sno seal

[sk8er08]

i have alot of questions regarding this. first, how many coats should i put on? how much is one coat? how long should i wait before i put more on? so far i have only put it on the spots on my boots that are chipping or chipped. is that what i am supossed to do? and the sole of my boots are chipping in about 5 places on each boot. should i just do the poly seal all over again?

[Debbie S]

I assume that when you bought the boots, the place where you bought them (or had the mounting done) put a coat of sno-seal on, before you ever skated in them? If this was never done, then you need to put a coat all over the exposed parts of the heel and sole, including the sides.

If you are asking about touch-ups, what I do from time to time (as I do get scrapes in the heels and soles occasionally) is just rub some on over the parts that need touching up, and then blow a hair dryer over it, to heat up the wax and get it to melt and absorb - also, before applying the sno-seal, I heat the heel/sole with the dryer - the instructions with my boots recommended it.

I would define a "coat" as one layer. You don't need to lather it on - just enough so that it covers the surface and can absorb afterward. If the wax won't absorb after heating, then you've probably put on a little too much - you can wipe the excess off if it's really bad.

[Team Arthritis]

ANother thought - if the finish is "chipping" off then its probably polyurathane and poly and snowseal don't mix well - really need one or the other. Putting snowseal into the empty spots may be OK but it may make the rest of the poly flake or get soft - I really don't know. One thing is certain, once you put snowseal in the leather,then NEVER apply poly as it won't penetrate. When I use snowseal, I like to warm the oven to 250 for 30 min. THen I put in a thick towel and leave the booots in there 10 min. Take them out and the snowseal just sucks right into the leather. Let cool and rub off the excess. New boots need more coats - 3 is the most I've ever had the patience for, LOL. Otherwise twice a year should suffice. FWIW
Lyle

[Isk8NYC]

I discussed this with Don Klingbeil last month. They treat the soles of their new skates with "heel and sole enamel." (Is that the same as polyurethane? The bottle didn't say that it was.) When the finish starts to chip off and show dark spots from water, they recommended using steel wool to remove the remaining enamel, then re-sealing with sno seal. (Which they provided with the skates.)

You can't really apply multiple "coats" with sno seal. (If you follow the instructions.) Once the heated leather stops absorbing the sno seal, it will just sit there. You're supposed to wipe off the excess. I have a sweet setup - my downstairs bathroom sink has a plug right above it, so I plug in the hairdryer and set up shop. I do all four pairs (mine +3 dd), one after the other.

Tip: Use a plastic bag as a glove to apply the sno seal. It'll still get on your hands, but it will make cleanup much easier.

If you check the care & maintenance sticky (http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?t=20328) in this forum, you'll find a number of recommendations for waterproofing.

[doubletoe]

That's what I did when my waterproof layer started chipping, except I used sandpaper to sand it off (then I rubbed Sno Seal all over, melted it with a hot hair dryer, waited for it to sink in, then removed any excess). I would be very hesitant to do the oven heating thing, though. Most boots these days are heat moldable, so every time you re-heat them like that you are heat molding them all over again, but without putting your feet in them. I can't think that would be a good thing.

[russiet]

...melted it with a hot hair dryer, waited for it to sink in, then removed any excess). I would be very hesitant to do the oven heating thing, though. Most boots these days are heat moldable, so every time you re-heat them like that you are heat molding them all over again... I can't think that would be a good thing.

I agree with that. Either a hair dryer or a hot air gun at a low setting.

When I switched blades last September, I took the opportunity to sno-seal the area under the blade plates. I don't know if this helps any, but I figured it couldn't hurt.