- sliding surface structure.
- very smooth, shiny, as if polished
- melted by high temperature and high pressure processing
- oxidized, dry as a result of storage without a layer of ointment
Experience shows that a surface does not glide well if it:
- Fine structure for dry friction conditions from -15°C and below;
- Medium structure for intermediate friction from -15°C to 0°C;
- Coarse structure for wet friction at 0°C and warmer. These groups of structures are also related to the types and sizes of snow crystals, snow deformability and free water content of snow.
Excellent ski surface textures can be applied with hand tools. The most common tool for applying structure to cross-country skis is knurling. This tool can form structures from thin to very large (0.25 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.75 mm. 1.0 mm. 2.0 mm and 3.0 mm). The tool is held from the toe to the tail of the ski (or vice versa, depending on the design of the knurling) with a dense, constant pressure. The ski must be supported along its entire length, if possible using a profile machine. Combinations of structure types can be obtained by rolling one structure onto another. After rolling the structure onto the surface with a sharp steel scraper or razor blade, lightly level the tops of the beds rolled onto the surface. Also go several times along the ski with fibertex to round off the sharp edges of the grooves.
Structure applied with a grinder.
The grinder can create a variety of sliding surface patterns. Grinding is carried out, as is known, by passing the surface of the ski over a rapidly rotating abrasive stone. The shape of the working surface of the stone is supported by the removal of irregularities by a diamond filling head moving across the working surface. This dressing not only keeps the ski surface flat, but also creates a pattern on the stone, which in turn creates structure on the surface of the ski. The speed of the filling head, the speed of rotation of the abrasive stone, the force with which the ski is pressed against the grinding stone, and the speed with which the ski is passed over the stone are the factors that create the desired pattern on the surface of the ski. The higher cross speed of the diamond head when threading will create larger structures. For a finer structure, this speed must be reduced.
After machine grinding, the fibers that need to be removed remain little or not at all. To be sure, look at the surface through a magnifying glass. If, after mechanical grinding, the surface is passed with a razor scraper and then fibertex, this will help to remove the uppermost layer of the sliding surface, which may have melted during grinding.
Removing the pile
For optimal sliding, it is necessary to completely free the polyethylene sliding surface from microfibers or fibers of abraded plastic. When updating the sliding surface in any manual way or on a machine with an abrasive belt, additional removal of the pile is necessary to complete the processing. Fibertex is specially designed for lint removal. Fibertex made of thin nylon fibers and abrasive particles of silicon carbide gives the best results. To remove the pile, the fibertex sponge can be moved in both directions. Also, in order to raise more fibers for subsequent removal with fibertex, pass the surface with a bronze brush several times. You can even brush and fibertex several times from the tail to the tip of the ski in order to lift more microfibers. Finish off with a few passes of Fibertex, which contains a softer abrasive.
Another very effective tool for removing polyethylene microfibers is a razor scraper. Light scraping movements combined with fibertex will remove the pile without disturbing the pattern of the structure.
Surface burn (oxidized sliding surface)
A common nuisance when skiing on hard snow is the so-called "surface burn". It is best seen on black surfaces. The "burned" surface looks "dry", but what you actually see is ragged polyethylene fibers worn by hard cold snow. In the first half of winter, when the air and ground are cold and there is little snow, the chances of surface damage from abrasion are highest.
"Fired" and oxidized surfaces are treated in the same way. It is reasonable to remove the worn layer with a razor scraper or a steel scraper. Don't forget to re-roll the grooves. However, if the burn or oxidation is "mild" (not severe), fibertex alone may be sufficient. Saturate the surface in a hot way with a soft ointment. To reduce surface wear under these conditions, it is preferable to use ointments with synthetic paraffins as a top coat. They can be used alone or mixed with an ointment one step warmer.
Take care of your skis before you go skiing!
Progress does not stand still, and today every self-respecting skier should know such words as "paraffin", "accelerator" and "structure".The need for ski lubrication is determined in an obvious way. If they do not glide well, snow sticks to the sliding surface, and when moving it seems that someone is stepping on your skis from behind, then it's time to think about lubrication.
Let's start with the fact that according to the "rules" of skiing, it is necessary to prepare for each exit to the ski track, although this is not necessary. But if yesterday your skis glided well, and today the temperature and humidity of the air (and, accordingly, snow) have changed - this is a sure sign that it is worth remembering what the skis were smeared with yesterday and making adjustments. If the weather is more or less even, the snow is good, and you are a lazy person, then after treating the skis with good paraffin, you can safely ride 15-20 km, usually the paraffin stays on the sliding surface of the skis for so long.
Sometimes the sliding surface of the ski looks as if "dried", covered with some kind of white "coat". In fact, these are microvilli sticking out of the sliding surface of the skis, torn apart by snow crystals. Such a "plaque" is an excellent reason to paraffin the skis, but try not to allow it to appear, as during oxidation the sliding surface loses precious fluorine, graphite and other impurities contained in it. In addition to abrasion, the sliding surface with paraffin applied to it is subject to another unpleasant phenomenon - it perfectly absorbs various dirt, which is clearly visible when the sliding surface is initially white and then starts to turn gray (at present, skis with a white sliding surface are practically not released, as it was already noticed earlier, the composition of the sliding surface includes such components as fluorine and graphite, which give it a dark color). The fact is that the polyethylene from which the sliding surface is made is a porous material. These pores absorb wax, especially when applied hot, and help it stay in place longer. But the dirt gets into these pores. Therefore, before applying fresh paraffin, the sliding surface should be cleaned by removing the old contaminated paraffin. In addition, the so-called structure - microscopic longitudinal grooves - can be applied to the prepared sliding surface. When preparing cross-country skis, the structure can be applied with special knurling at home, moreover, the step and depth of its grooves is determined by the state of the snow, namely, by the size of its crystals.
