Mike, I was lucky enough to find a second pair of wooden skis at a place down the lake from us. The place sold and they had a bunch of stuff by the side of the road for free. My wife saw a little table she wanted and I took her down there and there was a pair of (Gresappa Finse?) made in Norway wooden skis. I grabbed them immediately and today reviewed your video again and re-tarred them. They have hardly been used but had thick wax and old pine tar. Can’t wait to try them out!! Your videos have made a difference for me and I am definitely an old school wooden ski guy now!! Thanks so much for all your helpful videos!!
I just pinetared the wooden skis my gone father bought when he was teenager some 50 yars ago. The wood was bleached from being exposed, but there was still very old black wax on some parts. It was very satisfying seeing it breought back to life. I will continue to use it in the coming years. From the depth of my heart, I thank you for your instructions.
2000pesce, this is an excellent reply. I am glad you put new life into your father's old skis. I ski on wood that is about the same age. Enjoy connecting with your father in his skis. What brand of skis are they? Ashes? TRYSEL KNUT? from Norway?
Thanks Mike.... Yesterday I got out my gear to hit the trails and realized my skis that I had been using for the past few seasons were toast. I was going to buy some new ones but I remembered that my parents had some old gear in their basement. Long story short...I found an old pair of Bonna woodies and put my Salomon SNS bindings on them. Had a riot today on those things...they felt great. After I got home I started doing a little research on care for wooden skis and came across your video. Thanks for posting it. I just picked up a pint of pine tar and I'm about to go to town.
+Robert Mitus You are welcome, Robert. Cool that you can have your folks old woodies. They are a velvet ride, for sure. Pine tar them, hot wax them (with paraffin is fine) and have a ball.
I was thinking that my heat gun would be safer than a torch although probably slower. I applaud your response to the people who wrote comments. Rare among tubers (no response needed here btw).
I just pine tarred my skis. I warmed some linseed oil in a mason jar set in a pot of water. I then poured in an equal amount of tar and mixed it with a stick. I used agricultural grade tar and it looked really nice but it's taking a long time to dry ( maybe I shouldn't have diluted it). I need to get some wax but I want to do some research first. I'm also making my own bindings, so it's quite a project!
Thanks Mike! I just got out my Asnes skis given to me by a good buddy and pine tarred them for the first time with your video as a guide. I can't wait to ski on them on my upcoming trip to northern lower Michigan. Now I'll hot wax the tips with glide wax and those 215cm skis should fly!
Folks, if you have a nice pair of wood skis, you should consider blocking them while you store them for winter (or longer). Blocking helps maintain the camber and keeps the skis from twist warping. Cut a piece of wood that is about 3/8" wider than the normal relaxed camber of your skis when you hold the skis together. Put the wood block between the skis under the part where the bindings are mounted. Tie the tips and tails of the skis together. The wood block should hold in place by itself. IF not, then the block is too small. Don't over-do it by making the block too big, thinking that you are going to put more camber in the skis.
I bought my first Cross Country ski package from Eastern Mountain Sports in Burlington VT in 1973 for $40 (included wooden skis, boots and bamboo poles. I still ski on wood skis (Bonna 2400's) and wouldn't think of switching over. I still have the same pin bindings and bamboo poles from the original purchase. Just skied 4 miles this morning walking the dogs.
I worked in a ski shop many years ago and this brings back some good memories. We didn’t get a lot of wood skis in but I still remember the smell. We used to get the pine tar ( Swix maybe? ) in little aluminum bottles that you could heat up with a torch before applying. Thanks for posting!
OK. I finally did it and your video was helpful. Good points: sponge brush worked great. Also seeing how long you used the flame (1-4 secs at a time) was helpful. I bought Pine tar from Akers Ski online and it was thin so I didn't have to warm it up. (Maybe it's the quick dry tar another helpful site mentioned?) I did put it in the sun for 30 minutes. Today is 90 degrees out so I put the skiis in the sun to warm the wax and open the pores too. Seems weird to prep skiis on a hot day but that's my suggestion!!
