Ski Tuning Kit Tools

Keeping your skis tuned is essential to making them last, and enjoying a day on the ski slopes. You can save money and enjoy the precise, smooth ride of your own hand-sharpened edges by learning to wax and tune your skis at home. Check with your local ski specialty shop for tuning clinics. The tools you need for your home tuning kit can be found at your local ski shop or hardware store.

  1. Work Bench with Vises

    • A vise like this will hold your skis on your workbench.

      You will need a clean and well-ventilated place to work (which you won’t mind covering with wax drips) and vises to hold your skis firmly in place.

    Brake Retainers

    • Strong rubber bands hold the ski brakes up and out of the way of your bases while you work.

    Brushes or Pads

    • Use brushes and/or fiber pads to clean the dirt, grime and old wax off the bases of your skis, and open up the pores on the bases to receive new wax. Cleaning brushes are made of brass or horsehair. Nylon brushes or fiber pads are used after the initial base cleaning, and after waxing to polish the bases and push wax into the pores of the ski.

    P-tex Sticks

    • P-tex is the plasticlike material that makes up the bases of your skis. Keep one or two pencil-sized P-tex sticks in your tool kit to repair damage to bases, including core shots. To fix a core shot, you will also need a lighter or match, and a precise hobby knife.

    Waxing Iron

    • Travel irons can be used to melt wax.

      It is important that your iron is not so hot that it smokes, because this can damage the bases of your skis, but the iron needs to be warm enough to easily melt your wax. The advantage of ski-waxing irons is that they are designed to warm up to the correct temperature. Alternatively, you can use a clothing iron without holes, as long as you can find an appropriate temperature setting.

    Waxes

    • The type of wax you keep on hand will depend on your specific snow conditions and the kind of skiing you do. Most skiers can get by with a universal hard wax, but you may want to add to your tool kit waxes for very cold or wet snows, or waxes for racing.

    Scrapers

    • Scrapers made of plastic or Plexiglas are used to remove extra wax once it has cooled. Metal scrapers are used to remove extra P-tex from base repairs.

    File and File Guide

    • Use a file with a file guide to sharpen and bevel edges. A good file guide can be adjusted for different beveling angles.

    Metal File Brush

    • Keep your files clean to avoid getting metal splinters into the bases of your skis.

    Stones

    • A gummi stone is used for de-tuning overly sharp edges, and a diamond stone is used to polish edges and remove burrs after sharpening.