And now in more detail.
2. Preparation of classic skis.
How to clean classic skis from ointment? For example, from a liquid ointment?- 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, this procedure is repeated.
- Remaining dirt is removed with a wash.
The ointment is more even when applied cold and when applied in several thin layers. It is better (and more correct) to rub the ointment on a profile machine.
Rubbing the ointment is done with quick movements. The cork rubs due to the heat generated by friction, however, if the heat is too much, the ointment will begin to stretch, as a result, lumps and gaps will appear.
Remember that when using liquid waxes, the block 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 ointment, the block becomes shorter by 15 cm. Many skiers, when switching to liquid ointments, not only make the block shorter, but often even switch to stiffer skis. 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 holding he needs, and therefore 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.
Block for holding liquid ointment (klister)
3. Preparation of skating skis.
Since paraffins are hot applied waxes, you will need an iron to use them, spend some money on a good lubricating iron - it will work better and keep your skis from overheating.
HOW SHOULD YOU USE THE IRON
After the iron has reached the correct temperature (which is usually the temperature at which the wax begins to melt on the surface of the iron), the iron is moved from the tip of the ski to the end in one continuous pass. Transfer the iron and start the same procedure again with the toe of the ski. Repeat the process 4 to 7 times per ski. This process guarantees right time, spent on warming up the ski and a small chance of overheating the base.
The room temperature must be at least 16°C. Most skiers do not understand the importance of this problem. At ambient temperatures below 16°C, the temperature inside the ski also drops, leaving too little space between the polyethylene molecules for proper wax absorption. A cold room often results in the base being heated to excessive temperatures or poor wax penetration.
The application of paraffin is the most important moment in the proper preparation of skis. Simple facts:
COMMON ERRORS:
Most skiers use the wrong iron. The household iron, which is commonly used by most skiers, is not designed to melt fluoride or wax waxes. The melting point of Swix Cera F is 100°C (212 F) and the melting point of Swix CH 4 is 95°C (203 F). Paraffins made today rub off less, are harder than traditional paraffins, and therefore require a hotter iron temperature. When skiers use a home iron, they usually set the temperature somewhere in the region... "cotton", "silk" or "synthetic". It's horrible!
Do not use a household iron!
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.
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 down your 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.
Ski primer for the appropriate weather.
When priming a sliding surface under basic paraffin, remember:
The primer is made in the usual way, using an iron with a normal melting point for this paraffin (as a rule, this is a temperature of 120 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. Many skiing enthusiasts 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 and has the right to life. In any case, you will be able to achieve significant savings in paraffin.
Cool the ski for 20-30 minutes. (up to room temperature), then remove excess paraffin with a plastic scraper and carefully treat the surface with a nylon brush.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Application of base wax (corresponding to the weather)
Under the appropriate weather, we select the most suitable paraffin. After choosing a suitable paraffin, apply it to the sliding surface, melting the paraffin bar on the iron and thus filling the ski with a thick layer of melted hot paraffin. 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 must 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.
Application of the last layer: conventional (free-flowing) powder or pressed (accelerator)
The powder is sprinkled in a thin layer on a sliding surface, and then melted with an iron (proper melting of the powder is evidenced by 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.
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.
ADVICE: when cleaning the sliding surface from the remnants of the powder, do not press hard on the ski - make soft movements with slight pressure on the brush.
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 held on the ski worse than the powder fixed on the skis with a hot iron, and this way preparation of skis is recommended only when participating in competitions for short (5-10-15 km) distances.
MAKE A CYCLE
A good scraper is expensive, requires special sharpening, and gives only one or two types of surface, depending on the nature of the cutting edge from different sides. For an amateur, you can get by with a simpler and cheaper option, which makes it possible to create a variety of structures on the ski.
I would like to say thanks to the journal forum " skiing"(www.site), especially Artyom Onishchenko, Leonid Kuzmin, Vasily Smolyanov, Anatoly Nazarov, Anatoly Nesterov and a forum member under the nickname Ruslan Nov. Their ideas gave food for thought and were embodied in the presented version of the cycle.
OPERATING PROCEDURE
We take a door hinge, in which the halves converge well, almost without a gap (as in the side view photo), and drill an additional hole in the center with a diameter of 6 mm for the eccentric bolt. If the cycle does not have a natural flaw, then we will make it: we bend the halves of the loop with our hands so that when folded in the middle there is a slightly larger gap than at the edges, as in Figure 3. This will allow you to securely clamp the knife blade.
We insert the eccentric, put on a bearing or bushing or something similar from the back side (solely due to the fact that the thread of the eccentric bolt will not allow the loop to be clamped to the end, something will need to be placed). If you do not plan to put the eccentric back on the bike, then the excess part of the bolt can be cut off with a grinder, it will be more convenient. The photo shows cut bolts. In order to be able to work with blades 9 mm wide, which will protrude only 3 mm from the hinge, it is advisable to grind off the edge of the front leaf at an angle of 45 degrees at the hinge.
We twist the eccentric nut almost to the end, take a replaceable blade, wipe it from oil. We insert the hinges into the gap so that about 5 mm of the blade remains sticking out. We tighten the eccentric nut and clamp the loop with the eccentric, gigantic efforts are not needed. The knife is securely clamped in the loop. We check that the knife is clamped so that the cutting edge is perfectly straight, that the loop does not bend the blade. If necessary, bend the halves of the loop so that the edge of the clamped knife is straight.
