Greetings to All:

I've got significant concrete rash on my UHMW-bottomed wheel penetration skis from several years back at the local airport where my tire diameter (penetration depth) should have been larger.

Do any of you guys have a good solution for smoothening this material when all roughed up so will glide better? Some ideas I'm pondering include: hot-ironing, planing and wet sanding.

Thanks

I'd think you could use the old school soldering iron. Chunk of 1" square stock, steel shaped to your preference, 1/4" steel rod with a wood handle. Forge or rose bud to heat the soldering iron. Will make quick work and allow you to move material into the deeper gouges/scratches. Another option is 2"'flat bar 12" long, 1/2" thick. Weld a couple chipping hammer handles near each end. Remove the mill scale, 220 grit or finer to smooth the surface. Radius all edges. Use a rose bud to heat the works. Infrared thermometer or tempi sticks to measure surface temps. Then sand the UHMW smooth/removes the high spots.
Mark M.

I've seen it done exactly the same as downhill skis by a guy who flew ultralights on skis a lot. P-tex, lightly sand, then scrape smooth. Diggers were cut out and base welded. P-tex doesn't last forever and needs renewed, but it is fast and easy.