How to lubricate wooden skis. How to lubricate wooden skis? How to polish hunting skis

I will modestly voice my opinion on whether hunting skis need to be tarred.

Sure. No need. Those skis that appear, those with a quality mark - they were produced in 1978, and now it’s 2011. They no longer have sharp edges, and the surface is a little scratched, but it’s scratched with the slag that was sprinkled on the roads, because it’s difficult to climb onto the pass of the car on ice they couldn’t, and we, hunters, were lazy not only to crush the powder along the way for 10 kilometers, but also to descend from the hill on foot. I put on my skis and zip down, only to feel how the slag under the ski sometimes gnaws out the wood from it. Back then I didn’t even think that skis could last so long. Please note they are not resinous.

I recently discussed this topic with colleagues and they gave me one of the YouTube videos about tarring skis as a clear example. There a guy grinds his skis and says - I read it on the internet, it needs to be grinded, I don’t understand why they don’t do it at the factory. Here, according to Freud, he hit the nail on the head. This is not done at the factory since this procedure is not necessary on modern VENEER skis. Which disintegrate only in one case, in case of IMPROPER STORAGE. Store them out of season in a fabric cover in the shade, not in the sun (or without a cover, but in the shade, not near a heat source (on a stove or radiator) and do not allow the backs of the skis to stand where water periodically appears, for example , rain. That’s all, they will never dry out or get wet, and nothing will happen to them. People burn leaves, not understanding the stupidity, but they are used to it from childhood, from school, from their yard, knowing that “they do it this way.” do it themselves. And looking at them, their children, etc. The circle is closed. Everyone has forgotten the origins of this. And this masturbation dates back to when skis were not veneered, but were simply made of wood. I also found these. So that they would not dry out (and we are talking about cross-country ones and then this procedure was transferred from them to hunting by analogy), they were resined and then many did not understand why and thought “so that they would ride and glide better,” so. athletes resin. And athletes resin in order to apply “paraffins” - the consumption of paraffins is less and they apply smoother. ski waxes. And people will grab the candle and “refine” the skis - well, now they’ll just carry it, hold on. And they are very surprised that they go to one temperature, but not to another. Heating, cork and hot iron, all to ensure that the layer is not just thin, but even - the glide depends on this, all the unevenness of the ski is leveled out. Now swimmers shave and use smooth suits for the same purpose (they seem to have decided to cancel suits). But look how far we have gone towards sports and how far we have gone from hunting skis. But ski wax is a good thing (if you guess the temperature, otherwise: either the skis will give back, or vice versa, you will scratch them like slag). But if you have a piece lying around in your backpack for above-zero temperatures, that’s a plus (forgive the tautology), in case of a thaw and a potential scam. Although, when we have a podlip, the season is closed for a month and a half. But they also ski in other areas, and a piece of ointment is not large or heavy. Once you use it, you don’t even need to rub it; after 10 minutes, nature will do everything itself. She's such a magician.

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Time passes, manufacturers, technologies, standards change...

The word “ski” is of Slavic origin, and was first mentioned in a message from Emperor Nicephorus to the Kyiv prince Vladimir Monomakh at the beginning of the 12th century. Chronicles of the 15th-16th centuries also talk about the use of skis for military purposes.

Skis not only make it easier for a hunter to move through snowy terrain, but also make it possible to hunt in very deep snow, when all paths and roads in the taiga are closed to the “foot” hunter.

In ancient times, a hunter who crossed someone else's path had their skis cut off - this suggests that skis were and are one of the most important types of hunter equipment. Not only successful fishing, but also the health, and sometimes even the life of the hunter, directly depends on the quality of skis. What are the requirements for hunting skis now? Firstly, they must be strong, but light, and secondly, they must provide easy ascent to fairly steep slopes.

