How to Burn Tar on the Bottom of Wooden Cross Country Skis

Skis anciens en vois image by Fredoche from Fotolia.com

Tarring wooden skis helps protect them and make them last longer. It is typically done once a year in the spring after the snow season to seal any scrapes that might have occurred in the winter. If you ski at locations that are more abrasive, you might have to tar more than once a year.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Scraper
Wax remover
Fine sand paper
Cloth
Pine tar
Hot air gun or hair dryer

Step 1

Clean the base of the skis of any debris or other material. Use a scraper, or in the case of wax, use a wax remover.

Step 2

Make sure the bottoms of the skis are dry.

Step 3

Lightly sand the bottom with a fine sand paper and wipe off dust with a cloth.

Step 4

Apply a thin layer of tar on the entire bottom of the ski.

Step 5

Use a hot air gun or hair dryer on the highest setting to heat the tar. Move the heater constantly so as not to burn the tar. Start at one end and work from side to side all the way down the ski. If done correctly, the tar will bubble a little.

Step 6

Allow to dry about six hours.

Step 7

Use a cloth to wipe off excess tar. If there is none to wipe off, the layer was too thin. Redo any thin areas.

Tips & Warnings

Remove any cloth, paper or other flammable material from the work space before heating the tar. Do not put the heat too close to the tar.

Article Written By Keith Dooley

Keith Dooley has a degree in outdoor education and sports management. He has worked as an assistant athletic director, head coach and assistant coach in various sports including football, softball and golf. Dooley has worked for various websites in the past, contributing instructional articles on a wide variety of topics.

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