[Vangruver]

I posted this in a snowboard forum a long while ago. But i thought that it might be relevant now that the snow is falling more consistantly.

anyways.

Enjoy....if there are any questions...feel free to ask.

Anyways, when i was racing boarderX on a more competative level, the methods i used to wax my boards was farely complex, but it got the job done.

first i made sure that my board was room temp, because if the board is cold, then the base will not be porous enough to absorb the wax, and a hot iron on a cold base can actually damage it.

After the base and the rest of the board is room temp. I usually clean the base free from the old wax, and allow it to be free from any impurities.

After the base is cleaned....i take my iron [can be any old iron, i was never picky about temperature senstative irons. I used an old iron on it's lowest setting], and drip the wax of choice onto the running surface. And then another wax of choice on the outer 2 inch's ensuring that its more durable for edging, and no dry spots later on.

Generally the wax that is placed on the edges are extreme cold temp wax, and is heaps harder than the running surface wax.

After i feel i placed enough wax on the board, i then proceed with melting it all into place onto the board. Starting from nose and moving my way towards the tail.

My preferance was to always wax in the direction of nose to tail, never waxing in circles or across the edges. Dust can settle into the melted wax and cause small scratches onto a heated base.

The think i learned about hot waxing over the years was to always try and heat the board all the way through to the core and onto the topsheet of the board. Basically if you wax the board long enough and the topsheet feels warm to the touch, then you have done a good enough job and you can then proceed to let it cool down.

With me, i usually cool it down in the same room i let it warm up as well. That way there is no difference and nothing drastically changin the temp of the board.

Plus scraping room temp wax is a lot easier than COLD wax.

Again, i scrape from nose to tail, in the direction i ride. Just a preferance. And with a plastic scraper. Much safer on the base, and much more predictable.

The idea of scraping is to leave the wax on the base that is within the pores of the polyethalene base. Not leave the wax on the surface of the base. So when you are riding on the snow. It create a microfilm of water which is creating less friction, resulting in a faster glide.

AFter you felt that you have scraped the board till you can't anymore. it's then time to buff.

Buffing is great for those bases that have a stoneground finish. Because it can get into the divots of the base and remove all the wax from there as well. The wax that the scraper can't remove.

I usually use a scotch bright pad, and again, from nose to tail. Buff till there is a shine.

After that. it's ready to ride.

My method is not a 10 minute wax job....it actually takes me roughly an hour to do it properly.

[Edited by Ch28]

The site below has a video that teaches you how to wax your board for all the people that are visual learners.

http://www.sierrasnowboard.com/snowboard-advice.asp

[PeP]

where can i go to get my board waxed?
for a small price as well as a good job...

[Vangruver]

Originally posted by PeP
where can i go to get my board waxed?
for a small price as well as a good job...

goof

[PeP]

your way requires to many things...
relax.

[bossxx]

Thanx for the tutorial! Im in the process of doing my skis. I did one last night (ran out of time), and i'll do the other one day.. tomorrow im going to cypress lol w000

For buffing, if I dont have a scotch bright pad, what can i use instead? I was just using a towel and buffing quick circles from top to bottom.

And can I still buff it more this morning? Even tho I did everything last night? Or should I redo the process?

[The Hype]

Originally posted by redliine
Thanx for the tutorial! Im in the process of doing my skis. I did one last night (ran out of time), and i'll do the other one day.. tomorrow im going to cypress lol w000

For buffing, if I dont have a scotch bright pad, what can i use instead? I was just using a towel and buffing quick circles from top to bottom.

And can I still buff it more this morning? Even tho I did everything last night? Or should I redo the process?

I suppose something like a brillo pad would work just fine. As I was taught (I'm hoping you concur Vangruver), the point of buffing your ski's/board is to tell the water which way to go when you're riding. You should be going in straight lines from tip to tail for conditions like these ... And in the spring time, more of a V shape (because it's warmer), with the tip of the V pointing towards the front of the board ski. Buffing in circles isn't going to do you a whole lot of good.

