No doubt regluing climbing skins is one of the nastiest jobs related to backcountry skiing. Removing the old dog hair, pine needles, and kick wax encrusted glue can be a pain. We do it at the shop, use a heated scraper and glue sheets to get the job done right. You can also use Gold Label, the canned stuff, but be ready to breathe some serious fumes.
It makes it a little easier if you have skins without a center strip when using the glue sheets. Sometimes I just cut them off if the customer is okay with it. I’ve been able to make strips like this out of some shop tape for people who don’t have them and want them as well, so I don’t think it is a big deal. You could always peel it back and then reattach it when the job is done, but it adds another thing you have to deal with and keep clean during the whole process. It helps to have something to attach the skins to…to keep them straight and secure. We use a piece of wood with some wire attached to it to make it quick and easy.
I wait until the scraper is nice and hot before removing the swag glue. You can also use a paint scraper and a heat gun, attacking it in short sections. It helps to keep the old glue from globing up in front of the scraper. I try to pull it away as I go down the skin. A bit of an angle works best for the edges to keep any from getting on the pelt.
After cutting the glue-sheets to the length of the skin and removing the backing, start at the tail and place it smoothly on top of the nice clean skins. Sometimes the backing doesn’t come off cleanly and wants to stick, pulling it away from the application sheet, but do your best. Cutting them into smaller sections may help, but I like to work with one long piece.
Heat the glue up with a hot iron and slowly move down the skin, spreading and smoothing out the glue with a roller. This also helps push the glue into the skin for holding power. I usually do this 2-3 times from tip to tail. The hotter the glue is, the easier it is to smooth out, but you can also push it over the edge and it might get on the edges of your pelt, so use a bit of caution. Overheating can also make the glue stick to the application sheet, so again…use caution!
After everything has had a chance to cool off, use a utility knife to cut the sheets at the edge of the skin. Then use your finger to help separate the two pieces. This helps to keep any excess glue from hanging on.
Slowly peel back the application sheet and see how you did. The clearer and smoother the glue looks, the better. I guess you could re-apply the paper and try to repeat the above steps if something doesn’t look right, but you really want to nail it the first time. Just like that sick couloir you’ve been eyeballing.
I like to use small blobs of glue to patch spots where the glue sheets missed, but keep a rag handy so you don’t contaminate your waxing iron too much. Let the skins cool completely (the longer the better) before folding together. Viola la….you are now ready to skin to win!!!
Steve, can you comment on the Gold Label canned glue vs. the sheet glue? My local shop fucked up the glue sheet reglue (when I asked you about that previously, the conclusion was that either the glue was old or they didn’t do it as precisely as you describe above. When they reglued it with Gold Label, it came out great and I had not trouble using it for a few years. I have to reglue some other skins now and am wondering if I should have the locals do it with Gold Label or send it to you for the glue sheet treatment. Can you comment on the performance differences between the two types of glue?
Hey Harpo!
I think if you have the time to wait for the Gold Label to dry, it may be a better way to go for DIY…less tools and heating needed. At the shop, we don’t really have time to wait between coats….so we use the glue sheets. We haven’t really had any people complain, so they seem to have worked out. I think the trick with the sheets is to heat them up enough so they bond into the material…as well as using a little elbow grease to push it in. I use Gold Label for touching up my race skins on the tail where I grab them with my hand. They tend to get less sticky there.
Hope this helps!
I have to say re-glueing skins is right up there with shoveling shit.
Once when i had a customer balk at the price for a re-glue so I invited him in back where antoher tech was doing his thing with the hot scraper….the customer coughed up the dough AND brought a 12’er…sometimes you just need to add a bit of perspective.
For what its worth, I think the paper method is really worth having done to your skins if they are in need…much better than the can.
RandoSteve, you forgot the most important tool of the ski regluing trade – beer. And patience. It takes me an entire evening to do a complete strip and reglue on skins, but at times it is worth it as the skins have reached that perfect level of glide vs climb that can only be achieved with use.
Agreed…Dad! 😀
lol, I had no idea people had shops do it for them,been regluing for years on kitchen counter….
Have you tried cleaning the glue before re-gluing? I did it on some ascension skins which have good, thick, glue but were covered in pine needles (alps), heather (Iceland)and general junk. I used cellulose thinners which comtained toluene (care – rubber gloves etc.) lay skins flat, wipe with clean, lint free cloth soaked in thinners/toluene, maybe twice to ensure top layer of glue is runny, the scrape the top of the glue with a stanley/craft knife to remove all the junk, wiping the knife frequently with another clean, lint free cloth. finally, wipe again with the thinners/toluene soaked cloth and allow to dry. Glue come up all shiny and sticky again!!
I have not Christopher. I wonder if you could achieve the same thing with the glue, and avoid all the toxins, by heating it with a heat gun…and then scraping it off while it’s molten? Might be tough to get only the top layer hot though…while keeping the rest cool.
Great tip though…maybe worth it’s own blog post. Thanks!