Pure fluoro products come in three types: Fluoro powders, blocks of compressed fluoro, and liquids with fluoro in suspension. Ironed in powders are generally the most durable and hardest, whereas liquids and blocks can be extremely fast, but not last as long. All of these products come in different formulations for different conditions and temperatures. Make sure you wax in a well-ventilated area, and always use a respirator when ironing and brushing these products. A very high temperature is needed to dissociate the dangerous fluorine atom from the waxes, so the bigger risk is the fine particulate dust.
Powder is applied after hot-waxing glide zones with HF glide waxes. HF waxes will provide a better bond to the fluoro powder than S3 or Lf wax. The top of the vial has several holes – we find the two large ones distribute the powder best. Tap on the powder. It’s expensive, but if you use too little, you risk scorching your bases. Iron temps will be high with fluoros – around 165 Celcius, or 330 degrees Fahrenheit – so you need to be careful and move the iron rapidly. We quickly tap the powder to set it, and then run the iron down the ski – no more than 10 seconds for the whole ski. Counting aloud is good practice when you’re first using these waxes.
The powder on the ski will not be completely melted in – you can touch up areas that look under-ironed, but there will be areas that are white. This is fine – the powder has still been heated a lot and is still well-bonded to the ski. The powder creates a hard layer of highly hydrophobic wax, so it’s both very durable and reduces fluid friction. You can cork in powder as well, but it won’t last quite as long – perhaps up to 5km.
After the ski has cooled, use a horsehair or soft nylon brush to remove the melted fluoro powder. You can scrub with these brushes, targeting areas where the wax is more difficult to remove.