With certain skills and knowledge, you can make skis yourself. The most durable skis are made from birch and maple, while less durable skis are made from spruce. It is best to harvest birch ridges for skis in winter, when the movement of sap in the tree is stopped. The tree chosen is smooth, with thin bark, without knots in the lower part of the trunk. A two-meter ridge is cut from the butt of a felled tree, which is split or sawn into bars, parallel to the run of the trunk and the direction of the wood fibers. After this, the blocks are hewn, resulting in boards 3.5-4 cm thick. The outer side of the board, facing the bark, is always used for the lower, sliding surface of the skis, and the butt part is used for bending the toes. After drying for at least a month, the board is shaped into a ski, then the nose of the ski is steamed in boiling water for half an hour, it must be taken into account that insufficient softening of the wood can lead to a break in the tip when it is bent, and excessive steaming leads to the formation of folds on the inner surface wear or cracks. The bend of the ski tip is made on a wooden, home-made template, and its curvature should be made somewhat steeper than the desired bend of the ski tip, since when removed from the template after a week of drying, they unbend by ten millimeters. Before removing the skis from the template, the lower part of the bend, for better fixation, is “roasted” over coals. After all this, the ski blanks are processed in accordance with the required dimensions, which must correspond to the weight of the hunter, but in any case, the height of the skis should not exceed the height of the owner. With loose snow, one kilogram of the hunter’s weight should account for approximately fifty square meters. centimeters of support, based on this it turns out that with a hunter’s weight of 70 kg, the ski support area should be equal to 3,500 square meters. cm, which is achieved by the following dimensions: ski length 160 cm, width 22 cm. Holes are drilled in the toes of the skis for towing them. Finished skis must be soaked in heated wood resin diluted with turpentine and tar.

There are three types of hunting skis: boot skis, camus skis and combined skis. Golitsy - skis not lined with camus. Before going hunting, the sliding surface of the loaches must be treated with a specially prepared ointment, for example, consisting of molten wax (three parts) and one part of stearin and fish oil. It is better to prepare special ointments designed for certain temperature conditions. The ointment used during a thaw or in slight frost (up to -10°C) consists of three parts paraffin, two parts brown wax and a small amount of tar. A frozen piece of this mixture is rubbed on the heated lower surface of the ski, then rubbed until shiny with a cloth. At lower temperatures, an ointment is used consisting of three parts wax, one part stearin, one part blubber (or fish oil) with the addition of a small amount of tar and rosin. In very severe frosts (below -30°C), it is good to lubricate skis with popular tar. The main disadvantage of golits is the difficulty of climbing uphill. Well-known techniques - herringbone or ladder climbing - are impossible in the dense taiga. To overcome a steep climb, you have to make large zigzags, which require a lot of effort and time. All this can be avoided by equipping the goiters with a simple device - brake plates. To do this, a plate the width of the ski and 15 cm long is cut out of three-millimeter aluminum. One end of it (the persistent one) is made rounded, the second is bent into a tube into which a thick, preferably stainless, wire is inserted, its ends are bent in the form of a bracket with loops at the ends , which are secured to the heel of the ski with an aluminum plate 4 cm long. On the heels of the skis, 16 cm from the edge, clamps are installed that secure the thrust plates when moving on flat terrain. When overcoming climbs, the plates are released from fixation and freely stretch along the ski track, without interfering with forward movement, but as soon as the skis go backwards, they rest against the snow with their lower end and hold the hunter in place.

The second device that eliminates the lack of skid marks is a brush made of coarse hair (bristles), for which the ski itself serves as a block. The brush is placed in front of the support platform and behind it. Bunches of brush hair are placed in relation to the sliding surface of the ski, to its heel at an angle of 45°. To make brushes, holes for them are made on the lower surface of the skis. The holes, which are best pierced with an awl, are placed in a checkerboard pattern. They should be conical with a diameter of 2 mm on the upper surface and 4 mm on the lower surface. To make the work easier, the holes can first be drilled with a two-millimeter drill, and then, to make them taper, treated with an awl made of four-millimeter wire. To ensure the same inclination of the holes, it is necessary to make a template.

