1.0 mm - wet coarse-grained snow, hard glossy track;
2.0 mm - new wet snow, glossy track;
3.0 mm - 4.0 mm - slight frost, wet frosty weather conditions (the effect of this cut can be improved if it is used in conjunction with cuts in increments of 0.33 mm - 0.5 mm).

In general, the following trend is visible: warmer weather requires cutting with a rarer step.

MANUAL CUT AND ROLL. The structure, cutting are applied to the ski with special knurling manually. Knurling can be with rotating or fixed stationary cutters (knives). In addition, they can be with replaceable or standard (in the form of metal plates) cutters (knives). In addition, they are divided into cutting structure and extruding. It is clear that the extruders are more gentle on the plastic compared to the cutting ones.
STEINSCHLIFT is a technology in which the ski is processed at the factory on special machines using emery stones. Such grinding of sliding surfaces and the application of a certain structure (shteinshlift) to it can significantly improve the sliding properties of skis for the weather conditions for which they are intended. It should be noted here that various kinds of steinslip can slightly shift the suitability of skis for certain weather conditions in the desired direction. That is, skis designed for warmth, with the help of a certain pattern, can be adapted to slightly cooler weather or, on the contrary, to frank "water". However, always remember: good skis suitable for wet snow and warm weather cannot be made into good skis for frost from good skis - it's just a slight change in the use of a particular pair of skis towards warm or cold. The same kind of "shifts" in the range of application of a particular pair of skis in one direction or another (for heat or cold) can be achieved if you manually remove part of the plastic of the metal cycles and apply the necessary structure (more on this below).

The disadvantage of grinding with a stone is that during this procedure, quite a lot of plastic is removed from the sliding surface of the ski - 0.1 - 0.3 mm. It is clear that this procedure should not be abused, otherwise in half a season you can remove all sliding plastic from the ski. As a result of scraping (factory or manual), the priming of the sliding surface of the ski becomes insufficient. After grinding with a stone or sanding, it is necessary to repeatedly prime the skis with their appropriate processing.

1.8. sanding paper

Waterproof sanding paper with different grits: 240, 220,180,150,120,100, 80, 60 is used for sanding, removing fluff and lifting the fluff to improve the adhesion of the holding wax to the sliding surface of the ski in the most difficult weather conditions.

In addition to the main listed working tools, a huge number of other various devices are used in the preparation of skis:

sharpening for metal and plastic scrapers and scrapers;
sharpening for ski edges;
plastic for repairing the sliding surface of skis;
vice, clamps;
natural and synthetic stoppers for leveling holding ointments.

2. HOW TO PREPARE THE SKI?

Before you start working with skis, you need to familiarize yourself with certain safety regulations. They are simple:

Ventilate the room before and during work.
Use a respirator with a filter to trap dust and harmful gases.
When preparing skis, do not use open flames.
No smoking.
Do not clean hands with washer.

We had a case in the team: when powders first appeared, we prepared skis in a room where a lit blowtorch stood for some time. After that, all four people who were in the room were seriously ill for several days: there were all the symptoms of severe poisoning - vomiting, nausea, terrifying weakness. This state lasted for several days. So my advice to you: there should be no open fire (including burning cigarettes) in the room where you prepare your skis. I noticed that skiers from Scandinavian countries, wherever they come to compete, first of all install a powerful hood in the room where they have to prepare skis. Try to embrace this practice.

Ski cycle.
Preparing skis for primer.
Priming of skis (before applying the main paraffin, corresponding to the weather).
Priming of skis under the basic paraffin, corresponding to the weather.
Application of basic paraffin, corresponding to the weather.
Application of powder, accelerator.

The first operation is used only a few times a year. The second and third are typical for the preparation of new skis, as well as for skis that have again undergone factory (steinslip) or manual (metal cycle) processing. The fourth, fifth and sixth operations are done whenever you take up the preparation of skis.

2.1. Ski scraping

In the process of training and competition, the sliding plastic of your skis experiences mechanical and thermal effects and, of course, ages.

There are two ways to update (scrap) the sliding surface of the skis:

factory (steinslip);
manual.