WE BRING THE BLADE TO WORKING CONDITION
We take a thick drill (10 mm), put it on a flat surface. We put the tip of the clamped knife on the drill and, pressing lightly (a force of about 50 grams), we move it forward. The drill will roll on the surface, and the knife blade will ride on it. In this case, the edge of the blade at the point of contact with the drill will be bent. The angle between the blade and the drill is about 60 degrees. It is important not to roll in the place where the drill is marked - the blade will crumble. It will also crumble if the force is higher than required. If the edge is chipped, then a slight crackle, crunch will be heard. It shouldn't be. It is possible to roll on a cylinder with a larger diameter, in this case there is less chance that the blade will crumble, but the cylinder must be hard and very even. Hint - roll in silence. It is also possible to roll by tilting down the side with the eccentric, and not with the nut, as in the figure. It is almost always more convenient this way, since the bolt does not stick out (if it is not cut down). Then, when scraping, the blade is rearranged in the opposite direction, it is more convenient to lead to yourself with the side with the eccentric.
In principle, such cycles can already work. It gives a beautiful, clean and easy cut. But you need to be able to cope with it, to lead with a firm hand, because, like an ordinary cycle, it can easily break loose and catch up with a wave.
The reason for this phenomenon is as follows: there is a very strong dependence of the cutting resistance (scroll advance) on the force of the cycles pressing on the sliding surface. This is directly related to the area of contact areas and the depth of cutting into the plastic. If the cutting edge of the cycler is even, then with the lightest pressure, only the upper irregularities of the plastic are cut off. If you press a little harder, then almost the entire edge cuts into the plastic at once along the entire width of the ski, and the resistance changes dramatically. With repeated passes of an even cycle, when the primary irregularities have already been cut off, the dependence of the resistance to cutting on pressing increases even more and has an abrupt character. This is exactly what requires a firm hand and experience, otherwise an abrupt change in resistance leads to an abrupt movement of the cycle and cutting the notorious “wave”.
By making the edge of the cycle wavy or with burrs, we greatly reduce the dependence of longitudinal resistance on vertical pressure. The cycle cuts into the plastic not with the entire edge at once, but in parts, depending on the force applied vertically. Accordingly, the dependence of the resistance to movement on the pressing force is greatly smoothed out, and the probability of jerky movement is drastically reduced. Even a beginner can work with such cycles. Therefore, in order for the cycle to be “obedient”, one more operation needs to be done - to form irregularities on the cutting edge. To do this, it is most convenient to use a tool for sharpening knives - musat.
We put the musat on the edge of the table so that the handle hangs down. It is best to put a plank, a piece of linoleum, etc. on the table. The surface must be flat and the musat must not slip on it. (I generally dismantled the musats to make it more convenient to work, unscrewed one, the rod was threaded, the second was knocked out quietly with a hammer, hitting the guard, the rod was simply inserted into the handle). We roll the blade on the musat with the same side as on the drill. We apply a force of 100-200 grams (for very plastic blades, the force can reach 300-500 grams). The angle is approximately 45-50 degrees, the edge of the knife is parallel to the table. Again, crackling and crunching will indicate that the force is excessively large, and the edge does not bend, but breaks. You can roll with oil, applying it in a thin layer on the edge of the blade. Then the oil will need to be carefully wiped off the knife and musat. And, of course, roll on a plank or piece of linoleum so as not to dirty the table. In practice, I then refused the oil. I did not feel the difference, but more trouble. This option is for aesthetes.
If we now look at the blade under a microscope, we will see this picture:
Figure 10 (with side illumination) clearly shows the results of bending the edge with a drill and additionally bent denticles. These teeth will not allow the cycle to break when working in the hands of a beginner, and at the same time form a structure on the ski, which can diversify the arsenal of an experienced cycler.
There is one trick here: if you lead the resulting cycle at an angle of about 80 degrees, then the recesses of the structure will be formed by those sections that are not curved, that is, not teeth. If you lead approximately at an angle of 60-70 degrees, then the structure will be less pronounced. But if we lead the cycle at an angle of 45 degrees to the surface, then we will get a structure where the recesses will be formed precisely by the teeth. Therefore, depending on the angle of reference, we can change the characteristics of the surface. Figure 11 shows how the profile of the same knife will look like at different guiding angles. Accordingly, the counterpart will be a sliding surface (what is now white). The figure shows the remains of plastic, this knife has been in operation.
At large musat turned out to be a complex structure of notches. Each edge of it is made with two protrusions, so the teeth turned out to be of a complex shape and the edge of the knife was bent as follows:
 |
To visually understand the real dimensions of the teeth, the photo shows a ruler with millimeter divisions and the edges of knives with large and small teeth.
Of course the knives not made of super resistant steel, so the knife is enough for 1-3 pairs of skis, depending on the initial state of the sliding surface. But keep in mind, a pack of 10 good replacement blades costs about 30-50 rubles. Thanks to the fast-clamping design of the scraper, preparing a dozen blades is a matter of a few minutes. A little secret: since the blades will not always form perfectly, those that are rejected are used as roughing ones. Slightly dull finishing blades can also be converted to roughing blades and work with them a little more. All the blades that I make are discarded under a microscope after edge formation. Although a strong magnifying glass with a tenfold increase will also work for this. Having prepared the blade, use a thin marker to write on it the step of the teeth and the result of visual control (roughing, finishing, or a score on a five-point scale), and you can also mark the blade if there is no embossed marking on it. Removing the steinslip and leveling the ski is done with roughing knives. Then the surface is finished with a fine sharp blade, rolled only on a drill. And then only the structure is applied, already selected finishing blades with cloves.
