Waxing UHM base skis...

[Carl Kuck]

So I'm confused (what else is new, right?), I'm hearing discussions about how wax doesn't really penetrate UHMW bases while Head is claiming their UHM C base does the best job ever of hanging on to wax molecules in its pores, precisely the pores I'm thinking the material science people say don't exist.


The reason I even give a tinker's cuss about this is that I have a pair of Head WCR i.Speed Pro skis with, drum roll please, UHM C bases. I'm a definite fan of the PPT (Phil's Paper Towel) wax method (https://forum.pugski.com/threads/hot-waxing-approach.3210/) using a paper shop towel under the iron (and will be adding Zardoz especially in the spring just to see how that works). Will the "traditional" approach of waxing work for the i.Speeds or will something new (and most likely expen$ive) be required?

I've had good luck in the past with Hertel's FC739 for the race skis and the Hot Sauce for non-race planks. I also have tried Wend paste on race day but I think it's nearly impossible to come up with objective data for me and how much difference wax really makes other than slushy spring days when it can be the difference between having fun and going over the handlebars...

 

[Jacques]

There are no pores. Just like a piece of paper has no "pores". It has strings of fibers. In between these fibers are voids. It is in these voids that the wax can "penetrate."
This is important because all surface wax must be removed for good glide. So what you end up with is a modified base, not one with a layer of wax on the surface.
A good base will take wax into it. The amount is minute, yet that minute amount makes all the difference. The more cooling and heating cycles with a layer of wax on the ski, allowing for complete cooling in between cycles, will drive wax deeper into the base. Deeper last longer and gives the subsequent waxings something to bond to.
The softer the wax, the smaller the molecules. Thus deepest penetrating. Don't believe all that BS and huge "Collage Boy" study about bases not taking wax. Sintered plastics such as UHMW can be made so full of voids that they can be used for filtration of many things. Hope that helps.

BTW if you don't believe ski bases will take any wax, just by the skis with extruded bases and stop waxing. Even the best extruded bases do claim some wax absorption, but based on my observations and use, I would say if they did, it could not be very much compared to a good sintered base.

 

[Jacques]

Here you go. Listen to this video for a few minutes. It should start at the right moment in the video.

 

[François Pugh]

I use an iron and hot wax my skis according to temperature. It works on them and they have UHMC sintered bases.

 

[razie]

this is from a Maplus manual.

 

[CalG]

On a molecular level, there are no smooth, nor non porous surfaces. There are amorphous and crystalline materials. But at the boundaries, all bets are off. (Agate, garnet and diamond are a bit stingy in surface irregularities;_) In fact, even at normal room temperatures, molecular mobility has the "base", or substrate molecules constantly leaving the bulk. Evaporation as it it is called in the case of liquids. For many materials such as UHMW, the "vapor pressure", that is, the "evaporation rate" , is quite low. But it is never zero.

So if the molecules of the base material can "jump" off the bulk surface, certainly other molecules can enter into the surface matrix. That just common sense.

The question remains, Is "P-Tex" a better surface to slide on snow than is "ski wax"?

I stopped waxing every ski day when I started skiing every day. I have not suffered from the change. I DO tune the base and edges for defects and sharpness regularly.

Usually, when the edges get a "deep service" with files etc. ironing on fresh wax is trivial. (and enjoyed!)

 

[cantunamunch]

e and how much difference wax really makes other than slushy spring days when it can be the difference between having fun and going over the handlebars...

I tried about 6 different combinations of Zardoz and mid-price waxes on Mammoth spring snow last year. Some were considerably worse than others (cough One Ball Jay cough) but they were all blown out of the water by two premium waxes: Toko HF blue (yes, the hard stuff) and Briko/Maplus HP3 blue. The difference was most spectacular in the mid-mountain meadows just before lunch, approximately level with the Chair 23 loading area. Spectacular? Mind-blowing.

Yes, I know the indicated temperature ranges on those waxes are completely different than what the air temps usually are for spring - but they absolutely rocked on the sharp new crystals/ wet slough combination. If you like FC739, especially the old pre-2010 FC739, these are the next step.