To prevent the tufts of brush hair from bending too steeply, a recess is made opposite each hole at the back along the ski. After all the holes are ready, they need to be cleaned of burrs. Next, we proceed to the manufacture of brushes, for the construction of which bristles 7 cm long are prepared. A fishing line with a cross section of 1 mm is secured with a nail at one end on the upper surface of the ski at the front extreme hole, then the fishing line itself is inserted in the form of a loop from top to bottom and a bundle is placed in this loop stubble. The intended bend of the bristles on the loop is generously lubricated with glue, preferably epoxy, after which the free end of the fishing line is pulled upward, while the tuft of bristles fits tightly into the conical hole. Then the fishing line is threaded into the next hole and the whole operation is repeated again, and so on until the end, after which the second end of the fishing line is secured in the same way as the first. After the necessary drying, the hair on the brush is trimmed in a plane parallel to the plane of the ski, leaving tufts of hair no more than 15 mm. The puncture sites on the upper surface of the skis are covered with colorless varnish. If the skis converted in this way do not hold you on the slope, then either the slope is very steep, or the weight of the skier is high, and it is simply worth adding a few rows of beams. Came skis do not have the disadvantages of shaft skis. They provide speed of movement and stability in deep, loose snow and the ability to climb uphill at a normal pace. Kamus is the hard-haired part of the skin taken from the lower part of the legs of an elk, deer, or horse. According to most hunters, the best camus is considered to be horse camus; it is also called the most popular. Elk camus is considered the most durable, and the softest, non-squeaking camus is considered to be reindeer camus. Camus is also used by roe deer, musk deer, and deer. In coastal areas, seal skins are often used for these purposes. The camus is selected so that there is as little “transverse” hair as possible. To lighten the weight, the camus is flayed to an extremely thin thickness, after which it is sewn into one long strip with the pile directed in one direction. When installing the skin on skis, it is necessary to monitor the general direction of the hair, it is necessary that in the middle of the skin the hair lies parallel to the edges of the ski, otherwise when moving it will go to the side, in other words, “mow”. When attaching the camus to the skis, it is either nailed or sewn on and, finally, it can be glued on.

Hunters do not have a unanimous opinion on this matter. The camus is nailed starting from the toes of the skis, first along the “axis” with nails with a wide head, maintaining a distance of 5 cm between them. In the places where the camus joins, nails are nailed more often, and the sides of the camus are nailed in the same way. If some nails go right through the ski, it’s okay; when bent towards the heel of the ski, they hold the skin more securely.

You can sew on the kamus using varnish-coated grit. For strength, the edge of the camus is stitched with a vein. Before installation, the camus must be soaked in warm water. Then, every 10 cm (at the toe of the ski every 5 cm), two holes with a diameter equal to the thickness of the grit are drilled or pierced: one retreating from the edge of the bast by 10 mm, the second by 18 mm. Through these holes a thread is pulled, which is used to attract and tie the skin to the ski. The free end of the thread, sweeping the edge of the camus, goes to the next pair of holes, and the whole operation is repeated in a circle around the entire perimeter of the ski, starting from its toe. With this method of attaching the camus, it can be quickly replaced when it becomes unusable or worn out. This is difficult to do without damaging the skis if the skin is nailed down with small nails.

Most hunters believe that skis with a glued camus are stronger in bending, because all the strength is in the ceilings and glue. Before gluing the casing, the ski is coated with glue twice. After drying, a third layer of glue is applied and the wet casing is pulled onto the ski, after which it must be rolled with a roller in the direction of the hair until excess glue comes out and the casing is completely flattened. Then the ski is wrapped with a bandage or twine so that the skin on the sides adheres well and does not warp. After the necessary drying, the bandage (twine) is removed, and the excess camus at the edges is cut off with a sharp knife. Various adhesive compositions are used to glue the camus. These are both BF and epoxy-based glue, but the most preferable is wood glue with a small addition of acetic acid, which makes the glue water-resistant. For the summer, camus skis are tied with the sliding side inward with a spacer in the middle. To prevent damage to the skin by moths, you need to wrap your skis in newspaper soaked in kerosene.

The disadvantage of camus skis is that the camus gets wet and the skis become heavy and difficult to control. Therefore, many hunters make combination skis by gluing a narrow strip of camus to the sliding surfaces of skis, which is located in the middle, along the entire sliding surface. The width of the camus strip should be at least 8 cm, which ensures sufficient braking of the skis from sliding backwards when going uphill. The camus tape is glued as follows: glue is applied in an even layer to the surfaces to be glued, after which the camus strip is placed strictly in the middle of the sliding surface of the ski with the nap to the heel and pressed tightly until the glue dries completely. After gluing the camus strip, excess glue along its edges must be removed. The ends of the camus strip must be folded at the toe and heel onto the upper surface of the ski and secured with glue; gluing the camus strip directly to the sliding surface of the ski is allowed, but to improve performance, it is better to place it in a specially selected groove 2 mm deep and 80 mm wide.

In all the above-described options, kamus is used both dressed and undressed. You can make a kamus yourself. To do this, pour 10 liters of water into a wooden container, pour 1 kg of table salt into it and, taking special care, pour in 200 ml of sulfuric acid, mix it all thoroughly. The kamus is placed in the resulting solution for three days, after which it is taken out and nailed with nails, stretched on a board to dry, with the inside up. A kamus made in this way is not afraid of dampness. And one more thing: when working with a kamus, it is necessary to correctly process it at the joints, for which, at the junction of the kamus, both ends of it are cut to “no”, and the hair itself must also be trimmed there.

