This is information provided by Vauhti the manufacturer of Fox Powders. Some minor editing has been done.
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Effective operating ranges:
Silver Fox fluoropowder is a very soft top layer additive. It has been developed for wet snow, falling sleet or moist near freezing conditions. We do not recommend its use when the snow temperature is below the freezing point.
Always prepare the ski base by using hard glide waxes before applying fluoro powders. Vauhti recommends cleaning the base first with blue conventional non-fluorinated glide wax. Then apply for example Green Spektra glider. (More examples and recommendations for specific conditions below.)
The softest glide wax recommended under Silver Fox is:
New and fine grained wet snow:
- Blue conventional glide wax.
- Green IR Spektra (or Green SF Speed) fluoroglider
- Silver Fox fluoropowder.
Coarse, wet snow:
- Blue conventional glide wax.
- Green or Molybden IR Spektra (or Green SF Speed) fluoroglider
- Silver Fox fluoropowder.
Falling sleet:
- Blue conventional glide wax.
- Yellow IR Spektra fluoroglider
- Silver Fox fluoropowder.
If the falling sleet is extremely wet, use Green Spektra instead of the Yellow Spektra.
Moist zero conditions:
- Blue conventional glide wax.
- Yellow or Violet IR Spektra fluoroglider
- Silver Fox fluoropowder.
In all these examples, the powder is applied with the waxing iron. When ironing Yellow Spektra, use the lowest temperature that just melts the wax. Yellow Spektra is almost as hard as Violet Spektra. Therefore iron temperature should be approximately 85°-90°C.
The cooled ski base is first brushed with a nylon brush and then finished with a powder brush (horsehair brush). Remember to remove excessive powder with a dull scraper before brushing. We do not recommend hand cork or roto-cork application in these conditions. If you wax with hand or roto-cork for some reason, make sure that you brush the base especially carefully.
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Effective operating ranges:
New snow:
- Humidity less than 85%: -2°..-3°C.
- Humidity 85% or greater: -3°..-4°C.
- Humidity 90% or greater: -5°..-6°C.
Old snow:
- Humidity less than 85%: -3°..-4°C.
- Humidity 85% or greater: -4°..-5°C.
- Humidity 90% or greater: -6°..-9°C.
Coarse snow:
- Humidity less than 85%: -2°..-3°C.
- Humidity 85% or greater: -3°..-4°C.
- Humidity 90% or greater: -5°..-6°C.
In very humid conditions Zero Fox fluoropowder's operating range is extended to it's coldest temperatures, when snow is old and granular, not yet especially abrasive or coarse. In coarse and very abrasive conditions, we recommend using Gold Fox powder already in -3°..-6°C depending snow humidity, because it is more durable in these conditions.
Conditions around freezing, new or falling snow, -1°..-4°C, humidity 85% or greater (-6°C very humid falling snow):
Iron Blue glider onto the ski base, scrape and brush. Melt a thin "ribbon" of the Pink Spektra glide wax on both sides of the groove with an iron, or rub a smooth and even layer of the wax directly onto on the glide surfaces.
IMPORTANT: Use very low iron setting when applying Pink IR Spektra. We recommend using a Vauhti teflon fluoroapplication cloth between the iron and the ski base. The temperature is right when the wax just melts.
Let the skis cool down thoroughly. Lightly remove the excessive wax from the glide surfaces and nylon brush carefully. Apply Zero Fox fluoropowder as usual, let it cool completely and brush carefully with nylon brush. In suction conditions, finish the glide surfaces with a powder brush (horsehair brush).
A thin Zero Fox layer applied with natural handcork or roto cork makes the ski slightly more responsive. Use this method only when the humidity is less than 90%, the temperature is -3°C or colder and the the track is soft and powdery. Remeber to brush carefully.
New finegrained or old snow -3°..-6°C, humidity 85% or higher:
Base prepping as above. Brush Molybden Spektra carefully. Apply a thinner layer of Pink IR Spektra than in the previous example: rub a thin layer directly onto the base. Iron lightly with low temperature. Finish with soft brass brush. In these conditions, a thin Zero Fox powder layer applied with natural handcork or rotocork improves nearly always the glide. Remember to brush thoroughly. In the colder temperatures of the above range or when the humidity is around 85%, you could use Violet IR Spektra instead of Pink.
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Effective operating ranges:
New and old snow:
- Humidity below 85%, -4°..-13°C.
- Humidity 85% or greater, -4°..-20°C.
- Humidity 90% or greater, -6°..-20°C.
Coarse snow:
- From wet to -20°C conditions.
Gold Fox and Zero Fox have the same operating range in mild sub zero conditions. Use Zero Fox when the temperature is -3°..-7°C, humidity is high and the snow is new or fine grained.
In the same temperatures use Gold Fox, when the humidity is less than 85% or the snow is old, coarse or abrasive. The durability of Gold Fox is slightly better than the durability Zero Fox.
The operating range of Gold Fox extends to very low temperatures, down to -20°C. In temperatures colder than 15°C, you can find without the snow test, when Gold Fox stops functioning. The conditions are too cold and hard for fluoropowders, if the snow crunches when walking on it. In these conditions, different hard glide waxes are usually better than fluoropowders.
New fine grained or old snow, humidity 85% or lower, temperature -3°..-6°C:
- Blue conventional glide wax.