Mike, thanks for the video. A buddy of mine just gave me a pair of old wooden skis. I watched your video and have started the process. I am waiting on my pine tar to arrive. When I got the skis it appeared someone put a bunch of pine tar on them and never heated it in. Waxed over the tar as I got a lot of that off. Bottoms were almost black and super sticky. A marble my have stuck if i tried to roll one down it!!! Anyway I was wondering if I could send you a picture and see if you think I need to get more off. They are not sticky now but still much darker than yours.
Sure. Send a picture or a video! Sometimes old wax looks like pine tar. In fact, the really old kick wax like WWII Era wax DID have pine tar in it. Anyway, if you got the sticky stuff off, it should be OK.
Thanks for the response. Not sure I can attach a photo in the comment section. Don’t know how to do it. I will hit them again today with the heat gun and make sure all wax is off and proceed with the pine tar when it arrives from Amazon. Thanks again!!
Hello Mike, I need to apply Pine Tar to my nordic skis. I know how to do it thanks to your video , however I need to do it in the garage in the Canadian winter. My question is; is it ok to do the operation in minus temperatures or even very low plus temps. Your answer in this space would be just fine, Thank you in advance. Anyone else seeing this request; your answer would be welcome. Thanks to any and all for possible help.
DonovanJose: Yes, you can pine tar in a freezing garage. Your challenge will be keeping the pine tar liquid, getting the pine tar to sink into the pores of the wood, and of course, the discomfort of working in freezing conditions. However, it CAN be done. Do it the best you can now and maybe do it again in summer if you remember. An electric hot plate is very handy for keeping the pine tar melted while you work.
Im 21 and just purchased a pair of wooden skis and looking forward to using them this winter. I have never cross country skiid before! How often should I apply pine tar and wax?
The frequency of pine tar depends on how much you use them. For most people, that is about once per season. When you see the pine tar wearing off (usually at the tip and tail), then it is time to pine tar. For waxing, there are two kinds of wax: Glide wax and kick wax. Please see my videos about waxing. I describe why, when, and how to use and apply both kick wax and glide wax in two separate videos.
Here there Mike! I certainly appreciate the video! I've just carved out and bent a couple of pairs of skis by hand as a small winter project. Would you have any tips or knowledge of applying pine tar to completely virgin skis? It's -10°F here in Minnesota at the moment, would you have any suggestions for an all around kind of wax to apply after tarring?
Joseph Felegy sorry for the late reply. make sure your new wood is sanded smooth. Then, pine tar as described her. For wax, you know, grocery store paraphin gives a nice soft ride in most conditions for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. make sure you apply it thin. Thick wax slows you down. You can buy ski wax, but paraphin works well for most recreational skiers.
I added two more videos about waxing skis: Video about glide/base waxing: ua-cam.com/video/7G5NxhjHgvM/v-deo.html video about kick waxing ua-cam.com/video/TN9wtJiMlY8/v-deo.html
One more question if you don’t mind Mike. I have a stick of Fjallraven wax that is their mix of paraffin and beeswax. Do you think this would work for the base or would I be better off just buying paraffin?
My understanding is that Fjallraven wax is used to waterproof clothes. I have never used it for a ski base wax. I would guess that the beeswax might be soft and cause the snow to stick to it. You could try it. If it work, Great If it doesnt work remove it and try paraffin or glide wax
Have you ever used Finnish pine tar mix ? ( equal parts pine tar, gum turpentine, & beeswax heat & mix makes a cream) website said I apply without torch. Have you ever tried it? Does it work?
Yes, I have used that. It was sold in the late 1970's and early 1980's as a no-torch pine tar. In fact, I think I still have a can of it somewhere. It is "OK". It is more like a paint coating than an actual pine-tar process. I would say that if heat-treating pine tar is too complicated or too intimidating, then use the pine tar mix. In my opinion, it is not as good as heat-treating with pine tar, BUT it is a WHOLE LOT better than nothing.
How often should I pine tar my old wood XC skis? If you're open for a suggestion, turn off the radio. It was kind of hard to hear you when the radio was playing.
I think the general rule is pine tar every 75 miles or so, BUT a lot has to do with how clean the snow is and how abrasive the snow is. So, if you are skiing dusty desert mountains, you might have to pine tar more often. Your skis will tell you. Look at them and you can see where the pine tar has worn off usually more at the tips and tails. Thanks for the suggestion about the music in the background from the radio. I didn't realize it until I edited the video. Future vids don't have the radio.