TIP: during the season, skis must undergo factory or manual processing at least twice: at the beginning of winter and about two weeks before the main start (we are talking about ski scraping with a hard cycle or a sanding). Why two weeks before the main start, and not two or three days? Because experience shows that skis show the best gliding qualities after repeated impregnation with paraffin and their corresponding break-in (and this takes time).

2.1.1. What should be the cycle?

The main criterion is that the cycle should be comfortable for you personally, it should fit comfortably in your hands. Someone makes massive cycles, such that it is convenient to hold them with two hands, someone makes them very small. The cycle moves in the direction of the ski from toe to heel and should go smoothly, without encountering any obstacles. After the first one or two passes, you will immediately see where your skis have scratches, pits, bumps, etc., as the old (whitish) plastic will be removed from a flat surface, revealing fresh black plastic. An uneven surface will show both bumps (the old plastic will cling to them) and depressions (where it will remain whitish).

You can move along the ski in different ways: you can walk along the ski and move the cycle in front of you, you can walk backwards along the ski, and then the cycle will move as if following you. The main thing is that the cycle moves smoothly along the ski, does not jump or jump off to the side.

How to repair large scratches and other serious damage on a ski? For this, there is a special repair plastic, which, like skis, is divided according to its purpose into positive and frosty ones. It can be of various structures and colors. How to use it? We clean the damaged place from dirt, lightly scrape the metal scraper and degrease it. Then, using a blowtorch or a gas burner, we fuse the plastic onto the damaged area. Fusion should be done only in small layers, remembering that the next layer can only be applied after the previous one has solidified. After hardening, excess plastic is removed from the sliding surface using a metal scraper. Then the sliding surface is polished and primed with paraffin.

2.1.2. What layer of plastic to remove when scraping?

When manually processing skis, it is necessary to cycle the sliding surface of the metal cycle until, if possible, all its defects (irregularities, shells, scratch marks, etc.) are removed. Scraping of the surface should be done with a sharp, non-rounded metal scraper with repeated light movements with little pressure. A dull metal scraper or too much pressure lead to the "burning" of the plastic of the sliding surface (this can be determined by the characteristic pattern for this).

In general, strictly speaking, there is literally no burnout in this case. And here's what happens. Today, most of the leading companies in the world - "FISCHER", "ATOMIC", "ROSSIGNOL" and others - use graphite-containing Teflon for the sliding surface of skis. What does it look like when viewed at high magnification? Roughly speaking, these are numerous particles of graphite that are interspersed in plastic. It is these particles that provide modern skis with good glide. However, these graphite particles are much harder than the plastic itself. If you use a sharp scraper and cycle the ski by applying a little pressure on it, you kind of cut off these microparticles from the sliding surface of the ski in an even layer. If you use a blunt scraper or press too hard on the ski when scraping, you simply pick out these particles from the plastic, and the same pattern appears on the ski, which in everyday life we call "burnout".

TIP: Make sure your cycles are always sharp.

The second very important point in scraping is the angle of inclination of the ski in relation to the ski. In no case should the scraper be located at right angles to the ski during scraping. The deviation from the right angle should be 20 - 40 degrees, and the more uneven the surface of the ski, the greater this angle should be. Otherwise, if you cycle the ski, placing the cycle at a right angle, you will only exacerbate all the irregularities, catching up with the "wave". At the same time, remember that with each new pass, either the left or the right edge of the loop should go forward (otherwise, if you do not do this, you can catch up with an oblique wave). And only the very last pass is done at a right angle.

TIP: if this is your first time ski scraping, you will almost certainly "break wood". Therefore, in no case do not start by scraping your cross-country skis - it is better to start with old training ones. But even in this case, you will have a long way of mistakes and discoveries of the Americas. The best option is to find a person who has been doing this for a long time and more or less professionally. It is enough to watch his work once, and you will be able to avoid many mistakes of the first stage.

Experience shows that even after steinslift, some pairs of skis do not have a very even, as if bumpy, surface. Here the following danger may lie in wait for you: when trying to melt the powder to such skis, you suddenly notice that in some places the powder adheres well to the ski, and in some it does not. Still trying to melt the powder in those places where it was not possible to do it the first time, you achieve only the effect that the iron on the bumps sticks to the ski, and the plastic burns out in these places. According to my observations, it is much more difficult to cycle burnt plastic then than usual.

