What is the main disadvantage of racing or competition ski base types?

 What is the main disadvantage of racing or competition ski base types?

 

For race skis the best ski base types are use. Normally three types are offered at least: race ski base for cold, wet and universal conditions. The individual types differ in many parameters (see our previous articles).

 

For rase ski base type a wide range of additives and special substances is used to optimize the gliding features under given conditions. These additives and additional substances also do differ depending on the ski type (different additives are used for cold and wet conditions of course).

 

Almost all race ski base types have one common thing: the UHMWPE matrix is filled with additives and additional substances to maximal possible extent for maximal possible performance!

 

This absolute advantage of race ski base types on the one side is the main disadvantage of race ski base types on the other side.

 

Rase ski base types are filled with additives up to the edge / to maximal possible extent for maximal possible performance. What does it mean?

 

Almost all possible free space inside the molecular structure of the ski base is already “occupied” by all possible additives. What does it mean?

 

All wax-based products (base waxes, powders, liquids, speeders etc.) rely especially on the mechanical retention in the ski base, especially in amorphous regions of the ski base. Chemical bonds of wax-based products are normally too weak.

 

Mechanical retention is so strong as many cavities inside the molecular structure can be filled with waxes. In race ski base types almost all free cavities inside the molecular structure are already filled with additives which were added in the ski base production process! What does it mean?

 

There is almost no space inside the molecular structure of race ski base types to absorb any waxes or gliding agents additionally applied. You can put them only on the surface. What does it mean?

 

You are losing the mechanical retention and your additionally applied products need to rely expecially on chemical bonds which are normally very weak!

 

What is no-wax chemistry?

 What is no-wax chemistry?

 

The most of no-fluor wax systems (base waxes, powders, liquids, speeders etc.) are still based on waxes (different types, blends of waxes enriched with different additives).

 

All wax-based products rely especially on the mechanical retention in the ski base, especially in amorphous regions of the ski base. Chemical bonds of wax-based products are normally too weak.

 

Mechanical retention in the ski base has its limits which cannot be overcome.

 

That’s the reason why several ski wax manufacturers approached the no-wax way.

 

How it works?

 

No-wax chemistry products contain normally 3 different components. First component is an etching agent which is used to etch / change the surface of the ski base slightly in order to prepare it for absorbing gliding agents. Second component is a binder / carrier which is normally a polymer with low-melting temperature which is filled with the respective gliding agents. Binders are needed because the gliding agents normally do not stick to UHMWPE even if etched slightly. Third component are gliding agents themselves which are very often nano-particles of different substances.

 

After application the ski base surface is etched slightly, the binder filled with gliding agents is entering the slightly disordered ski base surface and unneeded substances evaporate as a result of which the no-wax product will change the status from liquid to solid. Finished. Ski base is coated with a polymer-like agent continuously.

 

 

How to use REX NF 41 liquid glider - comments...

Rex recommends to use the NF41 liquid glider as special glider for men-made snow. As we know, men-made snow is very abrasive in wet and extremely abrasive in cold conditions.

In other words: the main parameters which decide about the quality of the product and gliding features on men-made snow are hardness and wear resistance combined with hydrophobic and dirt-repelling features.

I was quite surprising for me that REX NF 41 works a liquid glider and is applied cold.

Below some comments and ideas related to the product and application method.

NF41 seems to be a very interesting product... it obviously does not rely on mechanical retention inside the micro-structure of the ski base only. Why? First it is applied cold only which means, the nano-structure inside the ski base cannot be reached for mechanical retention, mechanical retention inside the micro-structure cannot be sufficent for men-made snow which is extremely abrasive. Second the preparation steps before application do not include brushing with fine steel brushes to open the ski base, remove old wax residues and refresh the micro-structure... Conclusion: NF41 needs to be fixed chemically directly to UHMWPE. To achieve reliable chemical bonds the product needs to develop stronger bonds than the normal van der Walschen bonds which are too weak or modify the UHMWPE surface slightly to get inside the polymer without ironing! Both apporaches are very interessting, especially if combined 

What seems to be a bit strange is the use of nylon brush for preparation. It could be explained by the fear of the developers of NF41 that the use of a fine steel brush could contaminate the surface with old wax residues which could impact the chemical reactions on the surface negatively. The presence of hard and very hard nano-components in the product is showing the deep understanding of NF41 developers for what really matters when gliding on hard abrasive snow like men made snow below zero. To fix the hard layer on the surface instead inside the surface of the ski base could be also very befefitial... I personally do not like any movements against the gliding direction during the application process and need to check the function and composition of GOLD LIQUID product, but after long time a very interesting product with a very reasonable application method. If it works, it would be a great development step!

How to use SKI GO CM 26 - comments...

SKI GO recommends to use this product for wet warm conditions. Wet and warm conditions are specified by water film in the interface between ski base and snow surface which can be differently thin or thick depending on the amount of so-called free water in the snow. Free water is water inside snow surface which originates from ice crystals or ice grains melting. The higher the free water content inside snow surface, the thicker the water film between snow surface and ski base surface.

 

ISSUES

 

GRAPHIT WAX as base

 

SKI GO recommends to use GRAPHIT WAX as first layer under the product CM 26, they explain the application of black wax containing either graphite or carbon black as separation or stabilisation layer which should block substances below the competition wax to interfere with it. To be honest this is very strange idea. Why? A Black wax containing either graphite or carbon black reacts the same way with the ski base as any other hydrocarbon wax with additives. It penetrates amorphous regions and cannot penetrate the crystalline regions of the ski base. In amorphous regions hot-applied HC wax with additives is retained mechanically in cavities inside the UHMWPE. Graphite works as dry lubricant, carbon black as spherical nano-particles increases hardness, improves electro- and heat-conductivity, improves abrasion resistance. As you can see no features which are relevant in wet and warm conditions. Black wax containing either graphite or carbon black will fill the cavities inside the molecular structure of UHMWPE. Especially the spherical nano-particles of carbon black will reduce the ability of the following layers to connect to UHMWPE.

