So, cats, loving skis, but don’t like fat-assed capitalists who charge exorbitant prices for all sorts of bullshit.... Now I’ll tell you how to save money.
A beautiful, lightweight and all fashionable machine for preparing cross-country skis in stores costs from 3 thousand and above, usually 4,500 - 10,000 rubles just for the machine itself, and for the frame (legs or a special table) they will ask you the same amount.
There is absolutely no need to spend that kind of money. It took me 1000 (one thousand) rubles to make such a machine.
It may be unprepossessing, but it performs the function of holding the ski during procedures with a slide perfectly. For stability, you can secure it with clamps on any table, or drill holes in the base and secure it with bolts again on the table.
To make it you will need:
1) Glued wood panel no less than 1650 x 250 x 40 mm, I bought a regular window sill made of laminated wood in a hardware store for 900 rubles (2014) - 1 piece
2) Fastening plates 40 x 80 mm with 10 mm holes (again, any construction equipment has them) - 4 pcs.
3) A pair of bolts (or a piece of threaded rod) 50-60 mm long, 10 mm in diameter and wing nuts for them. I took the stud and cut it, it is more convenient to tighten the wing nuts on both sides than to hold the head of the bolt and tighten the nut.
4) 100 g of stain with varnish (Belinka is suitable)
5) A piece of hose with a wall thickness of 3-5 mm. I used old bike grips (rubber grips from the handlebars)
Tool:
Electric jigsaw and long, medium-toothed saw blades for carving soft wood
- drill (screwdriver)
- metal drill D10 mm
- wood drill D10 mm
- rough sandpaper 300 x 300 mm
- fine sandpaper 300 x 300 mm
- medium width paint brush
How to do it?
We mark and cut the window sill (or whatever you have) according to the following drawing:
After cutting out the base, we round the ends of the tops, as seen in the photo above.
We cut out grooves (see photo) convenient for attaching the machine to the table. There is no need to get carried away and reduce the strength of the machine in critical places, especially close to the middle, where the mount will hang. By the way, on real machines it is by the mount that they attach the ski to the machine (it can be done, but I can’t figure out how).
We sand all the cuts with coarse sandpaper, then fine sandpaper.
We drill holes in the mounting plates (usually 6-8 mm there, drill out to 10)
Trying on the clamping plates. They need to be placed so that their edges can clamp the ski, but at the same time the ski should lie on the machine itself, and not on the edges of the plate. Understand? Let's mark it. We drill holes for the clamping plates in the machine.
We put pieces of hose cut to size on the ends of the clamping plates.
We adjust everything by trying on the ski.
We remove the plates and paint the machine. I painted Belink. You don’t have to paint it, but paraffin and other production waste stick less to the painted one.
We collect and get something like this:
You can prepare your skis.
I use a simple set for preparation.
3 more tips for a skier in crisis))))
To prepare your skis, buy an old Soviet iron from an advertisement, it will cost 200-300 rubles, and it is adjustable and heats no worse than the branded TOKO iron for 3-5000 rubles.
Instead of a branded hard brush for 700 rubles at a hardware store, buy the stiffest one for 50 rubles and cut the bristles in half with a knife.
Instead of Swix's proprietary method of removing the old layer of paraffin, white spirit or purified gasoline is quite suitable, the main thing is not to use harsh solvents.
Ride to your health))) Last Saturday I ran 17 km in 1.5 hours, for an amateur at my age it’s normal)))
A small holder for transporting skis and poles made of polypropylene pipe and fittings.
I came up with and made a small device to make it easier for my schoolgirl daughter to carry skis. Carrying a backpack, a change of clothes, ski boots and the skis and poles themselves at the same time is not very convenient. It is much easier to carry skis and poles in one set.
![](https://i2.wp.com/freeseller.ru/uploads/posts/2018-02/thumbs/1517603417_7.jpg)
Materials needed
To assemble the holder, I used lightweight materials: a 20 mm polypropylene pipe and fittings of the same diameter.