If you do not feel sorry for the musat, then it is advisable to modify it a little so that the cloves are smoother and more regular. If on an ordinary musat the denticles are sharp and narrow, with a ratio of the width of the denticle-depression of 1:2, 1:3, then by slightly blunting the ribs of the musat, you can get wider cloves with a less sharp top. This reduces the likelihood of edge breaks when the blade flexes, and also allows the structure to be made with a smaller area of contact with snow. It is possible to make cloves and cavities the same, 1:1, and even wider cloves. In addition, you can divide the musat into segments with varying degrees of blunting of the ribs by making equipment for bending cloves of various widths and shapes. And then you can cut it into these segments, so that it is more convenient to work and store. To evenly dull the edges of the musat, you can squeeze it into a drill, wrapping it with something so as not to damage the clamped part, and then, for very strong steel, blunt it on the grindstone, gently bringing the rotating musat to the rotating circle of the grindstone. For weak steel, you can simply touch the whetstone or sandpaper to the rotating musat. Then it can be polished with polishing paste. You just need to take it off just a little bit. For musat with a fine step, it is enough to simply polish the ribs.
If for the formation of small teeth with a pitch of up to 0.5 mm, nutrunners are suitable, then for the formation of large teeth with a large pitch, you can use the wrench heads, which have a knurled area suitable for bending. For wrench heads, too, the knurled area needs to be slightly smoothed or ground down to form better teeth. The depth of the grooves can be from 5 microns for small cloves to 20-50 microns for large cloves. The more the teeth are bent, the more likely it is that the edge will be broken or chipped. Do not overdo it. However, 20 microns for such a structure is equivalent to about 40 microns for a stencil. A depth of 10 microns will already give a well-defined pattern. At the moment I have musats that form teeth in increments of 0.16, 0.28, 0.33, 0.4, 0.5 mm. As well as wrench heads with a knurled area that allows you to form teeth with a pitch of 0.8 and 1 mm. In principle, any round steel object with regular longitudinal protrusions will fit for these purposes.
SELECTION OF BLADES
During the development of the technology, various replaceable blades from various manufacturers were tested. A blade suitable for use in such a cycle must have a good double sharpening and at the same time be ductile so that we can form the cutting edge we need by bending. Cheap "noname" blades tend to bend easily, but are coarsely ground and leave a rough surface after them, and sometimes they simply won't take a burnt sliding surface. Super expensive blades - Japanese, German, etc. - they have excellent sharpening, they give a clean cut, but they are too fragile, so at best you can make a frost scraper with a minimalist structure. The probability of edge chipping of such blades is high; In addition to chipping, a break in the edge can be observed in the region of the formed tooth. (In practice, this is often not important, since after the first pass the edge will be slightly bent at the break, and the edges of the break will almost converge. Such a knife will not fit only for the formation of intersecting structures, which will be discussed below.).
Summary: most of the cheap nameless blades turned out to be unsuitable for scraping. Either they do not cut, or they give a high roughness. out of ten various brands The most suitable were the Russian Praktik blades (30-40 rubles for 10 pieces) and slightly more fragile blades from the English company STANLEY (40-50 rubles for 10 pieces). They have a good sharpening and at the same time are quite plastic. The knives of the German brand LUX for a 9 mm knife turned out to be even better (79 rubles for 15 pieces). They are both perfectly sharpened and plastic - lately I have been using them mainly. It's just harder to mount them.
 |
Knives of the German brand LUX for a knife 18 mm coated with titanium nitride at a price of about 155 rubles for 15 pieces and Japanese knives OLFA (18 mm) at a price of 90 rubles for 10 pieces are too fragile. But they can be used for small textures or for fine sanding before applying the structure, they give a very clean cut. For special jobs that require fairly deep grooves, you can splurge on OLFA 9mm stainless steel blades. They are more plastic and allow you to bend more pronounced teeth, but they also have a smaller cutting resource. Unfortunately, blade quality can fluctuate from batch to batch, so don't buy too many at once. But if a successful batch came across, it’s better to buy more in the same place, in reserve. Sharpening dull knives is pointless. No sharpening will give such an edge quality as factory-sharpened good blades.
SOME TECHNOLOGICAL FEATURES
Before sanding, protect the guide pins with adhesive tape. An uneven edge can hurt your hands. First, as usual, the ski is leveled, and the old steinslip or degraded plastic is removed. (If you have a regular cycle, then this work can be done with it). You can cycle the ski with water - lightly walk with a damp sponge on the ski before the next pass so that droplets remain on the ski. (Knives and scrapers should be wiped dry after use). The first passes are made with rough knives. Like a regular cycle from different angles. Only because of the very sharp edge of the knife, the first touch is done very gently. As soon as the surface has become even, and the plastic has become soft, a knife is taken, knurled only on a drill, fine. Since the surface is already grooved, the finishing knife also does not break off and does not make a “wave”. But the very last passes, when the surface is already smooth, must be done very carefully. We pass easily, with a little pressure at different angles, like a cat's paw. At the end, a smooth, almost mirror-like surface should remain. Then, at an acute angle, we look along the ski at the oncoming light, assessing whether there are “waves” and obvious bumps anywhere. These places are cycled if necessary.
Now you can apply the structure. For training skis, this can be done immediately, without long pre-treatment. Check the finishing knife on the training ski in advance - suddenly you missed the scuffing on the knife during visual control, and it will form a pile in some place.
You can make a regular linear structure. In this case, the angle of reference of the cycle to the longitudinal direction of the ski must be constant so that the pitch of the grooves does not change. If you start cycling at an angle of 30 degrees, do all other passes at the same angle. Or make one continuous pass along a previously leveled sliding surface. If this is inconvenient, then you can make a pass from the toe to the center of gravity of the ski, and the second pass from the center of gravity to the end. The center of gravity rarely touches the snow, so the violation of the integrity of the pattern in this place will not affect the sliding.
You can make a more chaotic structure. The first method is simple: a knife is taken with the desired pitch and depth of teeth, the knife is held at an angle of 45-50 degrees to the surface of the ski, almost touching the sliding surface with an eccentric. In this case, the teeth work optimally and give the deepest grooves.