@@Guitarzan8 Pine tar won't dry. Polish it with a rag until it isn't sticky. If you have too much pine tar to wipe clean, heat up the pine tar with a hair dryer or heat gun to liquefy it,, then wipe it clean.
@@Guitarzan8 Neither wax nor pine tar have to cure. Just be sure that you don't ski on warm wax. If you wax or keep your skis inside, let them sit outside for 20 or 30 minutes before you ski so the wax can cool and adjust to the outside temps.
Nice vid! Could one possibly use tar spray? I got my grandpa's old "Splitkein" wood ski's from 1960. Still in good shape, and i want to restore them. :) Best regards from Norway!
If the tar spray is Pine Tar Spray, it should work, but if it is creosote, I wouldn't use it. The solvents in the spray might catch on fire, so be careful and aware of that possibility. A quart of real pine tar costs less than $10.00 and is still pretty easy to get. IF those are your grandpa's skis from the previous millennial and over a half century old, you might like to invest $10.00 to keep them in good shape. What a great piece of family heirloom you have! Ski on them. Enjoy them. I would write up something about your grandpa and the skis like where he used them and any stories he had and keep those notes with the skis. Splitkein wood skis are nice skis. Some of the older models had the three dimensional contours that are so lovely. 1960 would be pretty early for a nice pair of Splitkein in the USA because it was before the cross-country ski boom of the 1970's. Your grandpa was one of the pioneers of cross country skiing in the USA!
Hey @@explorermike19 ! First of all, thank you for your cool comment, and i will surely have a chat with the old man and write down some of his words! Thank you for that mindful reminder! I also took your advice and used real pine tar, aaand the result was very good. looks really nice :) The only thing that smells just as much tar as my ski's now, are... my self. :D next step is waxing the planks! I was so eager to try them after i got them, i had to take a 'test-drive', so i took a night trip across a huge lake in my area.. i went further than i planned, about 10 miles on more or less dry planks, but it still had some glide. it was still very enjoyable and so nostalgic. Then i realized i had a piece of history on my feet, and decided to give them some love. I got two pairs of this 'Splitkein Super' with Kandahar bindings, bot my grandparents. I might post a picture when i have them finished. Would it be possible to laminate the bottom of ski's of some sort? ..and would that be something worth doing? ..preserving the wood? Someone recommended me to mix the pine tar with turpentine.. but i used it plain from the box. whats your thoughts on mixing with turpentine? Edit; Oh,I also sanded down the sides of the ski's, removing the old flimsy clear-coating to give it a new layer. Would it be any point using pine tar on the sides as well, and then clear-coat? Again, Thank you for your helpful video. High five! :)
@@SilenceSupreme lots of good laughs in your post. Indeed you can bring some of that pine tar smell with you afterwards. Pine tar is the stuff you need to preserve the skis. The pine tar has anti-microbial properties and will help preserve the wood bottoms. You don't need anything else. This was the primary reason pine tar is used on horse hooves: to reduce infection. If you pine tar, then clear coat will not stick to the wood. Nothing wrong with cleaning up the old varnish and re-coating. I recommend marine spar varnish because it is more weather resistant and UV protectant. Go ahead and ski on them and enjoy them. Skis will stay alive as long as you use them. Inhale your grandfather's youthful vigor when you energize his skis. Your grandfather's spirit and energy is in those skis. It will flow as the skis flex with your every kick forward.
Ann Do not dilute the pine tar with turpentine. It is not necessary and you will surely have a wicked fire on your hands when you heat up the pine tar. Soften the pine tar by heating with an electric heat pad or double boiler. If you heat the pine tar, it will become viscous. Good luck. Let me know if you have any questions.
@@explorermike19 hi mike thanks for the video and advice. I pine tarred my skis yesterday following your method. I worked great other than I used too much and I had more to wipe off. Really glad I didn’t use turpentine in the mix ( i had bought it) since I did it inside. You probably saved my house from burning down.
@@explorermike19 Thank you! Live in Minnesota and love Nordic skiing. I look forward to using my old wood skis I almost got rid off. I'm glad I can't get rid of anything.
