Salomon LAB Initial Tune

**MrDirt** · 11-07-2006, 03:41 PM

I picked up a pair of the 1080 LABs off SAC. Considering that these skis have race bases, what kind of initial tune is required? The skis have some wax from the factory, but from my understanding, what I need to do is this:

1. Light base grind to get their protective wax off and open up the pores.
2. Brushing and 10+ hot scrapes.
3. Wax

How many of the hot scrapes should I do with base prep before switching to my desired wax?

**pechelman** · 11-07-2006, 04:04 PM

It always amazes me how much time people spend on bases for freeridish type skis.

Personally Id just ski them and then wax.
If you're anal, brush\scrape off whatever's on there, hot wax it once or twice, and do your final wax.

**The Dad** · 11-07-2006, 04:14 PM

What pechelman said.

**TheDon** · 11-07-2006, 04:34 PM

Ski'em til they get slow then worry about it man...

P.S. That ski Rocks!

How much did you score them for? If I might ask?

**MrDirt** · 11-07-2006, 04:39 PM

I was really just concerned about the race bases and what kind of attention they usually need. When I got my LP's I went through the full process and it took me a LONGGGG time.

I got the skis for something like 230 shipped. Totally sick deal. I'm going to mount them 3cm back from the line to make for a nice, decently stiff all mountain ski.

**pechelman** · 11-07-2006, 04:42 PM

someone correct me if im wrong

but sollys race bases are just much softer than their normal production stuff.
knowing that, the last thing id want to do is remove unnecessary material.

it sounds like youre the scrape -> brush -> hot wax twice -> final wax kinda guy.

**MrDirt** · 11-07-2006, 04:46 PM

Yeah I suppose there isn't much point to making these things perform at 100% anyway. They should be fast enough as it is. I'll go for the quick tune and save myself and my back from hours of leaning over the pair.

**Big Blue** · 11-07-2006, 06:31 PM

A good hot-scraping does make the p-tex more pliable and therefore less likely to get those really nasty sutured-scar looking coreshots.

**Voltron** · 11-07-2006, 06:59 PM

Do you plan on running gates and racing with you're 1080's?

Didin't think so. So why prep them as if you were...

**mc_roon** · 11-07-2006, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by pechelman

someone correct me if im wrong

but sollys race bases are just much softer than their normal production stuff.

that was the case with my S&C AK rocket labs from last season. you could easily mark the base with a fingernail, but they HAULED downhill

**MrDirt** · 11-07-2006, 07:11 PM

Aren't all race bases just softer materials so they soak up a buttload of wax?

**pechelman** · 11-07-2006, 07:19 PM

where are those plastics engineers when you need them.
paging mbs

Ive thought about a couple different scenarios regarding the resultant larger grain size of a softer material but I just dont know what mechanism is at work here and if im thinking too microscopic.

**dirtybryan** · 11-07-2006, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by MrDirt

Aren't all race bases just softer materials so they soak up a buttload of wax?

Pretty much. Its not so much that they soak up more wax because they are soft just so much as the base material that the most porous base material is softer.

Like others said. Unless your racing, I wouldn't break your back trying to make them fast.

**SuperGaper** · 11-07-2006, 07:50 PM

I don't think salomon goes to WC ptex roll for the 1080's, that said 2-3 applications scrape and brush, check base bevel! ski.

**leroy jenkins** · 11-07-2006, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by dirtybryan

Pretty much. Its not so much that they soak up more wax because they are soft just so much as the base material that the most porous base material is softer.

Like others said. Unless your racing, I wouldn't break your back trying to make them fast.

More wax in the base=a stronger base structuraly.

Don't know how much difference it makes, but it makes sense.

If you really want to do the full deal, scrape and brush the shit out of the bases, brush them some more, then brush them some more.

Then starting with the densest (coldest) wax you have, wax them with one coat, scraping them while they are still warm, and then brushing them. Then repeat this with the second coldest wax you have, then the next and next, so that the last coat will be the warmest weather wax you have.

Scrape that, brush it, then if you are skiing on them soon, wax whatever is appropriatte for the current conditions, then do a cold scrape.

I've never spent that much time on any pair of skis at once, even repairing things, but there ya, go, thats pretty much most of the full deal, if you were super serial about it.

**skinnyskier** · 11-08-2006, 12:03 AM

Sooner or later I have the shop make my new skis flat and put a 1 & 1 bevel on. I only have decent file guides in those angles so its much easier if all my skis are the same. Re wax: I guess if youre bored and have lots of cheap wax, go crazy.

**LaramieSkiBum** · 11-08-2006, 12:16 AM

i prep my skis by scraping the edges on asphault in the parking lot and scaping the wax off w/ a few High T. runs....

no, seriously.

