Author Topic: What do I need to wax/tune my own skis/snowboard?  (Read 472 times)

Svend

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Re: What do I need to wax/tune my own skis/snowboard?
« on: January 30, 2012, 09:11:31 pm »
A good vice is worth paying a few bucks for.  I'm not familiar with the Fix, but from a quick look it seems well made, solid and versatile.  I have a similar one (Holmenkol Pro) that has the center clamp for the binding, and it is excellent for supporting the ski when scraping and brushing.  One thing to check is whether the clamps at the far ends are height adjustable -- this is useful for skis with different camber profiles, as the tips and tails may rest higher or lower, so having a vice that you can snug up and create a solid working platform is great....no flopping of the ski while you're working on it.

John is right -- get a decent sidewall planer.  On skis where the sidewall is right up to the steel edge, you'll never get them sharp.  You need to plane them back so the files/stones don't rub the plastic.

You can get good deals on full tuning kits at Backcountry Outlet:

http://www.departmentofgoods.com/swix-master-tuning-and-wax-kit

Seems like an OK deal, considering the vice alone is worth about $150.

Other shops to check out are Slidewright, RaceWax and Sidecut.  Slidewright often has insider deals for Epic members, if you belong to that forum.

If you'd like one of us to post a full list of what you should consider buying, post back and someone will compose a shopping list for you. 

Good hunting....

« Last Edit: January 30, 2012, 09:13:40 pm by Svend »