Total required:
ten 90 degree corners;
two connecting tees;
four clips from 16 mm pipe wiring;
four screws.
Tools:
soldering iron for polypropylene pipes;
scissors for polypropylene pipes;
screwdriver;
![](https://i0.wp.com/freeseller.ru/uploads/posts/2018-02/thumbs/1517603451_2.jpg)
Making fixtures
To begin with, the five parts of the holder were separately soldered.
After experimentally determining the required gap for inserting skis, I soldered the entire structure.
On top, near the handle, I placed clips for attaching poles.
![](https://i1.wp.com/freeseller.ru/uploads/posts/2018-02/thumbs/1517603379_5.jpg)
Attaching skis to a device
The process of attaching the skis themselves is simple: Just squeeze the skis and insert them into the gap of the holder, release.
After which the skis straighten and fix themselves. And the poles are simply inserted into the clips until they click.
The weight of the holder was approximately 300 grams.
![](https://i0.wp.com/freeseller.ru/uploads/posts/2018-02/thumbs/1517603464_8.jpg)
This ski holder was assembled to make my schoolgirl’s life easier.
![](https://i2.wp.com/freeseller.ru/uploads/posts/2018-02/thumbs/1517603396_9.jpg)
And the consultant suggested taking holders like these (I myself was looking at Velcro, which is cheaper). After our short discussion, I realized that he was right: Velcro is easy to lose, especially for children (I later became convinced when I saw them outside in the winter on a snowy “blanket”). Velcro can also stick to gloves and mittens (also a small “nuance”). Perhaps, if I buy skis for myself (for now our family has a “full” set of only skates), I’ll take these Velcro for comparison and as a more budget-friendly option.
Place of purchase - store "Sportmaster"(I left my review on it. If you look at the company’s official website, then according to this link you will find just this product.
The cost was 140 rubles, but this includes payment of 30% bonuses from the card (if there are no bonuses or cards, then the regular price is 199 rubles).
Here's what the manufacturer writes:
A holder for conveniently carrying skis and poles over long distances. The model is made of lightweight plastic, easily attaches and securely holds skis and poles. Includes 2 holders.
I was even a little surprised by this long term The warranty for this “trifle” is 1 year.
This year I have already noticed ski covers (black) on sale, but only in one size, as I understand it. In any case, it is much more convenient to store in cases (it will allow you to preserve its presentation longer). We have skis in the hallway (in the corner), nowhere else.
The holders allow you to connect poles and skis together (this is convenient not only for storage, so that nothing is in different sides did not fly apart, but also a nice bonus when carrying). At our school we have physical education 2 times a week (in winter, when there is no severe frost and the weather permits, children go skiing). We also sometimes go for a walk on the weekends ourselves. Most often, I drive my son to school myself, but it’s not always easy to place a ski kit in the cabin of the car (in addition to it, there’s also a heavy backpack, a bag with shoes, a bag with sports uniform, crafts and much more). The presence of holders also acts as a small help - everything is compactly located on the floor where the rear seat is.
In general, you can store your skis and boots at school; most often we leave them there if we don’t plan to ski them on the weekend.
My son’s skis have bindings for boots (the boots were taken separately), so they are quite “weighty”.
Two holders are needed so that one fixes (holds) skis with poles on the upper side, and the second on the lower side. It turns out that the poles serve as a kind of carrying handle, but I carry them by holding the skis themselves (somewhere in the middle). It seems to me that this method of carrying (holding on sticks) is not entirely reliable.
Nuance: rings that are placed at the ends ski poles will interfere with each other when inserted into the holder. That is, one stick will be inserted, but the second one will not be fully inserted and may fly out, because... the rings interfere with each other (raising one stick up will not solve the problem).
In the photo below you can see that one stick is in place, and the second has come out of the “nest”. I specifically lowered the holder down.
Therefore, it is better for adults to insert skis and poles into such a holder, or for a child to practice with adults. During a physical education lesson, there is no guarantee that the child will not lose these holders (depending on where he leaves them/falls/forgets somewhere, etc.).