And the last important detail is the fastenings. On the one hand, they must hold the leg securely, on the other, for example, when falling or if necessary to quickly get off the skis, they must almost automatically release the legs. The bindings are installed in such a way that the heel of the ski when moving gives a greater draft than the toe. To do this, find the center of gravity of the ski and draw a transverse line through it, then, retreating 40 mm from the toe, draw a second line parallel to the first, which will be the line where the fastening begins. It is best to make the support platform for the foot from multi-layer plywood, select a groove for the loop from below and glue it to the ski with waterproof glue; for greater reliability, you can also screw it with screws. Under the foot itself, it is necessary to stick microporous rubber, which, by compressing and unclenching, prevents the snow from being compressed under the foot. If rubber is not available, you can use a birch bark plate, and glue it only along the edges. Fastening straps are best made from well-smoked elk leather; it does not get wet or stretch, as happens with rawhide, which becomes limp from dampness. You can also use canvas straps. There are many methods of fastening, I will give some of them.

First. The main strap passes through the toe of the shoe just behind the toes, and the heel strap is attached to it, which, on the leading foot, crosses twice in the instep (double figure eight). The tension of the strap should allow you to pull your leg out from under the main fastening belt at any time. On the second ski, the toe of the foot goes deeper under the main strap, the back strap fits the shoe more loosely and crosses once.

The second effective fastening method is that the heel strap is not attached to the main strap, but to a metal hook attached to the front of the ski pad, or to the front of the ski itself. With this method of fastening, the foot gets tired and cold less, since the main belt practically does not carry the load and does not squeeze the foot in the shoe.

Sometimes the bindings are lined with special stocking bags made of thick material, which are put on the legs together with the skis and tied just below the knees. With this method of fastening, the snow does not get under your feet and does not creak, thereby ensuring quiet running, but there is no opportunity to quickly get off the skis.

The simplest and at the same time reliable fastening has been known since ancient times. There is no heel strap here at all; the whole secret is that a boss is sewn onto the toe of a felt boot using tarred grit (it can be made from the boot of another felt boot). It is enough to raise the heel of your foot higher, slide the toe of the felt boot with the boss under the main belt and that’s it. When moving through deep, loose snow, some hunters tie ropes with one end to the holes in the toes of the skis and the other under the knees, thus freeing the front halves of the skis from falling under the snow.

In this article presented to your attention, I tried to cover the rich experience of hunters in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. I apologize in advance if this came out a little awkward. With great respect to all brother hunters.

Leonid Mamonov,
game biologist

The most popular is skiing. To avoid problems while skiing and to make the movement comfortable, you need to take care of your equipment in advance. There are several options for special ski lubricants that need to be selected individually.

Why lubricate your skis?

This question arises among beginner skiers, since many consider this procedure unnecessary. During driving, a frictional force is created, which depends on the quality of the equipment and the condition of the snow. To reduce it, lubrication is carried out. There is another reason why wooden skis and equipment made from other materials should be lubricated, since the use of ointment prevents slipping back during the push. Thanks to the application of a special product, the middle part of the ski sticks well to the snow. With constant use of lubricants, the service life of equipment can be extended.

Which skis don't need lubrication?

There are different opinions regarding whether preparing equipment is mandatory. If we turn to the competent opinion of specialists, they, discussing whether it is necessary to lubricate skis, say that if you want to enjoy perfect gliding, then it is recommended to carry out a simple lubrication procedure before each walk. In addition, this will allow you to preserve the equipment for a long time.

How can you lubricate skis at home?

In stores and other points of sale you can find many different products designed for ski fans. If a person does not plan to engage in it seriously, then there will be no need to spend money on expensive formulations presented in the form of aerosols or branded paraffins. For those who are interested in how to lubricate their skis for better glide, a wide range of different ointments are offered.

Such products are presented in two types: for better glide and grip. Beginning athletes can use universal kits from well-known brands: Visti, Swix or Briko. All products are color coded according to the temperature at which they must be used. If the temperature is above zero, then liquid formulations are used. For negative values, the following classification applies:

0 to -2 – purple color;
-2 to -8 – blue;
-5 to -12 – light green;
-10 to -25 – dark green;
-15 to -30 – black.