I think a butane torch would work if you regulate the flame amount. The idea is only to heat the pine tar just until it bubbles. Keep your flame moving. Don't burn or char or discolor the wood. I have seen wood skis that have been burned during the pine tar process. It is a sad thing to see.
I don't know about your location, but 2017 was the year winter never came. January to February temperatures got into the fifties (F)! no snow in northern Wisconsin in February. Worst ski year in my memory. Who said there is no global warming???
Mike, I was lucky enough to find a second pair of wooden skis at a place down the lake from us. The place sold and they had a bunch of stuff by the side of the road for free. My wife saw a little table she wanted and I took her down there and there was a pair of (Gresappa Finse?) made in Norway wooden skis. I grabbed them immediately and today reviewed your video again and re-tarred them. They have hardly been used but had thick wax and old pine tar. Can’t wait to try them out!! Your videos have made a difference for me and I am definitely an old school wooden ski guy now!! Thanks so much for all your helpful videos!!
That is fantastic, @woodswalker7119! Congratulations on a great save!
I just pinetared the wooden skis my gone father bought when he was teenager some 50 yars ago. The wood was bleached from being exposed, but there was still very old black wax on some parts.
It was very satisfying seeing it breought back to life. I will continue to use it in the coming years.
From the depth of my heart, I thank you for your instructions.
2000pesce, this is an excellent reply. I am glad you put new life into your father's old skis. I ski on wood that is about the same age. Enjoy connecting with your father in his skis. What brand of skis are they? Ashes? TRYSEL KNUT? from Norway?
Thanks Mike.... Yesterday I got out my gear to hit the trails and realized my skis that I had been using for the past few seasons were toast. I was going to buy some new ones but I remembered that my parents had some old gear in their basement. Long story short...I found an old pair of Bonna woodies and put my Salomon SNS bindings on them. Had a riot today on those things...they felt great. After I got home I started doing a little research on care for wooden skis and came across your video. Thanks for posting it. I just picked up a pint of pine tar and I'm about to go to town.
+Robert Mitus You are welcome, Robert. Cool that you can have your folks old woodies. They are a velvet ride, for sure. Pine tar them, hot wax them (with paraffin is fine) and have a ball.
Fantastic video - thank you!
Hi Milw, it is time to pine tar my skis again ( winter storm a coming) of course I had to rewatch your very easy to follow video. Thanks for posting
I was thinking that my heat gun would be safer than a torch although probably slower.
I applaud your response to the people who wrote comments. Rare among tubers (no response needed here btw).
I have never used a heat gun. As long as you can get the pine tar to bubble and set into the wood, you will be OK.
I just pine tarred my skis. I warmed some linseed oil in a mason jar set in a pot of water. I then poured in an equal amount of tar and mixed it with a stick. I used agricultural grade tar and it looked really nice but it's taking a long time to dry ( maybe I shouldn't have diluted it). I need to get some wax but I want to do some research first. I'm also making my own bindings, so it's quite a project!
Thanks Mike! I just got out my Asnes skis given to me by a good buddy and pine tarred them for the first time with your video as a guide. I can't wait to ski on them on my upcoming trip to northern lower Michigan. Now I'll hot wax the tips with glide wax and those 215cm skis should fly!
Magnificent, Karl!! Fly, Brother, fly on those Asnes skis! When you are flying on Norwegian wood skis, you are flying first class!
Thank you. Very informative. I have also been enjoying my wood Norwegian skiis since the 1970s.
Renee Lajcak that is cool to know you ski on your 1970s boards. What brand are they? From Norway?
splitkien. I believe they are from Norway.
Renee Lajcak what brand?
Folks, if you have a nice pair of wood skis, you should consider blocking them while you store them for winter (or longer). Blocking helps maintain the camber and keeps the skis from twist warping. Cut a piece of wood that is about 3/8" wider than the normal relaxed camber of your skis when you hold the skis together. Put the wood block between the skis under the part where the bindings are mounted. Tie the tips and tails of the skis together. The wood block should hold in place by itself. IF not, then the block is too small. Don't over-do it by making the block too big, thinking that you are going to put more camber in the skis.