The holders are dimensionless, so they should fit adult skis (my son’s size is 140 cm, in a year or two he will have to get new ones). The width of the ski is about 4 cm, the thickness is about 1.1 cm. I am writing for information: we still have free space “inside” the holders.
The material is plastic and the manufacturer writes that it was made in Russia (obviously, not China). The plastic is quite high-quality in appearance and pliable (it is also well processed, there are no rough areas anywhere). So far, nothing has cracked anywhere, although children are not particularly “caring” about things. There was no smell from the product, it was sold in packaging.
I don’t know what temperature range it will withstand, most likely it is designed for “comfortable” storage along with skis (skis are also all made of different materials).
Size of one holder, if anyone needs:
length (total) - 9.5 cm
width (at the widest point) - 4.7 cm
thickness of plastic walls (partitions) - 4 mm
length of the hole for holding skis - 6 cm (together with the thickness of the partitions)
The width of each ski hole is 1.8 cm (without the thickness of the partitions)
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Does the holder peel off the coating (paint) on the skis? In general, the part is very smooth and well processed. I think that if you use it carefully, no incidents will happen (in general, children can “rip off” with the help of something else).
I will still recommend it, but I would advise you to go to Sportmaster and look at this product in person (it’s on the display and on some skis, as a sample; ask the seller). If you also have skis purchased from the same network, you can even estimate and try them on. In general, this is such a “trifle” that many people take without much thought (they are not suitable for children’s skis, they keep them for themselves).
Today we offer a choice of several simple ski attachments designed by the inventors different countries. Do whatever suits you without delay - the winter holidays are just ahead.
INSTEAD OF BANDS AND STRAPS. Everyone knows the ropes that carry skis and poles on the road. Most often, the ends of the skis are tied with a ribbon or strap. And only then they tie the poles to the skis. The apparent simplicity of such a connection sometimes turns into a nuisance - while hiking or walking, the ribbon or strap gets lost.
Figure 1 shows a screw clamp by the Swedish inventor X. Auberg. For a pair of skis with poles you need two of these clamps. How to use them? Having folded the skis as usual, place poles on the sides. Open the clamps (the halves are connected by loops), place them over the ends of the skis and tighten them with long screws. The stick is finally secured with semicircular grips with short screws.
Here's another clamp. It was proposed by the Finnish inventor U. Saarinen. Unlike the Auberg clamp, it is much easier to make. This is understandable, because he clamps skis without poles (Fig. 2).
For two clamps you will need 4 springs and 6 steel parts. How
Saarinen's device works, it's not difficult to understand. By pulling the steel plate, you remove the lock from the hook and the curved plates open up. They are now connected to each other by only one spring.
The American inventor J. Karlsteb came up with a device thanks to which the skis not only tighten, but also receive the so-called weight deflection, which is so necessary to maintain the springing properties of the tree.
Let's get acquainted with the Carlsteb clamp (Fig. 3). Stoppers with lugs are placed on the front ends of the skis. A steel cable is passed through them. Two loops of cable are draped over the ends of a steel rod. Another cable is stretched between the rod and the thrust screw at the opposite end of the skis. It acts as a press - if its length decreases, the compressive force increases and the deflection
ski increases. Pay attention to the strap that goes around the middle of the skis. This is a limiter that prevents the skis from being pulled too tight.
When winter comes and ends and the skis need to be put away for the summer, the device of the Scottish inventor K. O'Neil (Fig. 4) can provide an invaluable service. Short crossbars are welded across a steel pipe, the length of which is equal to the length of the skis.
Both the pipe itself and the crossbars are made of pipe of the same diameter. The crossbars serve as a kind of support for the skis, giving them the required deflection.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE SKI POLE. The Italian inventor D. Gambesi believes that nothing should irritate a skier during competitions. Even such a trifle as straps on
I myself come from Krasnodar region, I came to Siberia at the age of thirty and at that time I knew absolutely nothing about skis and bindings. Before that, he served in Kazakhstan and was fond of hunting, but there was no need for skis there.
