HELP: Melting P-tex...need to know the BEST way.
J. Pendino
I have a few base repairs that I need to do before taking to the slopes
this year. I have used an iron previously to melt the p-tex into the
base, but this is a very shaky process. I have also tried the open flame
technique that turns it a nice black color, not very attractive on a
bright yellow base.
Any ideas or tricks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
J. Pendino
--
J.P.
Bill Armstrong
: Sorry if this is a FAQ I looked a little.
: J. Pendino
: --
: J.P.
I have had luck with a hot glue gun with variable heat control.
The heat control is important as most hardware store glue guns
do not get quite hot enough. Check Building supply stores or
well stocked mega-home stores.
I use the burn method for smaller nicks and scratches. Careful
technique usually prevents soot buildup in the p-tex, which
ultimitly causes the fill to break down. Use in a well ventilated
area. As for unsightlyness, which is worse, a gouge or a little
discoloration on a smooth base??
Both methods seem to work better when all oils (hand)
and dirt are cleaned from the area you are filling.
Your mileage may vary....
Cheers -- Bill
--
Bill Armstrong barms...@neocad.com
Xilinx/NeoCAD Inc. 2585 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
(303) 442-9121
beater
>From: c59...@showme.missouri.edu (J. Pendino)
>Subject: HELP: Melting P-tex...need to know the BEST way.
>Date: 6 Dec 1995 18:53:41 GMT
>Sorry if this is a FAQ I looked a little.
>I have a few base repairs that I need to do before taking to the slopes
>this year. I have used an iron previously to melt the p-tex into the
>base, but this is a very shaky process. I have also tried the open flame
>technique that turns it a nice black color, not very attractive on a
>bright yellow base.
>Any ideas or tricks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
>J. Pendino
----------
Hi J,
The "light the end of the P-Tex" method is your best bet unless you do a lot
of repairs then you may want to invest in a P-Tex gun. Solves the
"blackening problem" .
To help prevent blackening, have a metal wax scraper with
you and continually drip the P-Tex on the scraper and wipe the black away
using the edge of the scraper. Do this for a few minutes until you get a good
stream of P-Tex flowing..then drip into hole. Just keep scraping the
black away each time it builds up.
Good luck....
Coupdevill
: this year. I have used an iron previously to melt the p-tex into the
: base, but this is a very shaky process. I have also tried the open
flame
: technique that turns it a nice black color, not very attractive on a
: bright yellow base.
: Any ideas or tricks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
If you choose to burn your P-tex keep your flame as blue as possible(if
its yellow you get carbon) do this by keeping it close to a metal scraper
and scrape the carbon off before dripping onto ski.
spv
Davin Lim
>In article <c592417-0612...@mizzou-ts6-12.missouri.edu> c59...@showme.missouri.edu (J. Pendino) writes:
>>From: c59...@showme.missouri.edu (J. Pendino)
>>Subject: HELP: Melting P-tex...need to know the BEST way.
>>Date: 6 Dec 1995 18:53:41 GMT
>
>>Sorry if this is a FAQ I looked a little.
>
>>this year. I have used an iron previously to melt the p-tex into the
>>base, but this is a very shaky process. I have also tried the open flame
>>technique that turns it a nice black color, not very attractive on a
>>bright yellow base.
>
I've come to the conclusion that the drip candle approach is marginal at
best and usually just plain sucks. Part of the problem is the relative
softness of the candle's p-tex - usually much softer than that found in
modern ski bases. I hear that the p-tex candles commonly sold have a
percentage of paraffin in their composition which aids in the burning
and melting properties, but does nothing but compromise the bond and
durability of the patch itself. Hot glue guns are a good step up, but
even these aren't as good as the real extrusion gun/irons that the shops
use. A simple glue gun does a good job of melting the filler without
adding carbon, but it can still do not much better than laying molten
plastic into a (relatively) cold hole. Ideally, one wants to accomplish
a "weld" between the new molten plastic and the existing base material.
That's where the extrusion irons excel - they heat up the ski base material
such that the new material fuses solidly with the surrounding base.
Since I can't justify the $120 to $250 for a real extrusion gun, I've come up
with a system that produces base patches of equal quality, but it requires a
bit more care and practice. First, you can't use the typical p-tex candles.
You need to find pure polyethylene sticks. Tognar Toolworks (was the Third
Hand) sells them (call 916/926-2600); they have what they call Techno Stix I
or Techno Stix II.