When figuring out how to lubricate skis, you need to pay attention to common paraffins, which, according to their properties, are divided into options for sliding and securing. It is worth knowing how to lubricate your skis so that the snow does not stick in the absence of other means, you can use wax and paraffin from candles, but medical grade is better. There is a widespread belief among people that you can use soap, but in reality it will not do any good.

How to lubricate skis at home?

To care for your own equipment, you don’t need to turn to specialists, because, knowing some of the subtleties, you can carry out all the procedures yourself at home. For those interested in how to properly lubricate skis, you should know that it is important to consider not only the material from which the equipment is made, but also the style of intended riding.

How to lubricate plastic skis?

If such equipment was purchased, then it is necessary to apply lubricant to a clean and dry surface at room temperature. When understanding this, it is worth considering the basic rules:

When using a solid ointment, apply it in several layers, rubbing each of them. After this, leave everything to cool and apply the last layer outdoors.
It is recommended to carry out the test after walking a couple of kilometers, and if necessary, the product should be changed. Those who are interested in why plastic skis need to be lubricated should know that without this, the glide will not be as good.
For classic skating, it is customary to apply paraffin or gliding ointments, but only to the back or front, but the central area is lubricated with holding agents.
When using paraffin, it is applied in drops, leveling them with an iron. After this, it is cooled and removed with a scraper. Finally, treatment is carried out with a nylon brush.
There is another important topic - how to lubricate plastic skis with notches. Such equipment does not require lubrication, but over time the notches wear off and then paraffin should be applied.

How and with what to lubricate semi-plastic skis?

This type of equipment is made of wood, but a plastic plate is applied on top of the sliding surface, which protects against wear. In operation it is the same as for products made of plastic. For those who want to know how to lubricate skis so that there is no kickback, then you should use the recommendations described above for the plastic version.

How to properly lubricate wooden skis?

If you have equipment made of wood, it will be impossible to do without lubricating it, which is applied to a dry and clean surface. First you need to carry out priming, for which paraffin is used and it is better to take a candle-tablet. You need to rub harder, and then run a hot iron on top. Remove any excess that is not absorbed. This procedure should be carried out before each trip to the snow. Instructions on how to wax skis are as follows:

Lay the equipment downside down on a flat surface and clean them with a rag.
Hold the heated iron 2.5 cm above the skis and start processing from the edge. Apply a little wax to the iron itself until it melts and drips. Walk it over the entire surface.
At the bottom, perform back-and-forth movements with light pressure. The resulting layer of wax should harden, and then, using a scraper, remove it, moving from the highest point to the bottom.
An important step in the instructions on how to lubricate wooden skis is to treat the entire surface with a special brush, making only translational movements and applying slight pressure on the tool.
Skis should be taken out into the cold for several hours, and then left overnight at room temperature.

How to lubricate combination skis?

Some manufacturers have created special combination equipment that is suitable for both classic and free style. It is worth noting that you can find them on the market less and less often. To choose an easy way to lubricate your skis, you need to consider what running style will be used in a particular case. Processing schemes will be described below.

How to properly lubricate cross-country skis?

For amateur skiing, you can simply use special ointments that are selected depending on weather conditions. They should be 2-3 degrees higher than the outside temperature. Lubricate the pad area with ointment, applying 2-3 layers, rubbing each layer with light movements. Finally, it is recommended to leave the equipment for 10-15 minutes. cool down. After riding, using a scraper and rinsing, the remaining product must be removed. The diagram on how to lubricate cross-country skis with paraffin is more complex.

First they need to be mounted on a table or machine. At the first stage, the process of “hot” cleaning is carried out.
Using an iron heated to the minimum melting temperature of paraffin, smooth out the melted lubricant. It is important to avoid delays.
Without allowing the paraffin to harden, clean it using a scraper and a stiff brush. The final layer should be 0.5-1 mm.
After this, paraffin is applied taking into account weather conditions. The procedure is similar to the steps described above, and after removing the residue, the skis should cool for half an hour.
Using a scraper or nylon brush, remove remaining paraffin, bringing the surface to a shine.

How to lubricate skis for classic skiing?