I can't stress enough that you want a LOW temperature to MELT the wax. Burning is bad. As well like Vangruver said, use a PLASTIC scraper for waxing. A metal scraper will only put unnecessary scratches in your board, and should really only be used for base repairs or de-lams anyway.

[Vangruver]

Originally posted by PeP
your way requires to many things...
relax.

yer still a goof

Redliine.....to be quite honest with you....in regards to buffing..its not a necessity to do such.

Its really important in the spring when speed is hard to come by. With all this new snow now and the temps being colder than -2 its OK to leave your skiis/board non buffed after scraped....it wont kill your speed, not at all.

IT is very important, however, if you speed is of the essence....when 2 microseconds can mean winning or not.

[bossxx]

Cool man thanks. Well I finished them up.. I buffed them anyway and they look pretty good.. btw im not going up today! have to wait till next weekend :(

[jnesss]

after hot waxing my board, i notice that there's wax on the sharp edges. do i scrape that 2mm's worth of wax off.. or do i leave it on? thx.

[Vangruver]

Originally posted by no_limitz
after hot waxing my board, i notice that there's wax on the sharp edges. do i scrape that 2mm's worth of wax off.. or do i leave it on? thx.

on most scrapers, there is a knotch...and that knotch is ment for the edges.

You can scrape it off, or you can leave it on...either way you go upon doing it...when you ski/ride, the snow will wear it down to the metal anyways.

I generally scrape it off.

Its all preferance.

[jnesss]

^ sweet thx.

[hub714]

hey where do you get your wax and scraper?

like...is there anything that's better than another?

You mentioned that the outer wax is harder and whatnot...do you have any brands or..something that i can look for to make sure i have the right kind of wax?

[Vangruver]

Originally posted by hub714
hey where do you get your wax and scraper?

like...is there anything that's better than another?

You mentioned that the outer wax is harder and whatnot...do you have any brands or..something that i can look for to make sure i have the right kind of wax?

you can get a scraper anywhere that sells snowboards basically....sport check, sportmart, all the stores on west 4th.

Scrapers aren't that expensive..although there are some that are pricier than others....for what reason, i don't know..its just hard plexy glass.

Wax can be found at the same stores that the scrapers are found....but some stores might carry better brands than others.

For GOOD wax...look towards burton, swix, or KUU...you can skimp out on sh!ittier wax, but keep in mind that if you aren't concerned about speed or durability, you can go cheaper.

Waxes are usually found in temperature ranges....where the harder the wax, the colder the temp range.

For general riding, and just keeping things simple....stick with basic all temp all purpose wax.

But if you are a strict speed freak, then wax for the right conditions.

any other questions feel free to ask.

[hub714]

awesome thx =)

[Vangruver]

bump

[incubus]

this should be sticky thanks man

[Meowjin]

I used a 10 dollar superstore iron a pack of wax and a 2 dollar ice scraper. Easy .

[Chemical]

anyone tried a car window ice scraper?

i've been using razor blades with so-so results...usually it leaves too much wax and the board isn't super fast till some wears off..thanks for the writeup

[Doubl3_H]

just got a huge bar of KUU wax for $19.99 and a scraper for $7.99 at Whistler, gunna wax my skis tomorrow:D :D

[Doubl3_H]

argh, didnt know it was so much work, took me almost one hour to do just one of my skis:(

[BlackV62K2]

Which brand/type of wax is good and where can I get it?

[chun]

In December, I learned on my own through a friend and this process is a lot easier than it seems, don't be afraid to do this guys.

I did both my skis in under 30 easily and that's doing it carefully too. Just drip wax onto it, use heat to massage it in, let it cool, scrape it, wipe/buff it, that's it. Big difference in speed and feel once you get onto the slopes.

Thanks Vangruver for posting this, it'll help a lot of people

[hub714]

Hey Van, quick question: Is it ok to use those old irons with holes on the bottom? or do you NEED a flat surface iron?

[yayabonks]

holes are fine. as long as there's no bumps of wax on the other side. either way, you'll have to scrape the remnants so it's all good.

cheap old irons from value village >> snowboard iron

[Vangruver]

was away for a trip to tour the hills of the interior, waxed my new deck for the first time this season.

normally don't wax at all since all i do now is park junk.

but man, waxing for the right conditions makes a world of difference.