Super helpful. Thanks.
Excellent tip; thank you
I bought my first Cross Country ski package from Eastern Mountain Sports in Burlington VT in 1973 for $40 (included wooden skis, boots and bamboo poles. I still ski on wood skis (Bonna 2400's) and wouldn't think of switching over. I still have the same pin bindings and bamboo poles from the original purchase. Just skied 4 miles this morning walking the dogs.
Marc LaPine fantastic, Mark!!
I worked in a ski shop many years ago and this brings back some good memories. We didn’t get a lot of wood skis in but I still remember the smell. We used to get the pine tar ( Swix maybe? ) in little aluminum bottles that you could heat up with a torch before applying. Thanks for posting!
Great memory. Thank you for posting
Great vid! Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm for wood ski's!
+Brian Bankston Thanks, Brian. I hope you are getting a lot of skiing in this year and enjoying rides on nice wood sleds.
Thanks - good teaching job - I too have been skiing on my wood Norwegian skiis since the 1970s....just forgot how to tar!
Astrid Muschalla. TARnation!! The best way to keep those beautiful wood skis from the 70s alive and in good shape is to ski on them!
Thanks for the video! I ordered some tar from Akers and I'm just doing my splitkein skis now!
baldwinslab how did it work out for you, Baldwinslab?
OK. I finally did it and your video was helpful. Good points: sponge brush worked great. Also seeing how long you used the flame (1-4 secs at a time) was helpful. I bought Pine tar from Akers Ski online and it was thin so I didn't have to warm it up. (Maybe it's the quick dry tar another helpful site mentioned?) I did put it in the sun for 30 minutes. Today is 90 degrees out so I put the skiis in the sun to warm the wax and open the pores too. Seems weird to prep skiis on a hot day but that's my suggestion!!
Renee Lajcak YOU ROCK, RENEE!
Well done! Thank you!
Thanks, Mike!
Thanks, it was helpful. I like your torch removing method.
Glad it was helpful. Think Snow!
Well done; thank you
Mike, thanks for the video. A buddy of mine just gave me a pair of old wooden skis. I watched your video and have started the process. I am waiting on my pine tar to arrive. When I got the skis it appeared someone put a bunch of pine tar on them and never heated it in. Waxed over the tar as I got a lot of that off. Bottoms were almost black and super sticky. A marble my have stuck if i tried to roll one down it!!! Anyway I was wondering if I could send you a picture and see if you think I need to get more off. They are not sticky now but still much darker than yours.
Sure. Send a picture or a video! Sometimes old wax looks like pine tar. In fact, the really old kick wax like WWII Era wax DID have pine tar in it. Anyway, if you got the sticky stuff off, it should be OK.
Thanks for the response. Not sure I can attach a photo in the comment section. Don’t know how to do it. I will hit them again today with the heat gun and make sure all wax is off and proceed with the pine tar when it arrives from Amazon. Thanks again!!
Maybe a hint here, I buy my pine tar from the feed and farm supply as it's used commonly on horses hooves. Much cheaper.
Yes. I also buy my pine tar at the same kind of farm hardware store.
Hello Mike, I need to apply Pine Tar to my nordic skis. I know how to do it thanks to your video , however I need to do it in the garage in the Canadian winter. My question is; is it ok to do the operation in minus temperatures or even very low plus temps. Your answer in this space would be just fine, Thank you in advance. Anyone else seeing this request; your answer would be welcome. Thanks to any and all for possible help.
DonovanJose: Yes, you can pine tar in a freezing garage. Your challenge will be keeping the pine tar liquid, getting the pine tar to sink into the pores of the wood, and of course, the discomfort of working in freezing conditions. However, it CAN be done. Do it the best you can now and maybe do it again in summer if you remember. An electric hot plate is very handy for keeping the pine tar melted while you work.
Thanks for that Mike. Nov 12th 2023. I'll get at that this month.
Im 21 and just purchased a pair of wooden skis and looking forward to using them this winter. I have never cross country skiid before! How often should I apply pine tar and wax?
The frequency of pine tar depends on how much you use them. For most people, that is about once per season. When you see the pine tar wearing off (usually at the tip and tail), then it is time to pine tar. For waxing, there are two kinds of wax: Glide wax and kick wax. Please see my videos about waxing. I describe why, when, and how to use and apply both kick wax and glide wax in two separate videos.