Fans of this kind of skating should use slip and grip ointments. The first is usually applied to the sliding surface, and the second to the last (the area in the middle, which is determined from the heel of the shoe plus 15-20 cm). For those interested in how to lubricate skis, you should know the following information:

At the first stages of treatment, cleaning is carried out, and then a gliding ointment is applied.
After this, treat the block with a holder ointment, which must be selected based on the temperature and humidity of the snow.
If it’s warm, then use liquid products, and if it’s cold, then use solid ones. In the second case, a grinding plug is used.
It is important to consider that grip and glide ointments should not be mixed.
After applying the first layer, the product must be given time to set, and only then re-lubrication is carried out.
The preparation is completed by polishing with a nylon brush.
Another important point is how to lubricate skis with paraffin; it is applied only to the ends of the equipment.

How to lubricate skating skis?

Processing equipment for such riding is simpler, since only gliding ointments are used. Not for professionals, one layer of ointment, selected according to air temperature, will be enough. As in the previously described treatment schemes, the surface is cleaned. After this, you can proceed to the instructions, which concern how to properly lubricate skis at home:

First, heat the iron to the temperature indicated on the paraffin wax.
Place the block on the surface of the iron and move it so that the drops of paraffin are evenly distributed.
After this, run the iron from heel to toe to completely melt the wax. A uniform shine will indicate that everything was done correctly.
An important step in the instructions regarding how to lubricate skis with paraffin at home is to remove excess with a scraper after the layer has hardened. Move against the direction of the ride. Finish the procedure with polishing.

How to lubricate skis?

Before going out into the snow, it is necessary to hot-treat the equipment, which will help fill the pores. The procedure for lubricating skis is similar to the options described above. First, dirt and existing unevenness are removed. Be sure to lubricate everything with a degreasing compound. At the next stage, apply the blue ointment hot, and then, after it hardens, remove excess with a scraper. You can also use liquid ointments that are spread with a sponge.

It so happened that after reading this article, our readers began to ask me a variety of questions not only about lubricants, but also about skis and ski poles. I try to answer all these questions within my competence. In my search for an answer, sometimes I call the best experts in the country in their field and they help me give you the right answer. If, after reading this article and all the answers, you still have questions, please write to me. skisport@mail. ru, I will definitely answer them.

Ivan Isaev,

Editor-in-chief of the magazine "Skiing"

Master of Sports of the USSR in cross-country skiing

And now, in fact, the letter itself from our reader.

Please consult. I'm going on a ski trip in February. For two weeks. The question arose of how to prepare the skis. Wooden skis, Forest skis. Initially, when I bought them, I impregnated them with Marathon XXI (formerly Visti) paraffin. I warmed it up with a hairdryer and the paraffin was well absorbed. And I treated it to suit the weather with the same series. Didn't resin.

Most likely, this will not be possible during the hike. Old books advise tarring. I'm thinking, what should I do with them? Will the resin lie on top of the paraffin? Or soak them in “cold” paraffin along the entire length for sliding, and apply them under the cargo area depending on the weather? Or sand it and just tar it?

Sincerely, Glekov Evgeniy.

* * *

Evgeniy, you asked a fantastically interesting question that has puzzled me and many of my skiing friends whom I called in search of an answer. The fact is that I have tarred a lot of wooden skis in my life. And it’s impossible to count how many paraffinized plastic ones there are. But to paraffin wooden ones... This (just don’t be offended, please) is the same as harnessing a horse to a car.

In general, you have asked a problem... But the general verdict (after consultation with friends) is as follows:

1. The best solution for you would still be to “go broke” and buy plastic skis intended for hiking in virgin lands. They will not swell, as will inevitably happen with wooden skis, especially if there is a thaw. They have metal edges, which means they will not have rolled edges. Finally, they won’t break in the most inopportune place, as can easily happen with wooden skis. Buy, for example, these:

2. However, it is clear that you may not have the money to buy skis, but you still want to go hiking. Therefore, if we return directly to your question, it seems to us that it is possible to wax wooden skis. But something tells me that the resin will still stick to the ski better (in fact, forever - I know from my own experience), but the paraffin will “leave” from the ski over time. Although, it is possible that from the point of view of hydrophobic (water-repellent) properties, paraffin will still be more effective than resin for some period of time (we are talking, apparently, not about years, months and weeks, but about days). But, in general, I honestly admitted to you that my own experience in this area, both for me and for all my skiing friends, turned out to be zero, don’t blame me.

So, the options for solving the problem in order of preference:

A) buy new plastic skis;

B) paraffin the ends and coat the block with ointment;

C) sand the skis with fine sandpaper and then thoroughly impregnate them with resin. After this, the ski can be lubricated with ointment along its entire length: in the middle (under the block) with weather-appropriate ointment, at the ends with colder ointment.

