Hunting skis. How to lubricate skis at home for better glide? What are hunting skis coated with?

Tarring skis is an outdated term that is practically not used by modern ski athletes. This is because ski resin is used for wood products that are not used much by skiers. Due to the fact that ski shops do not apply resin, owners of wooden pairs need to know how to make and apply the lubricant. If you know yourself, you can extend the life of the product.

Resin is needed to protect a wooden product from the destructive effects of moisture. When properly impregnated, the density of the wood increases, which increases the durability of the product.

There are several types of lubricant:

1. For better glide. On different types of snow, wooden products glide differently. To improve this indicator, you can use special ointments.
2. To hold. These impregnations are most often used for plastic skis, but can also be used for wooden ones. They are needed in cases where the skis are slippery and this makes it difficult to push off to start moving. This makes it difficult to climb uphill.
3. For protection against moisture. These lubricants include resins and impregnations that protect wood from exposure to liquids. They must be applied before and after each season. They are used for touring and classic ski pairs.

Composition and manufacture of the product

You can make the impregnation composition at home or purchase a ready-made mixture in the store. The classic mixture consists of the following components:

• pine resin;
• turpentine;
• Birch tar;
• kerosene;

Simpler options are made only from pine resin or birch tar. If you can't find these two ingredients, you can use wood stain.

What products need to be resinized?

Only wooden skis can and should be oiled. The plastic itself is resistant to moisture. Wooden fibers gradually become soaked and begin to rot, crack, and delaminate. You need to soak your ski pair not only before the start of the season, but also after it ends. This is due to the fact that when storing skis on a balcony or in a storage room, they may become unusable due to changes in temperature and changes in air humidity.

Do not store wooden skis near heating elements, in direct sunlight or near sources of open flame.

Step-by-step instructions for resinizing

To achieve maximum results from resining a pair of skis, the products must be processed:

1. Before applying homemade or purchased lubricant, it is necessary to prepare the working surface. To do this, using cycle and turpentine, remove the old layer of impregnation and degrease the surface. Then, use fine sandpaper to sand the surface of the product for better adhesion to the new impregnation.
2. The resin must first be heated to make it more liquid. Place the ski so that it is in a horizontal position on two points of support. You can use chairs for this.
3. Imagine that the surface is divided into three zones. Using a gas torch or industrial hair dryer, heat the first part. Pour a small amount of resin onto it and spread it evenly with a brush.
4. Heat the resin-coated surface again until bubbles appear. Go over it with the brush again. After this, wipe off the remaining resin from the edges of the ski and begin the second part. After treating the entire surface, allow the resin to dry completely and absorb. Leave

And skiers know that a necessary condition for the proper operation of sports equipment is its preparation before use. Regular lubrication of skis makes it easier to glide on snowy surfaces and protects them from rapid wear. Everyone needs lubrication, regardless of the material of manufacture: both plastic and wooden.

Types of lubricants

The most common ski lubricant is paraffin. They are available in standard size bars, but vary in price category. The assortment of foreign manufacturers includes liquid wax in tubes. It is worth considering that in the central zone and in the south of Russia in the winter season the air temperature can fluctuate significantly, and this is one of the factors affecting gliding. Therefore, it is advisable to have several types of paraffins in your arsenal, intended for use in different temperature ranges. Since paraffins are classified as gliding lubricants, they are used to treat the toe and heel parts of skis. Holding ointments are used for the block (central part).

Lubricating skis with paraffin is especially widely used in amateur sports for short training sessions and short trips up to 15 km. In a professional environment, the requirements are completely different. Here skiers use more expensive means (boosters). They can be presented in various variations, in the form of aerosols, powders, emulsions, etc.

Lubrication equipment and accessories

To properly treat yourself with paraffin, you need additional accompanying products:

• A special iron for application and distribution, you can use a regular old iron, but with caution, and set the heating mode to a minimum.
• Plastic scraper for removing the old layer of paraffin.
• A brush with coarse bristles, mostly nylon. With its help, the sliding surface of the skis is cleaned more thoroughly.
• Used to clean the pads
• To lubricate the skis and ensure maximum gliding, their surface is polished using non-woven material. These can be old things made of nylon, wool or felt.

Ski preparation process

Lubrication of plastic skis is carried out according to the following scheme: first, the remnants of the old layer of lubricant are removed using a scraper. Then the entire surface in the toe and heel parts is thoroughly cleaned with a brush and in the last with sandpaper. Only after this the sliding surface of the skis is treated with paraffin, and the last is treated with holding ointment. For maximum results, paraffin can be applied in several layers. This method is used to prepare professional racing skis. In amateur sports, a sufficient condition is to lubricate the skis once with gliding ointments (paraffins). Finally, the sliding surface of the skis must be polished.

To cool and consolidate the lubricant, the skis are taken outside for about 30 minutes. After this time they will be ready for use.