Here there Mike! I certainly appreciate the video! I've just carved out and bent a couple of pairs of skis by hand as a small winter project. Would you have any tips or knowledge of applying pine tar to completely virgin skis? It's -10°F here in Minnesota at the moment, would you have any suggestions for an all around kind of wax to apply after tarring?
Joseph Felegy sorry for the late reply. make sure your new wood is sanded smooth. Then, pine tar as described her. For wax, you know, grocery store paraphin gives a nice soft ride in most conditions for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. make sure you apply it thin. Thick wax slows you down. You can buy ski wax, but paraphin works well for most recreational skiers.
I added two more videos about waxing skis:
Video about glide/base waxing: ua-cam.com/video/7G5NxhjHgvM/v-deo.html
video about kick waxing ua-cam.com/video/TN9wtJiMlY8/v-deo.html
One more question if you don’t mind Mike. I have a stick of Fjallraven wax that is their mix of paraffin and beeswax. Do you think this would work for the base or would I be better off just buying paraffin?
My understanding is that Fjallraven wax is used to waterproof clothes. I have never used it for a ski base wax. I would guess that the beeswax might be soft and cause the snow to stick to it. You could try it. If it work, Great If it doesnt work remove it and try paraffin or glide wax
Have you ever used Finnish pine tar mix ? ( equal parts pine tar, gum turpentine, & beeswax heat & mix makes a cream) website said I apply without torch. Have you ever tried it? Does it work?
Yes, I have used that. It was sold in the late 1970's and early 1980's as a no-torch pine tar. In fact, I think I still have a can of it somewhere. It is "OK". It is more like a paint coating than an actual pine-tar process. I would say that if heat-treating pine tar is too complicated or too intimidating, then use the pine tar mix. In my opinion, it is not as good as heat-treating with pine tar, BUT it is a WHOLE LOT better than nothing.
How often should I pine tar my old wood XC skis? If you're open for a suggestion, turn off the radio. It was kind of hard to hear you when the radio was playing.
I think the general rule is pine tar every 75 miles or so, BUT a lot has to do with how clean the snow is and how abrasive the snow is. So, if you are skiing dusty desert mountains, you might have to pine tar more often. Your skis will tell you. Look at them and you can see where the pine tar has worn off usually more at the tips and tails. Thanks for the suggestion about the music in the background from the radio. I didn't realize it until I edited the video. Future vids don't have the radio.
@@explorermike19 I pine tarred my skis yesterday. Today they are still tacky. Do I have to wait for it to dry before I wax?
@@Guitarzan8 Pine tar won't dry. Polish it with a rag until it isn't sticky. If you have too much pine tar to wipe clean, heat up the pine tar with a hair dryer or heat gun to liquefy it,, then wipe it clean.
@@explorermike19 Thanks Mike! That worked. Does the wax have to cure before I ski on them?
@@Guitarzan8 Neither wax nor pine tar have to cure. Just be sure that you don't ski on warm wax. If you wax or keep your skis inside, let them sit outside for 20 or 30 minutes before you ski so the wax can cool and adjust to the outside temps.
Nice vid! Could one possibly use tar spray?
I got my grandpa's old "Splitkein" wood ski's from 1960. Still in good shape, and i want to restore them. :)
Best regards from Norway!
..did you ever do the video on waxing btw?
If the tar spray is Pine Tar Spray, it should work, but if it is creosote, I wouldn't use it. The solvents in the spray might catch on fire, so be careful and aware of that possibility. A quart of real pine tar costs less than $10.00 and is still pretty easy to get. IF those are your grandpa's skis from the previous millennial and over a half century old, you might like to invest $10.00 to keep them in good shape. What a great piece of family heirloom you have! Ski on them. Enjoy them. I would write up something about your grandpa and the skis like where he used them and any stories he had and keep those notes with the skis. Splitkein wood skis are nice skis. Some of the older models had the three dimensional contours that are so lovely. 1960 would be pretty early for a nice pair of Splitkein in the USA because it was before the cross-country ski boom of the 1970's. Your grandpa was one of the pioneers of cross country skiing in the USA!