All athletes know that sports equipment must be carefully and regularly maintained, including skis, even if they are used exclusively by amateurs for family or tourist hikes in the winter forest. Every novice skier should know how to tar their skis and learn how to do it correctly before hitting the snowy trails.

Ski resins, paraffin and ointments are used to improve the performance of sports equipment:

Improve grip on the snow surface. To check this indicator, you need to lower the lubricated ski into the snow, put a little pressure on the cargo part and lift it up. You can talk about good grip when snow remains stuck to its entire surface.
Improve your gliding using special tools that will ensure excellent skating on any type of snow. You can check this indicator by lowering the ski with adhered snow, which was checked for traction, again onto a snowy surface and moving it back and forth several times. There should be no snow left on the slippery surface.
Increase the holding properties of plastic and wooden products when they are so slippery that it is not possible to push off normally.

Resining will also protect wooden products from excessive moisture, prevent them from becoming saturated with melt water, and increase the density of the wood and its resistance to external factors.

What products need to be resinized?

Fewer and fewer athletes are faced with lubricating sports equipment with resin. This is due to the fact that only wooden products need to be treated with this product, and they are increasingly used for skiing.

Wooden sports equipment should be resined at the beginning of each season, as well as before its first use. Properly processed and prepared for use, new devices will last much longer than untreated ones, and during storage in the hot season, the material from which they are made will not dry out or crack.

How to tar at home?

In order for skiing to bring joy, you need to consider in advance the question of how to properly resin wooden skis. In order not to waste time looking for workshops that can work with such sports equipment, it is better to immediately use the home processing method.

It is necessary to consistently follow all the steps described in the instructions. Otherwise, the inventory will be poorly processed, and unpleasant memories will remain from the walk.

Choosing a location for the procedure

Ski waxes and resins contain harmful chemicals that will evaporate when heated. It is better to carry out the treatment outdoors or at least on the balcony. If this is not possible, you need to stock up on protective gloves and a respirator.

To position the skis with the bottom surface up, you need to install two or three chairs and place the products on them so that they are positioned level without tilting.

Selecting a Heat Tool

To ensure that the ski resin saturates them evenly, the surface of each wooden ski is heated before applying it. To do this, you can use the following tools:

gas burner;
industrial dryer;
blowtorch.

You can use any of the listed heating tools that are available.

Necessary equipment

To tar wooden skis, you need to prepare:

special resin (you can use birch tar purchased at a pharmacy as a lubricant);
a scraper or sandpaper, a brush with brass padding;
rags, cloths made of synthetic materials;
lubricant remover;
brush;
heating tool;
gloves;
spacer;
silver or ointment for holding, primer.

Process description

Instructions for resinizing wooden products consist of the following steps:

In order for the new layer of impregnation to adhere well to the surface, you need to wash off the old lubricant with turpentine or a special remover. You can remove the remnants of the old coating with a scraper, and then walk over the surface with sandpaper.
Preheat the container with resin in a glass of warm water. This way the substance will become liquid and be better distributed over the surface being treated.
Having placed the ski on chairs in a horizontal position, heat one third of the surface with a gas burner (or other tool), avoiding charring the wood. Apply a layer of resin to the heated part of the ski and spread it with a brush in a thin layer.
Heat the tarred ski until the resin begins to bubble, which should be smeared again with a brush. Then process the remaining two-thirds of the ski in the same way.
In order for the new lubricant to dry better, it is recommended to leave it for a day. Then reheat the surface and apply a second layer of resin, treating light areas especially well.

Resin stains should be promptly removed with an old rag before it has time to absorb or stain the floor.

After the procedure

If tarring is carried out before the new season, then after the treated surface has dried, a special primer and ointment must be applied to it for holding. If the weather is warm, then to prevent snow from sticking you can cover the sliding surface with silver.

What to pay attention to

If after treatment the skis will be left in storage until the next season, they should be placed with their tarred surfaces facing each other in a dark, cool place. You can't link them. For storage, special clamps are used, which simultaneously serve as spacers.

Attention! The equipment should not be treated with wax before use, as it will make the surface slippery, making it difficult to move uphill.

Preparing sports equipment for the skiing season is mandatory, even for beginner athletes. It is almost impossible to ride untreated products. Correctly carried out preparatory measures will protect equipment from damage and rapid wear.