The cycle goes in overlapping linear movements of 30-40 cm, each time starting 10 cm further from the toe of the ski. Movements are made like a cat with a paw - entry and exit with very weak pressure, the main part with normal pressure (in my case, I lead to myself.- Approx. author). In this case, the transverse angle of the cycle changes every time. We start +30 degrees, then strictly across, then -30 degrees, again across and so on.
As a result, the transverse pitch between the stripes changes slightly all the time, which creates slightly chaotic grooves with a linear, in general, structure. Finishing - with a hard bronze brush until a uniform sheen appears.
More complex movements are needed to make intersecting structures (or intermittent).
The cycle starts at an angle of 30-40 degrees, and ends across the ski. At the same time, during the movement, one of the sides is taken as a reference one - the limiting finger is constantly pressed against the ski, and the second side of the cycle, as it were, rotates around the axis - the opposite support finger. The second pass is done with reversed angles, but with the same movement pattern - with the support pin already on the other side. A smooth change in angle during the cycling causes the grooves to slightly diverge like a fan, and since the fan comes from different sides, it turns out that the grooves intersect, and elongated rhombic humps of the structure are obtained. The turn of the cycle at the beginning of the lead is slower than at the end of the movement, when the cycle is already moving almost across the ski.
Since there is always a somewhat chaotic movement of the hands, several passes are superimposed, the grooves eventually form an interference pattern, or moiré. Figures 20 and 21 show the sliding surface of a ski made in this way. With a little practice, you will learn to control the average hump length of the structure. How longer distance movement, on which the cycle turned, the longer the rhombuses will turn out. Depending on the pitch of the teeth and the nature of the lead, a different pattern is obtained, formed by the intersections of the grooves. As a result, a “tree” or “leopard skin” pattern may form on the ski. Photo 21 was taken in the backlight and then the contrast is increased on it so that the pattern is more visible.
Do not be alarmed, this drawing has nothing to do with the notorious "wave". Always judge the quality of a surface by lightly running your hand over it. The surface should be smooth, without bumps and depressions. Such a pattern is easily obtained for knives with a tooth pitch of up to 0.4 mm. If the step is larger, then during the formation of the pattern, knife breaks are possible. And be sure to make such a pattern on a ski moistened with water, this will give a cleaner and easier cut.
While making a linear, lint-free, longitudinal structure is no problem, work becomes more difficult in the case of intersecting structures. Here you need a sharp fresh knife and hardness of hands, speed and smoothness of the stroke of the cycle, a well-developed turn of the cycle. If at least some of the passes are made with a "fan", then even an ordinary linear pass forms an interference pattern with them. There was an attempt to make intersecting structures using scraper guides, and even special tooling was made, but in the end the method described above turned out to be simpler and more technologically advanced.
According to a review of foreign literature on structures and steinslip, linear structures are preferable for classic skis. For ridges, along with linear ones, intermittent or intersecting structures are used.
In addition, structures can be made by combining the pattern of small and large knives. For example, you can make the first linear pass with a very large knife, and then put a light intersecting structure on top with a small knife.
You can use a two-level linear structure such as in Figure 22:
Such a knife is made in the following sequence: rolled on a drill at an angle of 60 degrees, rolled on a nut driver with a pitch of 0.28 mm (or 0.16 mm) at an angle of 45-50 degrees, then rolled on a wrench head with knurled transverse ribs with a pitch of 1.0 mm at an angle of 30 degrees. It turns out a fine-toothed structure at two levels - higher and lower. On a ski, it looks like it is shown in Figure 23 (here is a rolled-back ski with a booster):
Theoretically, this should be an adaptable structure for the skate - the whole structure works on soft snow, there are also small grooves in the recesses, which prevents the structure from clogging with snow. And on a hard track we go only on the upper ridges. In practice, on fresh wet snow, it “sticks” a little - it comes out too smooth and shiny with a single pass. Although the difference from intersecting structures is insignificant. Such a structure gave the best course on dry snow with a slight minus. However, without the rollback of any structures for a particular region and weather, it is difficult to talk about their purpose. On classic skis in high humidity, a simpler structure was sometimes ridden, without additional small stripes.
Another way to modify the structure on a ski is as follows: if you have a simple linear knurling drum, like TOKO, you can quickly make a simple holder that allows you to apply a diagonal pattern over the existing structure in several passes. A wooden block and two furniture corners are taken, preferably steel, so that there is a low coefficient of friction between the bronze roller and the steel eye. In any case, it is better to lubricate the contact point. If you are worried about getting oil on your ski, use REX fluorinated oil to lubricate your skis. We cut off part of the corner with a grinder, cut recesses for attaching a thread or elastic band, additionally saw through the ear with a thin round file, adjusting the diameter of the notch to the size of the drum axis so that it does not hang out, and attach the corners to the bar (the design can be arbitrary). On the reverse side of the bar, draw the center line and the lines of the ends of the roller to see its approximate position on the ski. If desired, the design can be made with a hole through which the roller and ski will be visible.
We fix the roller, turn the holder over. An elastic band (or thread) prevents the roller from falling out. And the lack of guides allows you to drive the roller not strictly along the ski. A sufficiently large bar allows you to reliably guide the roller in the required direction and apply the necessary pressure force.
We put the roller on the ski with the edge of the roller to the edge of the ski and lead with a small angle to the longitudinal axis of the ski with passages of 30-50 cm (diagonally). Now with a negative, then with a positive angle, forming rhombuses.