[chun]

totally agree

I hotwaxed last night and hit Seymour for half a day this morning... so much SMOOTHER

[BlackV62K2]

Anyone try One Ball Jay wax? Is it any good? I picked up some from Coastal Riders today.

[Vangruver]

Hi there.

[kaizen604]

Originally posted by hub714
hey where do you get your wax and scraper?




http://bakingessentials.com/library/MEBS-DAMCO.jpg

[saucywoman]

totally noob question: what's the point of waxing? My brother keeps talking about how he should get his board waxed when we're up at the hill.

[redrum781]

Originally posted by saucywoman
totally noob question: what's the point of waxing? My brother keeps talking about how he should get his board waxed when we're up at the hill.

A quick google search on 'why to wax a snowboard' brought up this:
http://www.abc-of-snowboarding.com/snowboards/how-to-wax.asp

[saucywoman]

Originally posted by redrum781
A quick google search on 'why to wax a snowboard' brought up this:
http://www.abc-of-snowboarding.com/snowboards/how-to-wax.asp

thanks :D I thought it was maybe only something for people who do tricks should do. I now know otherwise

[Vangruver]

Originally posted by saucywoman
totally noob question: what's the point of waxing? My brother keeps talking about how he should get his board waxed when we're up at the hill.

Another way to look at it is this.

Why do women constantly moisturize?
Snowboard bases are much like the epidermal area on your body, if you leave it be, it becomes white and flakey.

Wax is the lubriderm/nivea/glysomed/vaseline of the snow world.

[saucywoman]

Originally posted by Vangruver
Another way to look at it is this.

Why do women constantly moisturize?
Snowboard bases are much like the epidermal area on your body, if you leave it be, it becomes white and flakey.

Wax is the lubriderm/nivea/glysomed/vaseline of the snow world.

lol.. as bad as it sounds, that's a helpful analogy

[Noir]

Originally posted by saucywoman
lol.. as bad as it sounds, that's a helpful analogy

If it helps,

Since I gather you're not a serious snowboarder. As in, maybe once-in-a-while a season snowboarder, you can get away with not waxing so much.

The more serious you get, and the more demanding your riding becomes, then usually that when I would pay more attention to maintenance, as well as to how often and to what type I use.

I can also imagine, you don't use high-end decks. Although waxing is always a good idea, I wouldn't be so fussy with it if I were to only use the SMX, 5150 and etc low end decks that one may find in Sportmart or SportCheck.

So yeah, for your brother, I don't know, but for yourself, I think you can get away with once or twice a season waxing.

edit: (Disclaimer)
I should be clear, this is only my personal opinion and am saying in no way that waxing is a bad idea. (Just in case I might get misunderstood here)

[saucywoman]

Originally posted by Noir
Since I gather you're not a serious snowboarder. As in, maybe once-in-a-while a season snowboarder, you can get away with not waxing so much.


yeah I just got into it this past season. I did it a few years ago once, but didn't ever go again until the beginning of this year. I only went about 3 or 4 times because I injured myself at the beginning of March and didn't heal until the end of the month, so I just decided the season was over for me. I'm going to try and go as much as possible this year, but I know I'll probably never get into tricks and stuff like that

[RabidRat]

Anyone know how long I should be riding on the factory wax before I should put some more on there? Or should I redo it anyway just in case? The board's new, but it's an 06-07 so it's been sitting a while.

[Vangruver]

Originally posted by RabidRat
Anyone know how long I should be riding on the factory wax before I should put some more on there? Or should I redo it anyway just in case? The board's new, but it's an 06-07 so it's been sitting a while.

rule of thumb. factory wax is only placed on a board for protection, for transport and to keep the base moist prior to someone buying it.

Generally wax with your prefered wax prior to taking it out, so that you know when the board was last waxed.

[daggon]

when scraping the wax.. should you be able to feel the base? like little bumps from the design on the bottom of the board?