TS-I are a bit softer and less dense than the TS-II. Use TS-I for older
or low end skis that have non-sintered bases. Use the TS-II for the new
sintered bases. These come in white, black and a few other colors. The
first thing you notice about these sticks is that they are bigger and *much*
more dense than the typical p-tex candle. Other equipment you'll need is a
flexible putty knife, a propane torch. You'll also need the same tools you'd
use for a normal patch job like a surform tool, scrapers, files - basic stuff
for planing the patch smooth. The procedure is to cut pea-size pieces off
the ptex sticks, and using the putty knife that you've heated with the propane
torch, melt/press the chunks of plastic into the hole in the ski base. It
probably take a couple of reheatings of the putty knife to get both the
ptex chunk and the base to fuse together in a homogeneous mass. Be careful,
this takes *PRACTICE*! Work on some old junk skis first. Clear bases
are the easiest to learn with because you can see the fusion of the two
materials as it takes place. You have to be careful not to heat the putty
knife too much or it'll burn the p-tex and/or delaminate the existing base
material from the ski. (Actually, this is not as tricky as it may sound, but
you need to pay some sort of attention...) Once the material is laid in and
let cool, I use a surform tool to get most of it down close to flat. A good
sharp mill file can then be used to plane it down nice and smooth.
--
* Davin Lim *
* mailto:li...@arraytech.com *
* Boulder, Colorado. *
chaov
c59...@showme.missouri.edu (J. Pendino) writes:
> Sorry if this is a FAQ I looked a little.
>
> I have a few base repairs that I need to do before taking to the slopes
> this year. I have used an iron previously to melt the p-tex into the
> base, but this is a very shaky process. I have also tried the open flame
> technique that turns it a nice black color, not very attractive on a
> bright yellow base.
>
> Any ideas or tricks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
>
> J. Pendino
>
>
> c59...@showme.missouri.edu
>
> --
> J.P.
Maybe if you use a blowtorch. The black stuff forms because the ptex
gets cool. If you keep it really hot, I think it'll stay clear. Plus,
you can also buy one of those ptex guns. They look and work just like
a glue gun. I've heard they get rid of the black soot.
- Victor
Kev
inch comes off the end of the pliers. Then light it, let it burn for a second,
and barely touch it to the ski. It will fill the hole very quickly, and for
some reason the ptex doesn't blacken if the flame is close to the end of the
pliers; instead the carbon sticks to the pliers.
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin Mather
POD Engineering Dept.
Mail: gt4...@prism.gatech.edu
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Patrick Chase
|> Maybe if you use a blowtorch. The black stuff forms because the ptex
|> gets cool. If you keep it really hot, I think it'll stay clear. Plus,
|> you can also buy one of those ptex guns. They look and work just like
|> a glue gun. I've heard they get rid of the black soot.
Yes, they do. They have their own gotchas, though. You have to be careful
to preheat the area you are going to work on (using the heated die on your
extruder), or you'll get a bad repair. Also, you need to keep the repair
area heated *after* the P-Tex has been applied as well, so that it doesn't
solidify before a good bond can be established. I typically use my waxing
iron to heat a flat metal plate while I am actually shooting the repair.
When I finish, I place the heated plate on top of the repair area and
let it sit. You do have to be careful not to get things too hot, or
you'll damage the ski. Practice on a pair of thrashed skis first.
Reliable Racing sells a perfectly funtional PTex gun for about $120, if I
recall correctly.
-- Patrick
Richard Kuschel
blade wood burning soldering iron to fuse the stick into the base. The
process is slow but does not require a lot of cleanup and the repair is
praciically invisible.
-
RICHARD KUSCHEL EXY...@prodigy.com
C. Yee
..clip...
>
>Any ideas or tricks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
>
First, P-tex candles are too fat. Quarter-Cut them *the long way* so that
they you end up with four long, skinny pieces.
When you light these 'skinny' candles, you won't get the soot.
Last, don't just let it burn and drop molten globs onto the ski base.
When the tip gets molten, touch it to the ski base...it will *flow* and
adhere better.
It's not as good as a base weld, but it works good as a temp patch.
tba...@ivory.trentu.ca
>Sorry if this is a FAQ I looked a little.
>
>I have a few base repairs that I need to do before taking to the slopes
>this year. I have used an iron previously to melt the p-tex into the
>base, but this is a very shaky process. I have also tried the open flame
>technique that turns it a nice black color, not very attractive on a
>bright yellow base.
who cares what your bases look like!!
....Try using a hot-glue gun.
>
>Any ideas or tricks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
>
Berton Callicoatt
Bert
Nate Scott
TA>>base, but this is a very shaky process. I have also tried the open flame
>>technique that turns it a nice black color, not very attractive on a
>>bright yellow base.
TA>who cares what your bases look like!!
>....Try using a hot-glue gun.
Really, who cares! As long as they are smooth...
But really, if you use the open flame method use something really
hot like a torch to get it burning. When the P-tex stick starts
burning on its own, let the stick drip for a few drips before applying.
The black stuff is usually something like dirt on the end of the P-tex,
not burnt P-tex.
* 1st 2.00 * Shouldn't we be skiing?
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Internet: nate....@megasystem.com (Nate Scott)
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