Therefore, having arrived in Novosibirsk for winter hunting I set off on what was “at hand” - ordinary soldier’s skis. I dug around on the sites and found just one photo of what they look like:
What's good about them is their versatility for any foot (shoe) size. But the shortcomings immediately appeared.
1. The toe stop is metal and over time it “rubs” the sides of any, even the most durable shoes.
2. Fastenings using an “elastic band” constantly pull the foot forward and press on the heel, and the loop on the toe presses the toe from above.
3 and most importantly, it is very difficult to control such skis in the bush, turning the ski left and right.
4. unreliability. Everything is on screws/bolts, which have fallen off more than once while hunting, the consequences are unpleasant.
5.small ski area = sinks deeply through fresh snow and sediment.
These are approximately the bindings, only on soldier skis they consist of two halves and are adjustable in width:
It so happened that then I tore ligaments in my legs, I had to forget about skiing for a while, then I left again for my geographical homeland, but still after some, albeit a long time, I returned.
And again the problem arose in skiing.
By that time, “Taiga” and “Okhotnichiye” were sold in stores, and I tried to resemble them twice, borrowing from friends. Considering my weight is over 90 kg, they still seemed to me to be too small in area and too big in weight.
By chance, I came across skis at Albatross, which I bought at a price of about 3 rubles. I won’t say what they’re made of and who the manufacturer is, and I wasn’t interested. judging by the photos on the forum, these are the so-called “Kemerovo” skis, based on further photos, maybe someone will correct me. I didn’t bother to figure it out, because there were only 2 pairs, different lengths. I took the longer ones. The most important thing is their weight. I didn’t weigh them “in their pure” form, but then, compared to the “Taiga” or “Okhotnichiye” ones, they seemed much lighter to me. Size 171 cm (between the extreme points in height) with a width of 19 cm. I figured in my mind that it would be enough for my weight. Three-layer. So they shouldn’t have let us down in terms of strength either.
I consulted with my more experienced comrades about tarring (the top of the ski was immediately covered with varnish, and something seemed to be applied to the bottom, but what exactly was not clear, and you could even “feel” the wood to the touch). Having listened to a number of opinions about resins and lubricants, as well as the need for firing with a blowtorch, I once went to Start, on Dzerzhinsky Ave., and bought a bottle of Utkus resin (110 rubles). I decided not to use a blowtorch, limiting myself to an ordinary small torch, here is the entire set for tarring:
I carried out the operation on the balcony, applied 2 layers, the bottle was enough for 2 skis (a total of 2 hours of work).
Still, it’s difficult to control a “small flame” when heating a large surface - a soldering iron would be more convenient, it seems to me. The skis acquired this view from below (although this was already 3 years after the “surgery”):
I drilled holes in the “noses” - I realized even earlier in practice that if you suddenly have to walk, then it’s much more convenient to carry skis with you than to drag them in your hands:
Well, I put a piece of 5 mm nylon cable 3 meters in my pocket. I still use it, including for other purposes, incl. for skinning game (or dragging it to the cutting site) or tying/attaching something else.
Now the question of fastenings directly arose. I repeat - I started studying almost from scratch, I didn’t know anything about the hunting site, so I used advice and the Internet. Found good article http://www.sakhalin.ru/Rover/TEXTS/skins.htm, I read and even bought the so-called “semi-rigid fastenings”, but I doubted their reliability, because a large load falls on the very first fastening screw , and the idea that the heel of the shoe will constantly rub against the cable, although it is dressed in a steel spring shell, but the iron will always be stronger against the skin. I also bought simple fastenings with a loop on the toe - both canvas and leather. The idea of “ties” on these loops also did not inspire me and I discarded the canvas loops, imagining how to “communicate” with them if they got even a little wet and then “stiffened” in the cold.
The main thing is that I would like to have bindings that would allow me to control the ski well left and right when walking through the bushes.