Anyone else heard of this? It seems to work pretty
well, we all bought some after they waxed our skis with this.

Decades ago, I waxed four pairs of skis for the family. Ski vises weren’t very common so I traced the front and heel of a ski boot and built an adjustable ski holder, just like stepping into the ski with your boot but upside down. A short time later a similar item came on the market made of plastic.

Agree with Richard’s comments plus I would add that a good set of brushes would be better than buffing…. A cleaning brush, an all purpose brush, a finishing brush and a structure brush

Thanks for an excellent article: yes waxing does make a difference: even for non racers. A dedicated wax iron through which you can set an appropriate temperature for the wax you use is a big upgrade. The major wax companies all make them and a reasonable model is less than $100.

The best way to clean your bases is to hot scrape: wax and scrape while the wax is still mollten. The molten wax penetrates the base and floats the schmutz to the surface where you can scape it off. Don’t use commercial wax removers they contaminate the bases.

If you can, don’t scrape the wax until the next day: more wax will continue to penetrate into the base the longer the wax sits. Serious ski racers have their skis hotboxed: after waxing the ski is placed in a container that keeps the ski hot for 24 hours.

Spend some money: $5 and buy a thick plastic scraper for a wax company. Mucus better than hardware store. Easiest way to sharpen is drywall screen lining on your bench.

Oh yes, a bench, not saw horses where the ski can slip slide and tango. Again all the wax companies make portable benches and ski vices that won’t let your darlings escape their padded grasp. I made my bench by placing a sheet of thick plywood over the existing bench to get the dimensions I wanted and to mount the vices.

A wet dry vac is the best way to clean up the mess.

There are many other tools you need to prepare edges but these require skill to use and I won’t include and would require more words than I care to write, and you dear reader, care to read.

The wax I have been using for years is Hertel Hot Sauce which has a huge temperature and snow range and stays in the base far longer than other waxes I have used. On those spring days when your bases load up w grease and pollens Hertels Spring solution solves the problem. Although at the end of the day you still have a greasy mess to hot scrape away.

So wax your way to enlightenment and be a slippery slider.

Good turns to you,

Dr. Dick