Skins getting old, worth replacing?

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 67hours 13 Dec 2020

I've had my touring setup for 5 seasons now. End of last season I noticed that the glue on the skins was getting left on the skis a bit. Not all over, but a few patches or streaks near the middle. I've normally stored them in a good way, or so I thought given the lack of problems over past years.

Obviously I ignored the problem at the time, and now comes the time to head out again...

  1. Is there some easy fix to this for the skins, or should I just buy a new set after so many winters (I have K2 Wayback 88)?
  2. What's the best way to get the sticky bits of glue off the skis?

Thanks!

George

 Doug 13 Dec 2020
In reply to 67hours:

Unless you ski most days of the season, 5 years is nothing for a set of skins. Maybe a mix of regluing the skins & hot waxing the skis ?

In reply to 67hours:

You can buy skin glue sheets and reglue them. I think you just heat gun them on?

 MG 13 Dec 2020
In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

You need to strip the old glue off first. Use a hair dryer and wall paper scraper. Remove cats from the area.

 daWalt 14 Dec 2020
In reply to 67hours:

you could try an "refresh" the glue a wee bit; wash the skins then warm iron the glue beneath a bit of parchment paper (not greaseproof).

if you want to remove the glue, to then do a full re-glue, you can do that by ironing on bits of brown paper; iron on then immediately peel off and the glue comes with it. I find this easier than scraping. but it doesn't remove all the glue all the way down to the skin fabric.

for removing glue from the base - hard work

I think you're more likely to leave glue on the base it it's bald of wax, and potentially suffering from hairy-base syndrome.

 doz 14 Dec 2020
In reply to 67hours:

If the skins still grip the snow they don't need replacing!

Removing the glue with a heated scraper  (Colltex do one) is definitely the easiest way and avoids getting everything including yourself covered in old glue/heather/ptarmigan poo etc

Then either spread new glue on out a tube or use hotmelt sheets with an iron

Hope that helps...

OP 67hours 14 Dec 2020
In reply to 67hours:

Thank you for the great advice everyone!

I get the message - just fix it yourself rather than go shopping . Thanks for saving me the £100+!
I'll hide the cats, get the iron and scraper out and have a go.

 HeMa 15 Dec 2020
In reply to doz:

> Removing the glue with a heated scraper  (Colltex do one) is definitely the easiest way and avoids getting everything including yourself covered in old glue/heather/ptarmigan poo etc

Actually I find that the using some old bedlinen strips is the easiest and least messy method. Simply place fabric strips on the glue-side covering it. Heat with and iron and rip the strip and place in garbage bag. Two runs is often enough to get an almost clean results, the apply new glue and call it good.


As for the OP. If there are no holes in the glue (just some globs etc.). It is often enough to "borrow" wifes tweezers and pick out all the visible crap from from the glue (remember to buy new tweezers or face her wrath). Then using a sticker backing paper or parchment paper, re-distribute the glue evenly using a waxing iron.

If there are small patches without glue, then get some glue (in a bottle, e.g. BD do one) and fill the patches. And after that glue has settled, do the re-distribution.

If the whole glue is a lost cause (big patches and globs, full of crap and not sticky anymore). Then remove completely (or almost completely, see above).  And re-glue with those transfer sheets. But don't bin the backing paper and instead use it the next time you need to fix the glue...


Oh, and wax yer skis properly.


In essence, you only need to get new skins, if you change yer skis and the skins are way too small... or that you've mistreated them and ripped too many big gashes on 'em... Or you've simply worn through them (not enough hair left, so don't really grip anymore). Glide, use BD glob stopper... or any ~0 to -5C parafin... the same stuff you put on yer skis. Albeit don't hotwax the skins, simply rub it on. Stops the skins from gettin' all wet (or at least they get less wet), so stay on better. Also they'll glide better.

 daWalt 15 Dec 2020
In reply to 67hours:

Good comprehensive post by hema.

I'd seriously recommend you try the baking parchment and iron thing. For the cost of a bit of baking parchment, if you don't already have some, it's a shot for nothing. You can even use your mum's normal steam iron. Just don't add water, start on low heat and increase gradually untill it only just melts the glue beneath the paper. 

If you're really going for the scraper, then prepare; get lots of cardboard. One large open box for a working area, and more for wiping the scraper on. 

Good luck 

 doz 15 Dec 2020
In reply to HeMa:

Never thought of using bedsheets....good idea!

Though I'm not sure I've been forgiven yet for not telling my wife I'd used her iron to hot wax my skiis....fair bit came off on her smartest dress next time she used it....

Was twenty-five years ago so she may have forgotten.....

 Doug 15 Dec 2020
In reply to doz:

I had a similar experience in a shared house when I was a postgrad student, the others were in their first jobs. I used the communal iron to wax my skis, next day one of my house mates had a job interview so ironed his 'best white shirt', he wasn't impressed by the orange wax stripes...

 HeMa 15 Dec 2020
In reply to doz:

Don't worry... women and computers are quite alike.

From the DOS era, the error message "Bad command or file name" was as informative as "If you don't know why I'm angry at you, then I'm angry at you".

Also all mishaps are stored in longtime memory to be used when needed...

so no, she has not forgotten.

 

Ps. get an old iron from the drift store. or a new waxing iron. neither should cost more than 10-15 quid.

 Billhook 26 Dec 2020
In reply to 67hours:

There's a few good tutorials on 're-glueing  skins on skis.  I've done it the once following a U tube tutorial and it basically restored my skins back to their new condition in terms of sticking and staying clean.


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