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Carl Kuck

Ambassador of Stoke
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Jan 21, 2016
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739
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Del Mar
I guess I'm a cynical "wait-and-see", but there's a saying in software that you shouldn't install version 1.0 of anything... :rolleyes:
 

jzmtl

Intermidiot
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Apr 25, 2017
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323
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Montreal
I can't see this working, HDPE is used for containers for tons of harsh chemicals because it can stand up to things that will melt everything else, how is this going to penetrate the entire thickness of the base just rubbing it on?
 

Tom K.

Skier Ordinaire
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I guess I'm in the minority w/r/t the "joy" of waxing. I've been doing it since I was 10 (so 48 seasons) and honestly, I think I could easily do without it at this point.

What seals the deal for me is the road trip aspect of the DPS treatment. I take 4 trips a year, and love the feel of freshly waxed skis, but HATE waxing while on the road (hot tubs, great meals out, hockey games, etc. seem to consume the evenings, and I like MY waxing bench).

So I'm in for this idea.

Next season!
 

dovski

Waxing my skis and praying for snow
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So I was one those willing to take a leap of faith and order Phantom through the Kickstarter campaign. Wish they had made clear that applying it required 6 hours of sunlight to cure the skis. Here in Seattle I might not get a dry sunny day like that until spring. I think DPS needs to come up with an indoor alternative such as UV lights or something to accomplish this, if not this will be a huge obstacle for adoption. Anyone have any ideas on what else might work?
 

mdf

entering the Big Couloir
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It was sugeseted in jest, but a tanning booth should work. There used to be UV-erasable programmable electronic chips and erasers that work with them, but a quick google indicates that is an obsolete technology. I doubt a "black light" would be strong enough to do anything.
 

Jacques

Workin' It on Skis Best I Can
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Bend, OR
So I was one those willing to take a leap of faith and order Phantom through the Kickstarter campaign. Wish they had made clear that applying it required 6 hours of sunlight to cure the skis. Here in Seattle I might not get a dry sunny day like that until spring. I think DPS needs to come up with an indoor alternative such as UV lights or something to accomplish this, if not this will be a huge obstacle for adoption. Anyone have any ideas on what else might work?

Tanning salon is your answer. Pay the pipper and get er' done. I am a black light guy, and that won't work. You need full spectrum.
 

David Chaus

Beyond Help
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Stanwood, WA
So I was one those willing to take a leap of faith and order Phantom through the Kickstarter campaign. Wish they had made clear that applying it required 6 hours of sunlight to cure the skis. Here in Seattle I might not get a dry sunny day like that until spring. I think DPS needs to come up with an indoor alternative such as UV lights or something to accomplish this, if not this will be a huge obstacle for adoption. Anyone have any ideas on what else might work?

We’re in Washington state. Find a pot grower, they have some strong grow lights. Bet that’d do it.
 

eok

Slopefossil
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Nov 18, 2015
Posts
856
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PNW
So I was one those willing to take a leap of faith and order Phantom through the Kickstarter campaign. Wish they had made clear that applying it required 6 hours of sunlight to cure the skis. Here in Seattle I might not get a dry sunny day like that until spring. I think DPS needs to come up with an indoor alternative such as UV lights or something to accomplish this, if not this will be a huge obstacle for adoption. Anyone have any ideas on what else might work?

IF you already have access to multiple lamp holders/stands, then a special high UV CFL light might be worth considering. Ex: Exo Terra Repti-glo 26 watt. This is a high UV (high UVB in particular) bulb used for large reptile terrariums. Not crazy bright, but don't let that fool you. The bulbs put out daylight levels of UVB (geat for reptiles, not for humans - so take proper precautions). They are not cheap: $12-$15 a pop (Amazon, Petco, etc.). You'd probably need 3 or 4 bulbs evenly positioned to give adequate coverage along the length of the ski(s).

Don't laugh. I've used two of the above bulbs to cure optical UV-cure resin for repairing windshields with multiple small-to-large chips. Was living in Seattle at the time and, like you, relying on random 10min sunbreaks was just not practical. If you're into electronics, the lamps also are great for erasing some types of EEPROM memory chips.
 

dovski

Waxing my skis and praying for snow
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IF you already have access to multiple lamp holders/stands, then a special high UV CFL light might be worth considering. Ex: Exo Terra Repti-glo 26 watt. This is a high UV (high UVB in particular) bulb used for large reptile terrariums. Not crazy bright, but don't let that fool you. The bulbs put out daylight levels of UVB (geat for reptiles, not for humans - so take proper precautions). They are not cheap: $12-$15 a pop (Amazon, Petco, etc.). You'd probably need 3 or 4 bulbs evenly positioned to give adequate coverage along the length of the ski(s).