Hey @@explorermike19 !
First of all, thank you for your cool comment, and i will surely have a chat with the old man and write down some of his words! Thank you for that mindful reminder!
I also took your advice and used real pine tar, aaand the result was very good. looks really nice :)
The only thing that smells just as much tar as my ski's now, are... my self. :D
next step is waxing the planks!
I was so eager to try them after i got them, i had to take a 'test-drive', so i took a night trip across a huge lake in my area.. i went further than i planned, about 10 miles on more or less dry planks, but it still had some glide. it was still very enjoyable and so nostalgic.
Then i realized i had a piece of history on my feet, and decided to give them some love.
I got two pairs of this 'Splitkein Super' with Kandahar bindings, bot my grandparents.
I might post a picture when i have them finished.
Would it be possible to laminate the bottom of ski's of some sort? ..and would that be something worth doing? ..preserving the wood?
Someone recommended me to mix the pine tar with turpentine.. but i used it plain from the box. whats your thoughts on mixing with turpentine?
Edit;
Oh,I also sanded down the sides of the ski's, removing the old flimsy clear-coating to give it a new layer.
Would it be any point using pine tar on the sides as well, and then clear-coat?
Again, Thank you for your helpful video.
High five! :)
@@SilenceSupreme lots of good laughs in your post. Indeed you can bring some of that pine tar smell with you afterwards. Pine tar is the stuff you need to preserve the skis. The pine tar has anti-microbial properties and will help preserve the wood bottoms. You don't need anything else. This was the primary reason pine tar is used on horse hooves: to reduce infection.
If you pine tar, then clear coat will not stick to the wood. Nothing wrong with cleaning up the old varnish and re-coating. I recommend marine spar varnish because it is more weather resistant and UV protectant.
Go ahead and ski on them and enjoy them. Skis will stay alive as long as you use them. Inhale your grandfather's youthful vigor when you energize his skis. Your grandfather's spirit and energy is in those skis. It will flow as the skis flex with your every kick forward.
@@SilenceSupreme I didn't make the waxing vid, but your post might encourage me to do it this weekend.
heya just bought a pair of Asnee Tur-Langrenn for $40 in great shape. Did you ever make the waxing vid?
donorocks I did not make the waxing vid because I got blocked from UA-cam for having background music on some vids.
Do you dilute pine tar with turpentine?
Ann Do not dilute the pine tar with turpentine. It is not necessary and you will surely have a wicked fire on your hands when you heat up the pine tar. Soften the pine tar by heating with an electric heat pad or double boiler. If you heat the pine tar, it will become viscous. Good luck. Let me know if you have any questions.
@@explorermike19 hi mike thanks for the video and advice. I pine tarred my skis yesterday following your method. I worked great other than I used too much and I had more to wipe off. Really glad I didn’t use turpentine in the mix ( i had bought it) since I did it inside. You probably saved my house from burning down.
Explorer Mike, please do a waxing video for wooden skis! Thank you!
Will do, Mike Burg!
@@explorermike19 Thank you! Live in Minnesota and love Nordic skiing. I look forward to using my old wood skis I almost got rid off. I'm glad I can't get rid of anything.
@@Techfree815 Certainly keep and use your wood skis. If you ski traditional/classic/parallel, you will love the velvet ride of wood.
Here is my video for kick waxing ua-cam.com/video/TN9wtJiMlY8/v-deo.html
Here is my video for glide waxing ua-cam.com/video/7G5NxhjHgvM/v-deo.html
Could a butane torch be used?
I think a butane torch would work if you regulate the flame amount. The idea is only to heat the pine tar just until it bubbles. Keep your flame moving. Don't burn or char or discolor the wood. I have seen wood skis that have been burned during the pine tar process. It is a sad thing to see.
I don't know about your location, but 2017 was the year winter never came. January to February temperatures got into the fifties (F)! no snow
in northern Wisconsin in February. Worst ski year in my memory. Who said there is no global warming???
Why do you have music going while you are giving a demonstration ? It is unnecessary and it makes it harder to hear you over the music!
jarheadrn good point Jarhead. Thanks. I am just an amature video maker.