[Noir]

^^^ Yes. In fact I like to scrape until there's no more wax to scrape.

[Vangruver]

Originally posted by lychee_chou
when scraping the wax.. should you be able to feel the base? like little bumps from the design on the bottom of the board?


Well don't do it with arnold strength....meaning, when you scrape your skii's/boards scrape will the excess wax is removed. When you find there isn't any more wax, don't scrape anymore, you "may" damage your base.

This is why you want to use a plexiglass or hard plastic scraper.

[daggon]

yea i used a plexiglass scraper
when i went the other day i noticed spots under the bindings werent scrapped off enough... is that normal? I scraped off in long strokes from tip to tail

[Noir]

It's normal. I used to be very fussy and make sure I would get the wax underneath the bindings as well. But when you go 2-3 times a week and wax your board on a weekly basis, I stopped caring about the wax under there.

[BinsentoW]

does this get any wax on the iron?
or should i get an iron just for waxing

[kwanzor]

11 bucks hotwax @ sportcheck.

[Vangruver]

Originally posted by Bali Vince
does this get any wax on the iron?
or should i get an iron just for waxing

You would want to get an iron JUST for waxing, unless you like to mix wax on your delicates. Mind you that would make it extremely waterproof.

But yes, you would want to find a cheap iron, you can pick up one from valu village for less than 5 bucks. Preferably without steam holes, but with steam holes will work just fine.

Follow those steps and you will be golden =)

[kaizen604]

Originally posted by kwanzor
11 bucks hotwax @ sportcheck.

I charge $10 plus i file edges and do a way better job

sportchek's waxing job is kind of meh IMO as well.

Save yourself the $10, follow these instructions, invest in good all-temp wax, or whatever you fancy.. and do it yourself

it adds up at the end of the year man.

[chun]

^ You in Surrey? I need my skis done and I don't have access to an iron + wax anymore.

[hub714]

I signed up for some chinese club @ ubc and I get free board waxing (it says unlimited) at north shore ski & Board.

[kaizen604]

Don't you guys even do a trip out to Sun Peaks or Big White with the group?

[silvercivicdx]

anyone know where i can get a good horse hair brush from???

[Vangruver]

Originally posted by silvercivicdx
anyone know where i can get a good horse hair brush from???

why?

[ultra-magnu]

makes his hair shiney.




jk

[Vangruver]

When i think of horse hair, i think of the bow for string instruments.

[hub714]

Originally posted by kaizen604
Don't you guys even do a trip out to Sun Peaks or Big White with the group?

Yes, but I don't have the time to go this year.

Originally posted by Vangruver
When i think of horse hair, i think of the bow for string instruments.

Same...

[Ch28]

Updated first post with a video tutorial on how to wax

[K-Dub]

=)

[Vangruver]

I guess i am flattered that this thread still has mass attention.

It just helps everyone in the end. =]

[hub714]

It's now stickied!

[Ch28]

Originally posted by hub714
It's now stickied!

Deserves to be stickied with all the useful information in this thread :)

[daggon]

about cleaning the board prior to wax... do u use any solution?

i saw a solution i can purchase at comor
as well read somewhere to warm up the board a little and then scrap the old wax off?

[Vangruver]

about cleaning the board prior to wax... do u use any solution?

i saw a solution i can purchase at comor
as well read somewhere to warm up the board a little and then scrap the old wax off?

You can use paint thinner, that stuff works alright.

There are some enviro friendly solutions, that smell like citrus.....I personally use that, as I rarely have the need to clean my boards.

Generally I apply a generous amount of wax on the dirty surface, and then allow the iron to lift the dirt from the base of the board to the top of the new wax, that takes a little longer but it also does work.

[ultra-magnu]

Hey Vangruver, any tips on what kind of wax to use for Vancouver snow? Well, I mainly go to Cypress. It seems that my Dakine all weather Indy wax have rubbed off really quickly.

After 1 night of 9 runs, the base looks unprotected. I'm also out of wax now, so I'm planning to buy new wax. Any pointers on what to get?