OBSERVATION: good job a bar with sandpaper and subsequent careful scraping can bring life back to life, sometimes even completely “killed” skis.

After each scraping, it is desirable to process the edges. With one or two movements at an angle of 45%, we chamfer with fine sandpaper, removing excessive edge sharpness, burrs, etc. Do not overdo it - we are talking about two or three movements. But the chamfer must be removed necessarily and always. Even if you don’t see burrs with your eye, believe me, they are there, and it’s better to remove them, because they (especially when skating) will slow down the movement.

2.2. Preparing skis for primer

Before proceeding with the preparation of new skis, it is necessary to determine how the sliding surface is processed. Skis that have been polished at the factory require a light hand sanding (sharp metal scraper), which removes only the villi, but not the plastic (i.e. without erasing the pattern - the steinslip on the sliding surface). If there was no factory grinding, then it is necessary to check the condition of the sliding surface, removing defects. This is done by removing a thin layer of the surface of the metal cycle, which alternates with paraffin impregnation (soak abundantly with paraffin, then cycle - repeat this procedure several times). Then we clean the skis from paraffin residues with a brass brush and hard fibertex.

2.3. Ski primer

After scraping the ski of a metal cycle, it is necessary to carefully clean the sliding surface with a brass or bronze brush and hard fibertex, and then apply a primer wax (special primer or any more or less soft one with an application range of 3-10 degrees. Purple is usually used). In this case, it is desirable to use paraffin in excess, warming up the skis two or three times without intermediate scraping and adding paraffin insofar as it is absorbed into the surface.

Cool skis. After 20-30 minutes, remove excess paraffin with a plastic scraper and treat the surface with a nylon brush. Carry out this treatment of the sliding surface several times with a thorough cleaning with a nylon brush after each layer. With the above ski primer, we must achieve the creation of a gleaming layer on the surface.
If the weather conditions require the ski to have structure and the skis do not have a factory topcoat, the appropriate cut must be made by hand. The structure is always applied before the base wax is applied to the ski. True, sometimes the weather interferes with this work order: for example, in the last hour before the start, temperature and humidity change dramatically. In this case, the cutting has to be applied after the main paraffin.

2.4. Ski primer for the appropriate weather

When priming a sliding surface under basic paraffin, remember:

The melting point of the wax used in the primer must be higher than the melting point of the base wax, i.e. the priming wax should be more refractory (in this case, the base wax does not mix with the priming wax). In the case of cold weather, when frosty, and therefore refractory hard paraffin is used as the main paraffin and it is not possible to use a harder one as a primer, we prime the skis with paraffin similar in hardness to the main paraffin.
With very old, hard, "aggressive" snow, if the weather is the same for a long period of time (especially frost), and just to remove electrostatic voltage from the surface when priming, it is recommended to use "antistatic" paraffin (for example, "START" -antistatic or "REX"-antistatic, art 433, etc.)
When priming skis for the appropriate weather, it is necessary to use plain paraffin for ordinary paraffin, and fluoride for fluorine-containing paraffin.

The primer is made in the usual way, using an iron with a normal melting temperature for this paraffin (as a rule, this is a temperature of 120 degrees. To obtain such a temperature on the "sole" of the iron, the thermostat must be set to +150 degrees). Apply paraffin to the sliding surface, melting the paraffin bar on the iron and thus filling the ski with a thick layer of molten hot paraffin.

OBSERVATION: it is not always possible (primarily financial) to pour paraffin on the ski like a river. I noticed: many skiing enthusiasts use the following method: with a short quick movement, the paraffin tile is melted on the iron, and with the same quick movement of this tile (while there is melted paraffin on it), the ski area is rubbed. The procedure is repeated several times until the entire ski is covered with paraffin. Then the paraffin is melted on the ski, as usual, with an iron. This method is not bad and has the right to life. In any case, you will be able to achieve significant savings in paraffin.

Cool, then remove excess paraffin with a plastic scraper and carefully treat the surface with a nylon brush.

TIP: Graphite-containing sliding surfaces are best primed with graphite or fluoro-graphite paraffins.