**MrDirt** · 11-08-2006, 12:26 AM

Thanks for all the input guys. I may still go for the full on prep just to see how fast I can make these things, just out of boredom. I have plenty of free time before I move to UT next month. Obviously these are going to be my "when the EFF is it going to snow again?" skis, so any reccomendations on the edges?

Edit: If these are going to be my "When the EFF is it going to snow again?" skis, I'm guessing they wont see much use in Utah.

**mtbakerskier** · 11-08-2006, 02:48 AM

Originally Posted by pechelman

where are those plastics engineers when you need them.
paging mbs

Ive thought about a couple different scenarios regarding the resultant larger grain size of a softer material but I just dont know what mechanism is at work here and if im thinking too microscopic.

Ski base material is either HDPE or UHMWPE depending on the grade of the material. The main differance here is the crystalinity of the material, the higher the crystalinity the harder the base material, and the less pourus it is.

There are othe differences I.E. extruded / sinisterd ( all UHMWPE materials are sinistered)

However different base materials can also very depending on the additives that are compounded with it such as graphite.

The thing to remember is that plastics are temperature sensitive, so while softer bases might be faster in one conditon a harder base could be faster in other conditions.

Softer bases are easier to damage, but are also easier to fix.

ok thats enough rambling at 1 am

**bossass** · 11-08-2006, 03:15 AM

Originally Posted by MrDirt

I was really just concerned about the race bases and what kind of attention they usually need. When I got my LP's I went through the full process and it took me a LONGGGG time.

I got the skis for something like 230 shipped. Totally sick deal. I'm going to mount them 3cm back from the line to make for a nice, decently stiff all mountain ski.

Pardon me for saying, but why would you even get these only to mount them back that far for "all mountain". Why not just spend that money on some sticks that are actually meant to be ridden further back? Those skis are skinny as shit, and are gonna swizzle nicely when you're leaning back on those twin tips. It's like getting some Gotamas and mounting them 5cm forward so they're good in the pipe (why not just get some SAC 1080s).

**bossass** · 11-08-2006, 03:16 AM

Originally Posted by mtbakerskier

Ski base material is either HDPE or UHMWPE depending on the grade of the material. The main differance here is the crystalinity of the material, the higher the crystalinity the harder the base material, and the less pourus it is.

There are othe differences I.E. extruded / sinisterd ( all UHMWPE materials are sinistered)

However different base materials can also very depending on the additives that are compounded with it such as graphite.

The thing to remember is that plastics are temperature sensitive, so while softer bases might be faster in one conditon a harder base could be faster in other conditions.

Softer bases are easier to damage, but are also easier to fix.

ok thats enough rambling at 1 am

What are you? A fucking plastics engineer? Go back to homebrew, yokel.

**pechelman** · 11-08-2006, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by mtbakerskier

Ski base material is either HDPE or UHMWPE depending on the grade of the material. The main differance here is the crystalinity of the material, the higher the crystalinity the harder the base material, and the less pourus it is.

There are othe differences I.E. extruded / sinisterd ( all UHMWPE materials are sinistered)

However different base materials can also very depending on the additives that are compounded with it such as graphite.

The thing to remember is that plastics are temperature sensitive, so while softer bases might be faster in one conditon a harder base could be faster in other conditions.

Softer bases are easier to damage, but are also easier to fix.

ok thats enough rambling at 1 am

rad, thanks.

so to go uber dork on you

keeping all things equal as far as additives, processing, and parent materials

While a harder\stronger base material will have more interstitials due to a finer grain structure, the softer\weaker base material will have fewer, but Larger interstitial sites, and therefore make it more porous.

sound about right?

**MrDirt** · 11-08-2006, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by bossass

Pardon me for saying, but why would you even get these only to mount them back that far for "all mountain". Why not just spend that money on some sticks that are actually meant to be ridden further back? Those skis are skinny as shit, and are gonna swizzle nicely when you're leaning back on those twin tips. It's like getting some Gotamas and mounting them 5cm forward so they're good in the pipe (why not just get some SAC 1080s).

I've already skied a pair of 1080 Labs in the normal mounting point and did not like them because they were too centered. I will probably end up mounting them 2.5cm back, which is still 2cm forward of where my Scratch BCs are mounted, and the equivalent of where they'd be if I mounted the BCs in the modern position. While I call it "all mountain" it is still a far more forward mount than I'm used to. I'd like to be able to ski bumps on them from time to time, and if I mounted them on salomon's lines, they'd kick my ass on the zipperline. I'm confident that they will ski wonderfully.

**mtbakerskier** · 11-08-2006, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by pechelman

rad, thanks.

so to go uber dork on you

keeping all things equal as far as additives, processing, and parent materials

While a harder\stronger base material will have more interstitials due to a finer grain structure, the softer\weaker base material will have fewer, but Larger interstitial sites, and therefore make it more porous.

sound about right?

yep. Softer bases can hold more wax, BUT more WAX doesnt exactly = faster.