The sliding practically does not depend on the accuracy of knurling and the beauty of the resulting pattern, you should not worry about it too much. Throughout the winter, different structures were rolled out on different skis. In addition, the beginning of joint experimental work on the haulage of structures using a hauler and specially selected identical pairs of skis. But that's another story with a sequel. I hope that the results of this work will eventually be published in the journal "Skiing". But the first conclusions are as follows: sliding almost does not depend on the beauty and perfection of the pattern. It depends on the evenness of the ski and the parameters of the irregularities of the structure, and even more - on the diagram of the ski. And the evaluation of the scraper's work depends on the aesthetic beauty of the drawing. The client is pleased to take in hand the perfection that the hands of the master make. And the latter will be ashamed to do it ugly.
If you need to apply the structure in the groove, then you can use a set of cutters with different diameters and head shapes. It is necessary to apply the structure to the groove before the main scraping. Run a wet sponge along the groove and apply linear grooves in several passes using a cutter of the desired size, periodically turning it. After each complete pass, clean the cone of adhering plastic (until completely clean is not necessary).
For people cycling skis in droves, for example, for youth sports, it is better to do 3-4 clamping cycles in order to immediately clamp the rough, smooth finish and a couple of finish structural knives. This will reduce the time spent on rearranging the knives. For mass scraping, as a rough scraper, you can take a traditional scraper made of medium hard steel, which is easy to sharpen at home.
By using different knives and working procedures, you can experiment with structures as much as you like. For example, look at an imitation of one well-known North America steinslift structures. It is made as follows: first, with a knife with a tooth pitch of 0.16 or 0.28 mm, a discontinuous, or chaotic-linear, structure is made, and then a single linear pass is made from above with a knife with rare teeth with a step of 1.3 mm and a depth of 40-50 microns.
Don't get too carried away with complexity. As a rule, a simple structure is smoother. In addition, complex structures are not needed for dry frosty snow. For him, a primitive minimalist structure is better, or even a completely smooth ski. Complex structures can be useful for difficult weather conditions with high humidity or coarse snow. Just keep in mind that the more complex the combined structure is, the more difficult it is to make it even and lint-free. Acceptable results are obtained by superimposing two different structures on top of each other, one of which is simple. Otherwise, there may be problems. If you want to apply a third “layer”, then it is better to do it using knurling.
Do not think that some ingenious structure will suddenly give an extraordinary increase in sliding. Own scraping and hauling practice shows that a good scraping usually gives a gain of 2-5% of the shop grout both in length of rollout and in speed if a hauler is used. Moreover, the main merit in this is not an intricate structure, but the fact that the sliding surface gets rid of humps and depressions and set fire to areas. By itself, the pattern of the structure means relatively little. More important is the reduction in the total area of contact with snow that it provides, and this depends on the depth and pitch of the grooves. Sometimes the shop steinslip was not bad (after scraping the ski rode almost the same), but in most cases its quality was not very good. Often this is a burnt crust, despite the cute pattern and brand on the toe, not to mention the bumps. Having leveled the ski and removed the burnt layer, we already get a gain in sliding. The right structure will add a little more fun. And with the professional use of structures, their rollback in various weather conditions comes to the fore. However, glide is very dependent on the plot of the ski. We take different pairs, we cycle them in exactly the same way - the comparative results of pairs during hauls vary greatly for different snow densities.
The described method of scraping is no better and no worse than traditional scraping. On the one hand, you will forever get rid of problems with high-quality sharpening of the cycle. On the other hand, you have the problem of choosing good blades, edge forming equipment and control of the blades made. But, in general, this solution is much cheaper. And knives with teeth are not so critical to the skill of the scraper. In my case, the first cycle required almost no costs. There was an extra door hinge in the household, a saddle eccentric was temporarily borrowed from a bicycle removed for the winter, wrench heads and spare blades for a wallpaper knife were found in the tool box. I just had to buy a suitable musat.
FOR ADVANCED
Current trends in creating structures on skis involve the creation of different structures in different parts of the ski. As a rule, the first third of the ski or the first 20-30 cm have a finer structure in the dry friction zone (except for water skis), and the last third of the ski has a larger structure. This is due to the uneven thickness of the water film under the sliding surface of the ski when moving. The easiest way to do this: after leveling the ski, a large linear structure is cut on the tail of the ski in one pass, then a medium structure is applied on top from the beginning to the end of the ski, while deeper grooves remain on the tail of the ski under the smaller structure. Well, if necessary, you can slightly cycle the toe of the ski with a knife with even finer teeth, slightly going to the middle structure.
For that , to determine from which place on the tail of the ski you need to make a coarser drainage structure, you need to remove the ski diagram. In the absence of a measuring machine, it can be done as follows: we take a flat board (or rather a metal channel), put it on a relatively flat floor, put 42 mm wide strips cut from a tourist rug or a household rug (it is thicker) on the board. Different thickness of the mat under the ski imitates different stiffness of the track. For Izhevsk polyurethane tourist rug 8 mm thick, put two layers at once. For a household rug with a thickness of 12 mm, one layer can be dispensed with. We put the ski on top, on the side - the camera on the floor at a distance of about two meters, set the camera to the self-timer mode. We run to the ski and crush it with full weight, and take the second shot with half weight. Then we cut the pictures and stretch them vertically on the computer 20 times. It will be immediately clear where the ski has slip hills, how their position changes from loading, how the heel or toe can rise into the air, we will see the angle of attack on the snow in the front of the ski and in the area of the rear slip hill. Putting two or three layers of mat under the ski, we get an imitation of a soft track. The photos show the ski on a "soft track" with a half load and a full load. The central red line is the center of gravity, the side lines are + 50 cm and - 50 cm from the center of gravity (attachment axis). From these photographs, you can determine from which area at the end of the ski you can enlarge the structure to drain water - just behind the lowest point of the back slide at half load. Here, about 15 cm from the back of the mount.
 |
 |
If there are two people available, then the pieces of the rug are placed on a solid, even, long bench, the ski is placed on top. One person crushes the ski with full and half weight, and the second, looking along the ski at the level of the mat, marks the bump zones and the lower points of the bumps at various loads and any other points at his discretion on the sidewall of the ski with a marker. We look along, put a finger at the desired point, put a mark with a marker at the finger. So you can define a block for classic skis. This is a very quick and visual way to visually determine the nature of the ski. It should be noted that the diagrams measured on a rigid support and on a rug will differ significantly. If for a half load the pressure peaks and the lengths of the sliding hillocks practically coincide, then at a full load the picture will be different. Therefore, for classic skis or skis on hard snow, it is more correct to focus on diagrams taken on a hard base. Although the described method is also suitable for express assessment.