2.4.1. Paraffin testing

To achieve the best glide, it is very important to choose a paraffin that is appropriate for today's specific weather conditions. This is done by testing paraffins. First, we determine the weather conditions, for which we evaluate:

snow structure;
snow moisture and pollution;
snow temperature;
humidity and air temperature.

For example, hard and sharp snowflakes need a hard and abrasion resistant wax. Wet and dirty snow requires a wax that has good water-repellent properties, better than fluorinated. For dry snow, wax with little or no fluoride is used. The choice of paraffin (testing) is carried out experimentally using skis or special pyramids directly (someone calls them blanks, others call them mice). First, we test the objects themselves (pyramids or skis). To do this, they all undergo the same preparation using the same paraffin. the model characteristics of each tested agent are determined. After that, paraffin is applied to each object from a set of intended for use. After the application of paraffin and appropriate processing, testing is again performed. Having obtained the difference in the time of passage of the test section or in the length of the rollout and comparing the obtained data with the model characteristics of each test object, we make simple mathematical calculations and determine the best paraffin. It is this paraffin that is applied to the best "combat" skis of each individual rider.

You can also use a special machine made in Yekaterinburg for testing, which determines the sliding characteristics of each specific paraffin being tested by the speed of rotation on the snow of special plastic disks with paraffins applied to them. We, however, use the first (with pyramids) method.

2.5. Application of base wax according to the weather

Under the appropriate weather, by testing, we select the most suitable paraffin. For this purpose, we use several four-sided plastic bars, in which each face is like a small ski (each face has its own number, so after testing we can easily get information about which paraffin or powder glides best today). After testing, the paraffin we have chosen is melted onto the sliding surface of the ski with an iron. Allow to cool and cycle with a plastic cycle. Next, wax residues are removed with a nylon brush. Then you need to polish to a shine with either a sanding cloth or a softer brush.

When applying paraffin, you need to know the following: if paraffin is used for frosty weather (more refractory paraffin), then most of it must be removed with a plastic scraper before it hardens, because if you let the refractory paraffin cool completely, it will become hard and will chip off the ski during scraping pieces, leaving large spaces of skis without paraffin. After the final cooling of the ski, the remaining paraffin is removed with a rigid plastic cycle and then with a rigid nylon brush. Soft paraffins are processed in a similar way. The only difference is that the soft wax should be allowed to cool completely and then removed with a plastic scraper and a medium hard nylon brush. Otherwise, the procedure for applying and removing paraffin is identical to that used when priming skis.

2.6. Application of the last layer: regular (free-flowing) powder, or pressed (accelerator)

The powder is sprinkled with a thin layer on a sliding surface, and then melted with an iron (the correct melting of the powder is evidenced by the peculiar "dancing" sparks or stars that appear within one or two seconds after the passage of the iron). At the same time, it is desirable to melt the powder or accelerator in one motion, when the iron slowly moves along the ski.
Many skiers use ordinary household irons to melt the powder (the "Kid" iron is very popular, for example). However, household irons have a sharp edge, and if such an iron is moved along the ski, it begins to rake and throw off the powder from the sliding surface (branded irons, as a rule, have a crushing edge). Trying to avoid this effect, skiers make a very serious mistake - pressing the iron for a few seconds to one place from above with one-time movements, they melt the powder to the ski. At the same time, they forget that household irons have different temperatures in the middle and at the edges of the sole. The result, as a rule, is deplorable - those same set fire mounds appear, which we spoke about above. True, when you melt the powder, they are not visible. But as soon as you start cycling skis afterwards, you will immediately find them.

TIP: "Go broke" and buy a branded iron. The second way to solve this problem is to take a needle file and grind off the edge of the soleplate of your iron so that one of the edges becomes crushed. In this case, you will be able to fuse the powder in one smooth pass along the ski, without dropping it from the sliding surface and without burning it. It will be even better if, on the side where, after processing with a needle file, a crushing edge appears on the iron, you cut several small (3-4 mm in length) vanishing grooves. Then, when the iron “runs into” the powder, it will have somewhere to go: it will go into these grooves and will certainly then melt into plastic, and will not be thrown off the ski.

After cooling, the sliding surface of the ski is cleaned of excess powder with a natural brush (horsehair) and polished with polishing paper.