You have reached the questions and answers page following the article. “How to wax cross-country skiing for a beginner”? It so happened that after reading this article, our readers began to ask me a variety of questions not only about lubricants, but also about skis and ski poles. I try to answer all these questions within my competence. In my search for an answer, sometimes I call the best experts in the country in their field and they help me give you the right answer. If, after reading this article and all the answers, you still have questions, please write to me. [email protected], I will definitely answer them.

Editor-in-chief of the magazine "Skiing"

Master of Sports of the USSR in cross-country skiing

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

Hello! I am 60 years old, this is my second year of skiing. I have cross-country wooden skis, they don’t slip at all. I read a lot of articles and didn’t find anything specific on how to make them slippery?

Tatyana Pavlovna, Primorsky Territory, Dalnerechensky district.

Tatyana Pavlovna, with your question, you are essentially addressing all of us to the 60s - 70s of the last century, when there were no plastic skis and people skied (and ran in competitions) exclusively on wooden skis. Still, today most of humanity has chosen plastic.

However, since the question has been asked - how to make wooden skis glide? You will need to do two procedures with them: desirable(done once every two to three years) and mandatory(done before each ride).

DESIRABLE

Wooden skis need to be tarred along their entire length. This is done so that the skis are saturated with water-repellent resin and swell less from moisture on the track. Remember that the more the ski swells with moisture, the slower it glides. You will need resin to impregnate wooden skis. For example, this one is produced by the Ray company.

You may not be able to find ski resin for sale. Then we can recommend a few others simple ways: use resin-containing holding ointments or paraffins.

So, the resin is applied all over the ski with a brush and then heated with a burner until it boils and gurgles on the surface of the ski. This process is delicate - if you underheat the ointment, it will not become liquid, will not boil on the surface of the ski and, accordingly, will not be absorbed into the wood. If you overheat the ointment, the wood of the sliding surface of the ski may begin to char, rendering it unusable. In general, as soon as the ointment begins to bubble, you need to immediately move the burner to another area of ​​the ski. This procedure must be done at least several times so that the resin (ointment, paraffin) is absorbed deeper into the pores of the wood. Here's how to resin wooden skis. Yes, and don’t be alarmed if the resin suddenly flares up - there’s nothing wrong with that - just quickly smother the fire with a rag (prepare the rag in advance).

MANDATORY

Before a ski trip, wooden skis must be lubricated with holding ointment along the entire length. The name of the ointment and the brand itself have no such thing of great importance- it is much more important that you have a complete set of these ointments (for example, four or five). Here is a good set of ointments from the same Ray company.

Or - here's a set of four jars from Ski Go:

Or - from three jars from Zet:

So, suppose the temperature outside your window is minus 5 degrees. Let's try to "smear ourselves" with ski waxes, for example, VISTI.

At this temperature, you will need to put blue ointment minus 2 - minus 8 on the middle part of the ski (under the block), and colder ointment minus 5 - minus 12 on the ends of the ski.

Here's how to apply it at minus 12:

And like this - at minus one degree:

Along the way, the question inevitably arises: is it possible to ski on wooden skis at zero or above-zero temperatures? The answer is yes, but it involves much more fuss and inconvenience.

Firstly, you should keep in mind that at zero or above-zero temperatures, wooden skis swell quite quickly from moisture and begin to glide not just a little, but much worse than plastic skis. And secondly, they will need to be smeared under the block with either klisters (this is an ointment whose consistency resembles condensed milk) or semi-solid ointments (something like slightly hardened honey). And after skiing, don’t forget, you will also need to remove this ointment from the ski (for example, with cotton wool or a rag soaked in gasoline). That is, there is definitely more fuss with lubricant in positive weather... But if you are determined to ski wooden skis even in positive weather, then nothing is impossible. You will just need to buy, in addition to one of the budget sets of ointments listed above, a set of semi-solid ("medkov") or liquid (klister) ointments.

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

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

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

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

What products need to be resinized?

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

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

How to tar at home?

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

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

Choosing a location for the procedure

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

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

Selecting a Heat Tool

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

• gas burner;
• industrial dryer;
• blowtorch.

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

Necessary equipment

To tar wooden skis, you need to prepare:

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

Process description

Instructions for resinizing wooden products consist of the following steps:

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

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

After the procedure

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

What to pay attention to

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

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

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

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

Why lubricate your skis?

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

Which skis don't need lubrication?

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

How can you lubricate skis at home?

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

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

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

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

How to lubricate skis at home?

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

How to lubricate plastic skis?

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

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

How and with what to lubricate semi-plastic skis?

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

How to properly lubricate wooden skis?

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

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

How to lubricate combination skis?

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

How to properly lubricate cross-country skis?

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

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

How to lubricate skis for classic skiing?

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

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

How to lubricate skating skis?

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

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

How to lubricate skis?

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