- Blue IR Spektra or Green SF Speed Fluor Glider
- Gold Fox fluoropowder.
When the humidity is low and the track is soft and powdery, apply on top of the fluoropowder (Zero Fox) a thin layer of Gold Fox powder or "Nappi" (compressed Gold Fox) using natural handcork or roto-cork. Brush with a nylon brush.
New snow, humidity more than 85%, -6°..10°C:
- Blue conventional glide wax.
- Blue IR Spektra, around -10°C Green IR Spektra.
- Gold Fox fluoropowder.
Gold Fox powder is applied with an iron. Let the ski base cool completely and brush with nylon brush. If the humidity is very high, and the track is smooth and solid and if there is suction, finish with the powder brush.
Old and coarse snow, -6°..-10°C:
- 1. Blue conventional glide wax.
- 2. Blue IR Spektra, around -10°C Green or Molybden IR Spektra
- 3. Gold Fox fluoropowder.
Apply Gold Fox powder with an iron. Finish with a thin Gold Fox layer applied with natural handcork or roto cork. Brush with a nylon brush.
All snow conditions , -10°..-15°C:
- Blue conventional glide wax.
- SF Speed Green, IR Spektra Green, IR Spektra Molybden or SF Speed Graphite
- Gold Fox fluoropowder.
In the warmer temperatures and in high humidity, use Green IR Spektra as the base. In colder and dryer conditions use Green SF Speed fluoroglider. SF Spped Graphite is the hardest of the glide waxes. It tolerates the coldest temperatures and the lowest humidity levels. In very cold conditions, when the humidity is high, IR Spektra Molybden is an excellent base wax.
In cold conditions always finish the glide surfaces with a nylon brush. Remember to brush carefully also the conventional glide wax and Speed and Spektra layers.
A thin fluoropowder or "Nappi" layer applied with natural handcork or roto-cork improves the glide in cold sub zero conditions.
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Effective operating ranges:
New snow:
- Humidity less than 85%, -6°C or colder
- Humidity greater than 85% , -8°C or colder
Old Snow:
- Humidity less than 85%, -5°C or colder
- Humidity greater than 85% , -6°C or colder
Coarse Snow:In coarse snow, Black Fox works well in all conditions, including coarse wet snow.
Black Fox fluoropowder works best in very cold and dry conditions. It forms a hard and durable surface which is very dirt repellent (most dirt repellent surface among the Vauhti fluoropowders).
Use:Black Fox fluoropowder is a mixture of fluoropowder and extremely fine graphite powder. In order to get Black Fox fluoropowder to work in the optimum way, apply it as follows:
You have to be able to spread the powder as evenly as possible on the glide surface before ironing it. You will get the best result, when you sprinkle the powder on the ski base and then "smear" it with a natural cork onto the base. This way also the fine graphite component in the powder spreads evenly on the base. If you do not hand cork the powder first, graphite is spread very unevenly "here and there" and it will loose most of its efficiency. Graphite powder does not melt, vaporize or gasify and it does not spread onto the ski base like fluoro powders when heated with an iron. Graphite powder just sticks to the same spots where it was sprinkled. The ski base looks very uneven and spotty and the wax application is uneven and less effective.
Use low iron setting when applying Black Fox. The temperature of the iron is right, when the powder just melts.
Black Fox works very well when applied by using natural hand cork or roto-cork When applied this way, graphite powder spreads more evenly than when applied with an iron and it also works most effectively. With carefully done hand or roto-corking you will get good durability in nearly all snow conditions.
Use Black Fox in very cold and dry conditions and in all conditions, when the snow is very dirty. Black Fox's is often better than Gold Fox in coarse abrasive conditions, because it is the most durable of Vauhti powders.
New snow, humidity less than 85%, -10°C or colder:
Apply the fluoropowder using natural hand cork or roto cork onto the still slightly warm green glide wax, or re-warm the base carefully with a heat gun or an iron before applying the fluoropowder. Let the base cool down completely and brush it with nylon brush. Take the skis outside and finish the glide surfaces with soft brass brush making one to two light strokes from tip to tail. (Important: brass-brush in the direction of the glide.)
New snow, humidity greater than 85%, -10°C or colder:
Application as above. Brush only with a nylon brush.
Coarse snow, humidity less than 85%, -10°C or colder:
Apply Black Fox fluoropowder with an iron. Brush the completely cooled glide surfaces with a nylon brush.
Coarse wet snow and dirty snow:
Apply in the same way as in new snow sub-zero conditions. Make sure you open the base structure by using a soft brass brush, one to two light strokes.
(Note: These rules are not suitable for Black Fox fluoropowder. Please see the separate Black Fox instructions.)
If there is suction between the ski and the track, finish the waxing by brushing the glide surfaces with a powder brush. The bristles of the powder brush (horsehair brush) are much thinner than the bristles of the nylon brush, and therefore it cleans the base structure even better than the nylon brush. The open, thoroughly cleaned base structure makes it possible to have maximum amount of air, which minimizes suction, between the ski and the track. This is especially important, when the skiing speed increases. Thorough brushing helps essentially to prevent the ski base from getting dirty. Excessive wax or fluoropowder pick up dirt.
In fluffy loose snow, always finish the brushing with a nylon brush.
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telephone (519) 747-8032.
SkiWax.ca, 535 Blue Beech Blvd., Waterloo, ON, N2V 2T4.