Everything! Your skis are ready to race.

TIP: when cleaning the sliding surface from powder residue, do not press hard on the ski: make gentle movements with slight pressure on the brush.

Accelerators are the same powders, only in a compressed form. They are more convenient to use - they can be rubbed on skis and in haste when there is no table and machine at hand. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to keep the skis strictly horizontal, there is no need to be afraid of the wind (which the powder can easily blow off your skis if you work in open areas, etc.), no need to be afraid that someone will accidentally hit the ski , and the powder will shake off the ski.

The compressed (solid) powder is applied as a last, very thin layer on the sliding surface. The processing method can be either hot or cold. The hot method involves the use of an iron, but it is desirable to have a layer of non-woven material between the sole of the iron and the surface of the ski, i.e. to heat through this non-woven material (for example, using polishing paper). Why is non-woven material used when heating the accelerator? You and I already know that all accelerators (both solid and loose) contain fluorine compounds, and the layer between the iron and the accelerator itself prevents fluorine from escaping. True, loose powder cannot be melted through paper, so the following method can be recommended: melt the powder to the ski with a quick pass, and then heat it through the non-woven material.

In principle, after each application of the powder, it is desirable to lightly cycle the skis of the metal cycle, followed by a mandatory primer. Why? Because the use of powder, or rather, the high-temperature treatment of the surface of the skis when applying the powder, causes the appearance of a hard plastic film (this is a different degree of plastic burnout). However, remember that very frequent scraping of the skis will lead to the rapid removal of all sliding plastic with a change in the structure and stiffness of the skis. In a word, good ski care implies a fairly frequent use of a metal cycle. However, this practice will certainly shorten the life of a given pair of skis - keep this in mind.

Powders and accelerators can also be ground cold, without using an iron. To do this, the powder is sprinkled on the sliding surface of the ski (and the ski is rubbed with an accelerator, respectively) and rubbed with a hand, natural cork or a special polishing cork. Then they are processed with a natural brush and polished with polishing paper. However, the powder applied in this way is retained on the ski worse than the powder fixed on the skis with a hot iron, and this method of preparing skis is recommended only when participating in competitions for short (5-10-15 km) distances.

Preparing a block for classic skis

After applying the powder to the ends of the skis, it is imperative to remove the dust from the powder that inevitably gets on the block when preparing the ends of the skis. For this metal cycle, we clean the pad from the remnants of powders and paraffins, otherwise the ointment from the pad will come off very quickly. Then we lift the pile under the block with a waterproof skin, if necessary (for example, we prepare skis for hard crystalline snow, firn, ice). Then we put the primer ointment and only after that - the ointment for holding.
Remember that when using liquid waxes, the last should be shorter, since the coefficient of adhesion with snow for liquid waxes is much higher compared to solid waxes. On average, when using liquid waxes, the last becomes shorter by 20 cm. Many skiers, when switching to liquid waxes, not only the last make them shorter, but often switch to stiffer skis altogether. In addition, the length of the distance has a great influence on the length of the block when switching to liquid ointments - the longer it is, the more the athlete gets tired, the more confident he needs to hold, and hence the longer block. In this case, the block is shortened compared to solid ointments not by 20 cm, but by 15 or only 10 cm.

3. HOW TO CLEAN THE CLASSIC OINTMENTS?

We close the ski area covered with ointment, toilet paper or napkins.
Heat with an iron until the ointment is absorbed into the paper.
Using the plastic cycle, we remove this impregnated paper. If necessary, repeat this procedure.
Remaining dirt is removed with a wash.
Next, we act as described above, that is, we use paraffins.

3.2. washes

When cleaning skating skis, washes are used if the surface of the skis is heavily soiled. With obligatory subsequent thorough cleaning with paraffin. In addition, for preventive purposes, it is necessary to apply a wash after 5-6 times the use of skis, even on very clean ski surfaces. In this case, it is advisable to use only branded washes. The use of other agents (gasoline, turpentine) adversely affects the microstructure of the sliding surface, causing the appearance of whitish spots.

TIP: if you have to prepare your skis in your apartment, use branded washes, for example, with an orange or lemon scent. This will save you from the inevitable conflicts with your wife or mother-in-law in such cases.