Kuzmin Ski Technology AB
FAQ
Ski Scraper
Question: I found some rust spots on my newly purchased Kuzmin scraper. May spots affect functionality of the scraper?
Answer: No, it's just an aesthetic defect, and scraper’s functionality is intact. It is a dilemma for us - A little fat in our scrapers would prevent corrosion (HSS is not a real stainless steel alloy), but to get this fat on hands and ski base is not desirable. Therefore we have decided to compromise on aesthetics.
Question: Finally, I wonder how long scraper remains sharp. How long you can use them and can you e.g. regrind them?
Answer: Normally you can scrape away stone grinding from 1-3 pairs of skis per scraper’s edge. But there are factors that can impair scraper’s sharpness considerably - abrasive particles (sand, gravel) from dirty snow (snow poor winters) can sticks to ski base; - After sandpaper treatment of the middle, a lot of abrasive particles from the sandpaper (especially from very cheap sandpaper) is in ski base; - Losing scraper on stone floor makes it less sharp; Unfortunately, because of low demand, we have no regrinding service. You have to regard the ski scraper as a consumable item.
Question: If I use swix riller 2mm to skis on very wet conditions (after steel scraping and brushing) how do I get rid of this structure next time I go skiing? Should I press only so hard that the structure goes off with next steel scraping or how is this to be done?
Answer: Do not worry. Very light scraping (2-3 passes) takes almost all riller structure.
Question: Thanks for bringing some actual science into the whole waxing area. I have bought your scrapers in order to test your results. I have one question. How do you know when to stop scraping? I know you writhe that you should stop when you have a flat and smooth surface. I guess it is possible to establish when the surface looks smooth, but is it possible to see that it is really flat with just your eyes? Is there some easy method to establish this? I thought about using a carpenter’s tool with an air bubble that needs to be aligned, but I think this is too crude.
Answer: In the beginning of scraping you can see with naked eye, that scraper does not take whole ski width, because the ski is not flat in transverse section. Just continue to scrape until scraper begin to take whole width, and that's all.
Question:
If I'm not happy with the results, can I just wax the skis to get back to square no 1 or do I need to stone grind?
Answer:
Scraping of ski running surface and hot waxing of this surface work together very well. You can wax your scraped ski if you wish, you do not need any stone grinding.
Question: May I grind (sharpen) the scrapers?
Answer: Sorry, we cannot answer your question. May be you can, maybe not. However, needless to say, we cannot guaranty the same result, as with our original grinding.