 

The idea of a stabilisation of separation layer is pure nonsense!

YELLOW HC WAX as another base 

 

SKI GO recommends to use YELLOW HC WAX below the CM 26 product. Special recommendation is not to brush the ski base after application of this layer. To be honest this is another very strange idea. Why? With brushes excess wax out of structures is removed, at least partly. If ski base is not brushed after wax hot-application, the structure grooves will remain filled with wax, this amount of wax is huge compared to amount wax which would be on the ski base if brushed.

 

If you apply the CM 26 product on such a surface, you will dilute the applied product significantly. You will create a mixture of YELLOW HC WAX (partly mixed with the black wax) and CM 26 product. If the product CM 26 should have very specific features regarding water and dirt repellency, you would reduce them due to mixing it with another product.

To dilute a specific product with promised excellent water and dirt repellency does not make sense!

 

DIRT REPELLENCY

 

Warm and wet conditions contain normally a high amount of free water but quite often also a high amount of dirt which also needs to be repelled. In wax-based products normally short-chained wax types are normally used due to their optimal water repellency features and low friction values. Short-chained wax types have, however, also some disadvantages: they are not abrasion resistance (no big issue under wet conditions) and not optimal dirt repelling.

Dirt repelency should be tested in detail!

 

What is crucial to achieve a reliable kick? Part IV.: correctly choosen kick waxes

Kick ski waxes are not easily to be used, for this reason they are often replaced by different alternatives as e.g. mohair skis, wax tapes, no wax skis with nano-structure etc.

We recommend to use kick waxes if snow conditions are stable and predictable, for example when they do not change for longer time (e.g. several days).

Under stable and predictable snow and weather conditions kick ski waxes can be used safely and reliably without any big issues.

If you are not experienced enough DO NOT USE kick ski waxes in case of snow fall, close to zero degrees, any time when snow or weather conditions change fast.

General advice how to use kick waxes:

• apply kick waxes in kick zone only
• NEVER combine kick waxes with alternatives
• always start with a colder / harder wax applied in a thin layer
• hard kick waxes need to be rubbed by a cork
• before you “go” to a warmer / softer wax, try to apply more thin layers of a colder / harder wax
• do not apply more than ca. 4 thin layers
• hard waxes are dedicated for crystalline snow conditons or snow conditions where the snow crystalls did not lose their forms and shapes completely
• clisters are dedicated for transformed snow conditions or snow conditions where original snow crystalls have transformed to more or less oval cornes of different size
• you can put clisters on hard waxes but not vice versa

Why different structures need to be developed for ISANTIN?

In fact structures created with stone-grinding machines or manual rillers do not normally touch the snow surface. After the ski base is structured, it is normally cleaned chemically (to remove the cooling and greasing agent residues) and mechanically (to remove the grinding solid residues and unwanted hair) and hot waxed (to create protection film and modify ski base surface for respective snow and weather conditions).

Hot-wax-approach consists of several steps:

 1. wax is applied on the clean ski base surface (melted wax can be applied with wax applicator, solid wax can be rubbed on the ski base, wax can be melted on the iron and dropped as liquid on the ski base etc.), 

2. wax is ironed with recommended ironing temperature for recommended ironing time (normally from tip to tail with the target to make the wax penetrate to cavities inside amorphous ski base regions where wax molecules can be retained mechanically after ski base and wax cooled down to solid state), 

3. ski base with ironed wax layer is allowed to cool down for ca. 20 minutes at mediate temperature, 

4. excess wax is removed with scrapers first, from tip to tail, with sharp plastic scrapers carry-fully in flat ski base areas, 

5. after excess wax was removed from flat ski base areas, excess wax is removed out of water drainage gutter or gutters with oval plastic scrapers,

6. removing wax out of flat ski base areas with help of scrapers pushed more wax into grooves of structures which are now completely filled with excess wax which was compacted by scrapping,

7. grooves of the structure created with stone-grinding machines or manual rillers need to be restored, i.e. excess wax need to be removed out of the grooves, to remove excess wax out of the grooves brushes are used, normally fine steel or bronze brushes are used to remove excess wax out of the grooves,

8. fine steel or bronze ski brushes have normally hair 25 mm long, with bristles 0,1 mm thin which is bundled to bristle bundles with diameter of ca. 6 mm

9. if the grooves are 0,5 mm wide and ca. 0,05 mm deep (which is a middle fine structure pattern) it is quite obvious, that bristles 0,1 mm thin cannot reach the very bottom of the grooves, or in other words: remove all the excess wax out of the grooves,

10. it can be estimated that the lower 1/3 of the grooves remain filled with wax which is again compacted by the brush bristles

11. wax application makes the originally manufactured structures shallower and more rounded.

Unlike the hot-wax-approach ISANTIN covers the ski base surface with a very thin layer which is ca. 1 to 2 microns thin and thus copying the structure relief almost perfectly, in other words: after ISANTIN application the originally manufactured structure with help of stone-grinding machines or manual rillers remain more or less the same, only covered with an ultra-thin ISANTIN layer.

 

In fact the good performance of structures is tested and approved for waxed skis, not for plane = unwaxed skis which means the shallower and more rounded structure shapes after wax application are a part of the structure success.

 

If ISANTIN does not change the structures similarly to waxes, it is needed to change the structures in fabrication process = make them shallower and more rounded in stone-grinding process for ISANTIN.