Well, that's all. Don't forget to get your hands on training skis. The sharpness of the blades allows you to qualitatively cycle both the plastic of top skis and cheap extruded plastic. Cheap soft plastic is easier to practice if you want to learn how to make interference structures.
COMPLEX "Economy" (pre-grinding, sharpening and paraffin) 850
Grinding and sharpening of the edge along the edge on the tape, complex machine processing with paraffin.
COMPLEX "Economy +" (pre-sanding, filling scratches, sharpening and paraffin) 1650
Grinding and sharpening of the edge along the edge on the tape, repair of the sliding surface, complex machine processing with paraffin.
COMPLEX "Standard" (pre-grinding, filling of scratches, extra-grinding, sharpening and paraffin) 2400
Grinding and sharpening of the edge along the edge on the tape, repair of the sliding surface, extra-grinding on the stone, complex machine processing with paraffin.
COMPLEX "Nordic" (extra-section, filling of scratches, extra-section and paraffin) 1800
Repair of the sliding surface, extra polishing on the stone, complete paraffin machine treatment.
COMPLEX "Comfort" (pre-grinding, filling scratches, extra-grinding, sharpening, edge tuning and paraffin) 2750
Grinding and sharpening of the edge along the edge on the tape, repair of the sliding surface, extra-grinding on the stone, tuning of the edge along the edge, complex machine processing with paraffin.
COMPLEX "All inclusive" (the whole complex of works is included) 3990
Grinding and sharpening of the edge along the edge on the tape, repair of the sliding surface, extra-grinding on the stone, repair (delamination, deformation of the edge), tuning of the edge along the edge, complex machine processing with paraffin.
COMPLEX "Processing with paraffin Universal" (machine) 300
Cleaning the base with a wash, if necessary processing with a metal (bronze) brush, applying universal paraffin on a WaxJet machine, polishing. Treating the sliding surface of alpine skis with paraffin significantly improves their driving performance. At the same time, the application of hot molten paraffin is an occupation, firstly, dangerous, secondly, it requires special skills, and thirdly, it has its own tricks and subtleties. Our specialists will apply universal all-weather paraffin wax on your skis on a professional machine, and you will be able to enjoy excellent glide in any weather.
COMPLEX "Treatment with thermal paraffin" (iron, paraffin is not included in the price) 250
Cleaning the base with a wash, if necessary processing with a metal (bronze) brush, applying base paraffin with an iron, sanding and polishing with brushes. HOLDING OINTMENT: Cleaning the pad with a wash, sanding, applying the holding ointment with an iron "pyramid in 3 layers".
COMPLEX "Treatment with base paraffin" (iron, base paraffin is included in the price) 390
Cleaning the base with a wash, if necessary processing with a metal (bronze) brush, applying 1 layer of base paraffin with an iron. In order for your skiing have served you as long as possible, before long-term storage they must be preserved. Preservation takes place in several stages: cleaning the sliding surface, applying paraffin with an iron, sanding, as well as treating the edges with an anti-rust compound. Paraffin will prevent drying and oxidation of the sliding surface, and your skis will not lose their driving performance.
COMPLEX "Processing of skis with holding ointment" (ointment is included in the price) 390
COMPLEX "Applying a layer of paraffin for conservation" (iron, basic paraffin included in the price) 350
COMPLEX "Applying a layer of paraffin for conservation" (machine) 200
ACTION "Universal paraffin treatment (machine) and conservation at the end of the season" (machine) 400
Individual services
Installation or replacement of clips, combs, etc. on g / l boots (1 part) screw. conn. 300
Installation or replacement of clips, combs, etc. on g / l boots (1 part) riveting connection. 550
If you have lost or broken a clip or comb on your boots, our service centers will pick up the necessary replacement for you.
Manual edge sharpening 850
For reliable performance of carved turns and confident, safe descents on hard trails, it is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the edges of alpine skis. Manual sharpening of edges requires highly professional skills in order not to disturb the angle of inclination of the edges. Our specialists will accurately sharpen the edges on your skis using special tools.
Manual sharpening of edges on the base 950
For reliable performance of carved turns and confident, safe descents on hard trails, it is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the edges of alpine skis. Manual sharpening of edges requires highly professional skills in order not to disturb the angle of inclination of the edges. Our specialists will accurately sharpen the edges on your skis using special tools.
Complicated delamination repair 890
If you have stored your skis incorrectly or have not used paraffin lubricants, the core could dry out and begin to peel off. In this case, you can extend the life of the inventory by contacting a professional service center.
Complicated edge repair (deformation) 1590
In most cases, a knocked out, torn, partially lost ski edge must be repaired. The specialists of our services will carry out all the necessary work to restore the edge geometry and further trouble-free operation of your equipment.
Extra polishing on stone 800
The application of the structure (shteinshlift) can significantly improve the sliding properties of alpine skis. Machine grinding is the most difficult, but at the same time the most The best way preparation of the sliding surface. Alpine skis, prepared on a professional machine by a qualified specialist, have improved driving performance.