[Vangruver]

Hey Vangruver, any tips on what kind of wax to use for Vancouver snow? Well, I mainly go to Cypress. It seems that my Dakine all weather Indy wax have rubbed off really quickly.

After 1 night of 9 runs, the base looks unprotected. I'm also out of wax now, so I'm planning to buy new wax. Any pointers on what to get?

If you have the time, do a hot wax, tempurature specific. Trust me it works wonders if you are riding into flat areas.

I have tested out a -6 to -20 tempurature wax for cypress on new years day, and it was BY far the best I've used.

The thing about temp spec wax is that you have to change it based on your day to day usage. Which means, wax and waxing it again. You will move slower than molasses in other conditions if it's not set rigth.

[HyperREV]

and drip the wax of choice onto the running surface. And then another wax of choice on the outer 2 inch's ensuring that its more durable for edging, and no dry spots later on.

Generally the wax that is placed on the edges are extreme cold temp wax, and is heaps harder than the running surface wax.


christ on a cracker...you just learned me somethin new! cant wait to try that out, thanx man!

[neverfastenough]

this is an entertaining thread, and old... :P anyways for horse hair brush unless you have a proper base grind and are racing you dont need it as it is a finishing brush, use a copper or nylon those do fine in our wet climate. DONT put base cleaner or paint thinner on your base!!! base cleaner was made by ski companies so you buy more wax, if you use it you are taking out all your hard work as wax will build up inside your pores and accumulate to make you go faster. Dont use an iron with holes in it. Always go tip to tail when working one your base. There is no such thing as a factory wax or grind unless you get volkl's highest end skis. Most skis and boards are dragged across a belt and wont absorb wax till you get a proper grind from a shop. As for edges they come from the factory generally at 90degrees and not consistent, if you are not a ski technician or very experienced I would recommend you get the edges done by a machine for the first time then its a million times easier for you to tune them your self once the side edge is set, for normal recreational riding you dont even need this though. If you want to ask me some more specific questions feel free to ask away:thumbsup:

[Johnkowsky]

this is an entertaining thread, and old... :P anyways for horse hair brush unless you have a proper base grind and are racing you dont need it as it is a finishing brush, use a copper or nylon those do fine in our wet climate. DONT put base cleaner or paint thinner on your base!!! base cleaner was made by ski companies so you buy more wax, if you use it you are taking out all your hard work as wax will build up inside your pores and accumulate to make you go faster. Dont use an iron with holes in it. Always go tip to tail when working one your base. There is no such thing as a factory wax or grind unless you get volkl's highest end skis. Most skis and boards are dragged across a belt and wont absorb wax till you get a proper grind from a shop. As for edges they come from the factory generally at 90degrees and not consistent, if you are not a ski technician or very experienced I would recommend you get the edges done by a machine for the first time then its a million times easier for you to tune them your self once the side edge is set, for normal recreational riding you dont even need this though. If you want to ask me some more specific questions feel free to ask away:thumbsup:
someone beat me to the base cleaner thing haha
base cleaner dries the shit outta your bases which you don't want
if you want to clean your bases wax them and then scrape them while the wax is still warm because the warm fresh wax pulls a lot of shit out of your base then wax again as normal
i usually don't scrape my skis out of laziness i just let the snow rub the wax of itself
and to get horse hair brushes find a KUU or Sidecut Racing dealer near you
horse hair is really expensive (like $30-$40 for a brush) so if you aren't a racer nylon is fine

[Vangruver]

It goes both ways.

In the hands of a mis informed person, of course base cleaner is a waste of money.

I'm not trying to back up my statement, but cleaning out dirt and sap from spring riding prior to a new season does help.

Doing an over wax to pull up dirt doesn't always work.

[Johnkowsky]

i agree with you
as long as you don't use the base cleaner every time you wax it is all good
i'd say use it in only in situations when you base is really dirty

i grew up racing so i'm all about making bases as fast as possible :p
i never knew what base cleaner was till about 2 years ago haha

[Vangruver]

The snow's falling and falling hard!

i read in the latest winter thread that some of you want to learn how to hotwax.

read up