BACKSHOP
Set Up
Your Wax
Iron Right
A. Find a flat bench sander to initially sand the base of the iron
completely flat. This step may take between a minute and 10
minutes, depending on the finish quality of the iron’s base.
Setting up your waxing iron for best performance is a
must to-do — and pretty darn easy. Take 30 minutes right
now and get dialed in to help your iron reach its potential.
How? Drilling out the iron will hold more wax between the
hot iron and the ski’s base, yielding less wax waste over
the sides and also keeping a thicker critical heat buf-
fer between the iron and the base — very similar to the
boundary layer of air that surrounds a dimpled golf ball.
B. Using the same flat bench sander, smooth any rough edges all
around the base of the iron, and make sure that you have retained the
leading and training angles that the factory ground into the iron’s base.
Nordic skiers and those who need to use their iron for ironing in powder
overlays should stop here. Top techs usually have a dimpled iron for
waxing and a flat iron for powders.
C. Using a straight edge and a black marker, draw parallel lines to form a diagonal grid
on the base, 1 centimeter apart. This is where you will be drilling relief holes to hold more
wax between the iron and the base.
D. With your iron carefully placed in a vise or being held by a
friend, drill two to three millimeters into the base at each intersecting line using a 1/4-inch metal drill bit. Consider also using
a depth collar on your drill bit if you are working with a very thin
plated iron, or if you are unsure of your drilling skills.
E. Do a final re-sand, paying particular attention to the
edges of the holes you’ve drilled, using an 80- or 120-grit
drywall screen. When you’re done, be sure to thoroughly
clean the base of the iron before use.