Grinding and sharpening of the edge on the base on the tape 600
The base is polished on a professional Wintersteiger machine. A perfectly smooth sliding surface without scratches and lint is the key to excellent ski behavior. The TRIM machine guarantees excellent quality of edge grinding both from the side surface and from the side of the sliding surface of alpine skis.
Shortening sticks 300
When skiing, poles perform a very important function and must be appropriate for your height. If you made the wrong choice of sticks in the store and find that riding with them is inconvenient, do not rush to buy new ones. In our service centers you can shorten your ski poles to fit your height.
Sliding surface repair 800
If during operation the sliding surface of alpine skis is damaged, this seriously impairs their performance. Professional and timely repair will help solve the problem and extend the life of your inventory.
Ski and snowboard decor repairs 450
In our services, you can restore the appearance of your inventory by removing scratches and scuffs from the front of your skis.
Edge sharpening on the tape 250
The TRIM machine guarantees excellent quality of edge grinding both from the side surface and from the side of the sliding surface of alpine skis.
Application of the finishing structure on the stone 750
The professional equipment of our services allows applying a given structure with precise parameters to the sliding surface of skis. The application of the structure significantly improves the performance of alpine skis and makes their surface more susceptible to paraffin ointments.
Kant tuning by base 450
Edge tuning on the edge 350
In our services, you can sharpen edges on professional equipment. The TRIM machine guarantees excellent quality of edge grinding both from the side surface and from the side of the sliding surface of alpine skis. Edge sharpening is carried out in two directions, providing the possibility of applying any number of sharpening angles, both from the side surface and from the side of the sliding surface at the same time.
Scraping finishing and brushing (reopening) 250
Rotary brushes are used to clean the sliding surface from dirt and old wax, as well as to apply a microstructure to alpine skis and polish the sliding surface. Our specialists will qualitatively and professionally prepare your alpine skiing for the new season. Qualified specialists of our service centers will manually scrape your skis. After finishing scraping, the sliding surface of alpine skis is perfectly smooth and ready for use.
Grinding / scraping coarse (manual) 450
Modern materials used for sliding surfaces of alpine skis provide excellent glide. However, such material is quite susceptible to mechanical damage and requires regular maintenance, which will extend the life of your winter equipment and improve its driving performance. Scraping is the process of removing the top layer of a sliding surface with an already formed pile using a scraper. In our services, qualified specialists will scrape your skis.
Structuring by hand knurling Swix 300
Mounts
Mounting bindings on cross-country skis and rollerskis 350
From correct installation bindings largely depends on the further work of the skis. The binding should be installed in the center of gravity for the optimal ratio of rigidity and elasticity of the ski, the best balance and control of the ski. To install the mount, it is desirable to use a special tool that provides convenience and reliability. It is better to entrust such precise and important work to the specialists of our service centers. Many leading ski manufacturers strongly recommend that bindings be installed only in specialized workshops.
Installation of ski bindings with drilling according to the template 1000
Installing bindings on skis and snowboards without drilling 450
The correct operation of the fasteners is the basis of your safety. Bindings must ensure reliable connection of the boot with the ski within the allowable loads on the leg and release it when the threshold is exceeded. Our craftsmen will install and adjust the bindings on your skis to make your skiing enjoyable and safe.
Removing fasteners 180
If you decide to change boots and bindings, then in our service centers you will dismantle the old bindings and offer preventive treatment of the remaining holes with special compounds that prevent moisture from entering the ski cavity and rotting of the core.
Individual adjustment of actuation force 120
Incorrect setting of the fastening actuation force can lead to the most unpleasant consequences. Setting it too hard can cause you to fall and leave your skis on your feet, increasing the risk of serious injury. On the contrary, with a weak setting, the fasteners will unfasten at the most inopportune moment. In our services, you will select an individual setting for the actuation force of the binding, depending on your weight and level of training.
Processing old holes when reinstalling 240
The holes remaining from the old mounts must be treated with a special compound that will ensure the tightness of the ski. If water enters the ski cavity through the hole, the core will begin to rot.
Restoration of torn sections of ski and snowboard bindings (1 element) 450
If during active operation you damaged a part of the mount, then the specialists of our services will restore the design of the mounts by replacing or repairing the damaged elements.
Installing ski bindings with drilling without a template 1590
The correct operation of the fasteners is the basis of your safety. Bindings must ensure reliable connection of the boot with the ski within the allowable loads on the leg and release it when the threshold is exceeded. Our craftsmen will install and adjust the bindings on your skis to make your skiing enjoyable and safe.
To identify the most effective ways preparing 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 skis designed for classical style, have a special area under the cargo platform (block), on which the ointment is applied. The preparation of the sliding surface - for skating skis, for classic skis - is the same, 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
In the season, skis must go through 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 steinslip). Why two weeks before the main start, and not two - three days?Because experience shows - 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).
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.
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. The scraping of the surface should be carried out with a sharp non-rounded metal scraper 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 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 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 is very important point when scraping - the angle of inclination of the cycle 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. Most the best way- 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 ski has completely cooled down, the remaining paraffin is removed with a hard plastic scraper and then with a hard 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 must 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.
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? All accelerators (both solid and loose) contain fluorine compounds, and a 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 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.
How to prepare skis? (Part 2) Ski scraping
A. Grushin1. 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:
a) factory (steinslip)
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 ski cycle or a steinslip). 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).
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. 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 the plate to remove when sanding?
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 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”.
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 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.
TIP: if this is your first time ski scraping, 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. According to my observations, it is much more difficult to cycle burnt plastic then 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.
OBSERVATION: good work with a bar and sandpaper and subsequent careful scraping can bring life back to sometimes even completely “dead” 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.