Don't laugh. I've used two of the above bulbs to cure optical UV-cure resin for repairing windshields with multiple small-to-large chips. Was living in Seattle at the time and, like you, relying on random 10min sunbreaks was just not practical. If you're into electronics, the lamps also are great for erasing some types of EEPROM memory chips.
I've got 4ft fluorescent lights right above my work bench where I tune my skis. If I put those bulbs in would that work? Light is about 6 ft above my workbench so not sure about the range ... etc.
 

dovski

Waxing my skis and praying for snow
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Seattle
Tanning salon is your answer. Pay the pipper and get er' done. I am a black light guy, and that won't work. You need full spectrum.
I thought of that, but not to many tanning salons around these days and I will need to cure the skis twice for 3 hours at a time so not sure how practical or cost effective that is.
 

eok

Slopefossil
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I've got 4ft fluorescent lights right above my work bench where I tune my skis. If I put those bulbs in would that work? Light is about 6 ft above my workbench so not sure about the range ... etc.

The bulbs I referenced are CFL bulbs. They won't fit in your 4ft shop lights.
 

eok

Slopefossil
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It was sugeseted in jest, but a tanning booth should work. There used to be UV-erasable programmable electronic chips and erasers that work with them, but a quick google indicates that is an obsolete technology. I doubt a "black light" would be strong enough to do anything.

Actually, EEPROMs are still used (but harder to find now), as some old 80's-90's 'tech features are still employed in parts of industry and the military.
 

eok

Slopefossil
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I found these full spectrum aquarium/grow lights on Amazon, do you think these might work?
https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Re...TF8&qid=1515563788&sr=8-15&keywords=repti+glo

They might work, but it will be a $48 experiment. Think about that hard. I haven't heard of anyone using artificial light to cure the product - yet. If it doesn't work, you'll be out the cost of the lights. And you'll have a set of skis that you can't use until you have a winter sunny day in Seattle. But it's unclear if you can leave Phantom on bases for days/weeks before curing them. Might make a mess of your bases (good luck cleaning the resin out of the base structure) and now you are also out the cost of the Phantom application too.

Ideally, you'd position the lights as close to the skis as possible, while still getting full coverage. Too close and you'll have partial coverage and have to cure the skis in sections. The further the light, the longer it will take to cure the resin. At a 3ft distance I'd leave the skis under the light for a day/overnight. BUT, I'd only attempt curing a set of skis AFTER I'd tested a small amount of the product on a small area of a ski (like a 2" spot on a tip or tail). If the test was successful then I'd try it on a full set of skis.

The absolute best advice I can give you at this point: contact DPS and run your idea by them and see what they say. Please do this first.

I'd be curious if they can give any tips on using UVB lights and info on what to look for that indicates the application has completely cured (that last part is crucial info to know exactly). I wouldn't be surprised if THEY have already tried using UVB lights in their lab/shop to cure tests of their product.
 

dbostedo

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Just received this in an email from DPS (everyone who participated in the Kickstarter should get it) :

"Curing process:
We have received questions and comments regarding the curing process and would like to clarify some of the details not covered in the application video.
  • The only currently approved method to cure Phantom is by placing your skis or snowboard outside in sunny to partly sunny conditions for a minimum of three hours. Do not worry if they sit in direct sunlight for longer than three hours.
  • Alternatives to sunlight. We are working on an alternative to curing by sunlight (i.e. indoor) and hope to have a solution in the next two weeks. We will provide updates via Kickstarter when more information is available.
  • Temperature range during the curing step. We have tested and approved the curing of Phantom in sunny to partly sunny conditions down to 20F/-6C and up to 105F/40C."
 

dovski

Waxing my skis and praying for snow
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Seattle
Yup they told me the same thing when I spoke with them yesterday. Had I known this during the Kickstarter campaign I probably would only have bought one to test as applying this is going to be a challenge.
 

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