How to Build a Cross Country Ski Waxing Bench

A Complete DIY Build Guide With Step-by-Step Instructions

If you stumbled across this article not from my YouTube video, feel free to check out this video to see the final product before diving into your build! Note that this bench is a perfect fit for my skate skis (176cm) and works pretty well for my classic skis (198cm), but you may have to alter some dimensions for significantly longer/shorter skis. See the “Potential Improvements” section at the end of the article for potential ideas on how to handle different ski lengths.

Parts List

Hardware

• (4) #212 x 15/16in eye screws
• (4) #10–24 1–1/4in bolts (Length and width can vary if you’re mounting to your own bench. This size will fit the folding bench recommended below.)
• (4) #10–24 wing nuts (If you plan on leaving the bench attached to the bench most of the time, you could get away with just using the nuts that come with the bolts. The wing nuts are easier to take on and off.)
• (8) 1/4in.-28 hex nuts (These serve as spacers. You’ll use 2 on each side of the pivoting planks, so you could replace these with 4 1/2in spacers made out of wood, etc.)
• (12) 1.5" Screws

Lumber

• (1) 1x3 plank
• (1) 1x4 plank (If you’re not using the folding bench, you can make this longer and the 1x3 pivoting arms shorter.)

Miscellaneous

• (1) 3/16in x 12in round rod (1/4in diameter might work. Just check it fits through the eye screws.)
• (1) 1/8in x 12in round rod (This one needs to be exact to match the binding rod.)
• Grip padding (This could technically be optional but I didn’t want to risk scratching my skis.)
• Superglue or some other adhesive to attach the padding to the wood.

Optional

• Folding sawhorse (You can use your own workbench, a dining room table, etc. but if you’re buying folding one, I highly recommend this one. Great stability for its price and the bolts listed above will fit in it’s mounting holes.)
• (3) Caps for rods

I spent about $25 on parts plus $35 for the sawhorse.

Tools List

• Drill + rod-size drill bits (A drill press would make it easier since straight holes are important for a straight binding rod, but I just had a standard corded drill and it worked fine with just a few mishap holes left over.)
• Saw (I had a skill saw but a miter saw would work even better. With some patience a hand saw would be fine too.)

Blueprint

Side View

Top View

Sawhorse Mounting Components

Pivot Rod Components

Pivot Arm Components

Instructions

1. Cut your thin rod down to 5.5". Cut the thicker rod into two 5.5" sections. I got home depot to do this for me since I don’t have metal cutters. Optional: you can glue a cap to one side of each rod to make it easier to take them in and out and to protect from sharp ends.
2. Cut your 1x4 down to 45.75".
3. With the remaining 1x4, cut 6 3.5" sections.
4. Cut your 1x3 into a 19" plank and a 22" plank for the pivoting arms.
5. Cut the foam padding to fit on top of the arms, leaving enough to extend over the ends. Glue and let sit. Later glue the leftover around the ends of the arm. Make sure to clamp in place while drying.
6. Follow the “Sawhorse Mounting Components” diagram above to drill holes into your large 1x4 plank. Double check that these dimensions work with your sawhorse’s pre-drilled holes since it seemed like the pre-drilled holes weren’t super precise. If you plan on mounting your bench to a table or different type of sawhorse, ignore this step!
7. Follow the “Pivot Rod Components” diagram to drill holes for your rods in the 6 square wood sections. Start with a small drill bit and then work up until there’s a snug fit for the given rod. You may want to drill multiple holes in the middle section if you plan on waxing skis with very different cambers.
8. Follow the “Side View” diagram to mark where each square wood section should attach. Slide your rods through each pair to ensure the rod lays level (if it doesn’t this just means your hole wasn’t drilled completely straight and you can potentially account for this by mounting the squares not quite evenly). Fix each of the 6 squares in place on the base with 2 screws.
9. Follow the “Pivot Arm Components” diagram to secure the eye screws in place on the pivoting arms.
10. Assemble by mounting the base to the sawhorse with the bolts and wingnuts. Then insert the rods, using 2 hex nut spacers around the pivoting arms before sliding the rods into the opposite holes. The thinner rod goes in the middle section and has nothing attached to it.

Potential Improvements

• To wax skis of various lengths, you could make multiple sets of arms of different lengths. You could also try making longer wooden side rectangles to allow for various rod holes closer to the binding mount point (this solution would be most useful if you sometimes need to wax a much shorter ski, such as for a child). I’d recommend against making multiple eye screw mounts on a single arm because if you shift the arm back for shorter skis, it will hit the heel piece on the binding.
• If you plan to mount the waxing bench on a table, you could make a longer base with shorter arms. It would be especially neat to have the arms, rods, and wooden support blocks slide along the base. You could also make each component separate for the ultimate freedom and end up with a homemade version of this design:

• When I collapse the waxing bench, the arms hang over the edge and flop around. I can remove the arms by pulling out the rod but then there’s nowhere to store the arms. It would be great to build a system that holds the arms and rods against the base for secure compact storage.
• I designed the arms with my skis in place. This resulted in two different length arms with different mount positions. This may be a function of the of the tip curling up at the end of skis, or due to the fact bindings aren’t completely centered on skis(the binding is slightly towards the back), or it could just be due to designing on the fly. Either way, it would be interesting to try to make a direction-agnostic bench with identical arms for simplicity.

If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment. I would also love to see pictures of your homemade bench creations in the comment section below. If you happen to live in the Seattle area and want me to make you a waxing bench, just let me know!