A combination waxing device and edge sharpener for skis having a combined file guide and waxing surface; the file being adjustably securable to a lateral side substantially perpendicular to the guide surface. A wax container is provided on the opposite side of the device from the guide and waxing surface and channels are provided through which the melted wax is delivered to the waxing surface to be applied to the skis. Two means of heating the device are provided to melt the wax placed in the container; one is an alcohol burner of predetermined proportions which heats the device through at least one flue extending through the device adjacent the wax container, and the second means of heating is an electric heating rod which may be placed within the flue so as to provide continuous heat to the device for extended use.

This disclosure relates to apparatus for waxing skis comprising a gas burner assembly adapted to be connected to a can of gas, and a waxing iron releasably attached to the gas burner assembly by means of a quick connect-disconnect device including a resilient snap element. The waxing iron includes a bottom plate having a convex configuration whereby only a limited portion of the surface area thereof may contact the surface of a ski thereby preventing burning of the ski or the wax being spread thereon.

A portable ski wax applicator includes a container having heat-conductive walls defining a wax receiving well and a removable cover rendering the container substantially splash-proof in normal use, the walls including a flat bottom wall and end wall extending obliquely from the bottom wall and having an orifice extending therethrough, a valve element extending through the orifice and projecting outwardly from the end wall, a spring resiliently urging the valve element outwardly to close the orifice, an electrical heating element for heating the walls and liquifying wax in the well, and a handle which is grasped for moving the applicator along a ski surface with the end wall generally parallel to the surface while pressing the outer end of the valve element against the surface to deposit liquid wax thereon, and then for moving the applicator along the surface with the bottom wall adjacent to and generally parallel to the surface for spreading the deposited wax on the surface.

For efficient waxing of the running surface of a workpiece such as a snowboard, one or more skis, or a toboggan, the invention provides a single wax-heating element in the form of an elongate flexible sheet sized to fully cover the running surface when upside down and horizontally oriented. The single sheet of the heating element also provides articulating connection between an array of like transverse elements which gravitationally load the heating element sheet into self-adapting conformance with flat or concave and convexly curved features of the workpiece, so that a wax-laden sheet draped over the running surface of the workpiece can be gravitationally loaded by the heating element sheet.

An electric heater assembly (16) adaptable for battery operation with hand held devices for attaching, sealing or shrinking heat activated plastic or mylar film materials includes a heating element (20) comprising a planar electrically insulating substrate (18) having a heating element (20) being a thick film conductor delineated and fired on one of its planar surfaces in a configuration that realizes local high power density in the heating element and the resultant production of localized high heat energy within the substrate with minimized power consumption from an external electrical source. Enclosing the heater assembly is a sheet metal sheath (24) to provide mechanical protection and to effect heat transfer to a work. The heater assembly is positioned, with the heating element facing up, inside the sheath with its opposing surface atop of, and in intimate contact with, a planar base (24a) of the sheath, a workface (26) comprising an opposing side of the base.