Restoring wood skis

[maxo...@coastside.net]

I have a pair of metal-edge wooden back-country skis made by Asnes.
They've lost their camber and I'm hoping there is a way to restore
them. I hate the thought of giving up on them. Any advice out there?

--Joel McKinnon

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[Greg Fangel]

Hello Joel,

My answer comes from Arvid Krogsveen, a senior member of our club that came
here from Norway. Arvid tells me that wooden skis were normally stored in
the summertime by tying the tips and tails of the skis together with both
bases facing each other. Then wedge a block of wood under the kick section
to keep the skis in camber. He also said the sometimes they just used a can
of wax for the spacer under the kick zone. Arvid suggested putting small
blocks under the skis first, then going larger so that you don't strain the
metal edge too much. To re-form the camber, tie the tips and tails of both
skis together with both bases facing each other and wedge a block under the
kick section, then put the skis into a warm, steamy sauna. That was a common
practice in the earlier years. Keep them in the sauna as long as the sauna
is in use. 4 hours or so. Do this again with larger spacer blocks.

Good luck and enjoy those great skis.

Greg Fangel
North Star Ski Touring Club - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN USA
www.north-stars.org

<maxo...@coastside.net> wrote in message
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[Dave Jackson]

Thanks for the info, I have a pair of wood skis (without metal edges)
and from now on I will store them with the block of wood between them.

I enjoy skiing on them a half dozen times a year. To me there is just
something about wood skiis that make them enjoyable to prepare and ski
on.

Dave
Grand Rapids, MN

In article <f3pg6.127$V6.1...@ruti.visi.com>, "Greg Fangel"
<gtfa...@NOSPAMvisi.com> wrote:

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[Brian M. Parks]

yes, always....i repeat ALWAYS store wooden skis bases together, blocked out
with the tips and tails strapped together. ALWAYS. make sure you keep them pine
tarred as well. if you live in a dry climate with the bases unsealed by pine
tar, you risk the chance that the wood will dry out and become brittle. some
friends once recommended putting them out in the snow for a bit before pine
taring them. never did that. just made sure i keep them sealed, stored in a
cool basement in summer with the bases blocked out. they'll last forever that
way...

bmp

Dave Jackson wrote:

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[Greg Fangel]

I just came in from a great trail breaking ski with my old woodies. There's
something very special about using them in the fresh quiet snow and in the
woods.

Another note: Norm Oavik, another veteran fixture or our club told me that
the newer wooden skis were laminated and had less of a problem of losing
their camber. The older solid ones were more vulnerable to losing their
shape.

Greg Fangel

"Brian M. Parks" <bmp...@SPAMfacstaff.wisc.edu> wrote in message
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