How to Wax a Snowboard: A Step-by-Step Guide

Waxing your snowboard is essential for maintaining its performance and longevity. While it might seem like a task best left to professionals, waxing your snowboard at home is a simple and rewarding process. This guide provides a detailed, step-by-step approach to waxing your snowboard, ensuring it glides smoothly on the slopes for years to come.

Why Wax Your Snowboard?

The base of your snowboard is made of a material called P-Tex, which has pores that can dry out over time, especially when the board sits unused. Heating the base during waxing opens these pores, allowing the wax to penetrate deeply, keeping the base material hydrated and improving glide. Regular waxing prevents the base from drying out, keeps it in excellent condition, and enhances your overall snowboarding experience. If you notice that your board is slowing down, particularly on flat sections, or that the base is looking white and dry then it’s probably time to give it the wax treatment.

What You'll Need

Before you begin, gather the necessary tools and materials:

• Wax: Choose a wax appropriate for the snow temperature you'll be riding in. Options include all-temperature, cold-rated, and warm-rated waxes. Consider fluorocarbon waxes for enhanced glide or molybdenum/graphite waxes for specific snow conditions.
• Waxing Iron: A specialized waxing iron is ideal, but a regular clothes iron (that you no longer plan to use for clothes) can work.
• Scraper: A plastic scraper is essential for removing excess wax. Avoid metal scrapers, as they can damage the base.
• Structuring Brush: A structuring brush helps to create a textured surface on the wax, improving glide.
• Base Cleaner: A snowboard base cleaner or mild soap (like dish soap) and a soft cloth are needed to clean the base.
• Cloth: For wiping and cleaning the base.
• Edge Sharpener (Optional): For maintaining sharp edges.
• Gummy Stone (Optional): For removing rust from edges.
• Metal File (Optional): For scraper maintenance.
• Protective Gloves and Face Mask (Optional): For safety when working with hot wax.

Step-by-Step Waxing Process

1. Prepare Your Workspace

Find a robust, stable surface that is half to three-quarters the length of your board. A workbench is ideal, but a sturdy table or even a toolbox can work. Ensure the area is well-ventilated. Working with hot wax can be dangerous, especially for a beginner. Don a pair of protective gloves and consider face protection such as goggles and/or a face mask. Wax is rather flammable, as it only takes temperatures of 392 degrees for it to ignite. That’s why working in a ventilated area is best.

2. Loosen or Remove Bindings

Before applying heat, loosen or fully remove your snowboard bindings. Some bindings will only loosen and not come out entirely. If your bindings fully separate, you'll find out when you loosen the binding screws. This prevents the binding screws from conducting heat and potentially damaging the base. When your bindings are tightened into your board, the screws can suck minor divots into the base. It’s not advisable to warm up the base when the divots are there, as it can accentuate them and make them permanent.

Read also: Iron-Free Snowboard Waxing Guide

3. Clean the Base

Snowboard wax adheres best to a clean base. Remove any old wax, dirt, and grime from the base. You can do this using a snowboard base cleaner and a soft cloth, or by performing a hot scrape.

Basic Cleaning:

1. Apply snowboard cleaner or mild soap to a soft cloth.
2. Thoroughly clean the entire base of the snowboard.

Hot Scrape Method:

1. Heat the waxing iron to a medium setting.
2. Apply a thin layer of wax to the base, just enough to melt and spread.
3. Immediately scrape off the warm wax with a plastic scraper. This pulls dirt and old wax from the pores.
4. Wipe the base with a clean cloth to remove any remaining residue.

4. Choose Your Wax

Select a wax that is appropriate for the snow conditions you expect to encounter. Waxes are typically categorized by temperature ranges:

• Warm-Rated Wax: For warmer temperatures.
• Cold-Rated Wax: For colder temperatures.
• All-Temperature Wax: Suitable for a range of conditions.
• Fluorocarbon Wax: Provides excellent glide and speed. Because the amount of fluorocarbons in the wax influences its speed, the more fluorocarbons there are, the more costly the wax is.
• Molybdenum or Graphite Wax: Helps prevent electrostatics in dry, cold snow and deters dirt in warm snow.
• Hydrocarbon Wax: Can come in different forms, such as synthetic or microcrystalline, and it can contain paraffin.

5. Melt and Apply the Wax

1. Plug in the waxing iron and set it to the appropriate temperature. If you’ve got a specialised waxing iron with a temperature gauge, look at the packet your wax came in and it should recommend a temperature to set the iron to. If the type of wax you selected is cold or hard, then you need to set the waxing iron to a higher temperature.
2. Hold the wax block against the hot iron, allowing it to drip onto the base. Start by dripping a line around the edge of the board - this is where the board will be particularly thirsty for a waxing. Then drip the wax in an “s” shape to fill the centre.
3. Move the iron around the base in a circular motion to spread the wax evenly. Cover the whole surface of the base, making sure to keep the iron moving so that the base of the board doesn’t get too hot. Pay particular attention to the edges, as they tend to dry out more quickly. Holding the iron in the same spot will allow that area of the board to receive too much wax, which will drip down at very hot temperatures. The board could blister, and then you’d have serious problems. Not only that but once the wax finally does dry, scraping off the excess from the board will be a far more difficult task than it needs to be. Wax moves downward when you apply hot wax above the snowboard. Be careful not to overheat the base, as this can cause damage. A sign of spending too long on one area is if the wax stays wet for more than a couple seconds after you leave it.

6. Cool Down

Allow the wax to cool and harden for at least 30 minutes. The snowboard wax needs to cool down so it will set. Leave the wax on the board for approx 20-30 minutes, until it has cooled down and set. You should wait at least 30 minutes for the wax to reach room temperature. While the wax is drying, leave it alone. Although this seems like it’d be helpful, it’s the opposite.

7. Scrape Excess Wax

1. Hold the plastic scraper at a 45-degree angle to the base. The edge of your plastic scraper should include a pointed edge that’s approximately 90 degrees. Rather than toss out the scraper and replace it, you should use the metal file we recommended earlier.
2. Using long, overlapping strokes, scrape the excess wax from the tip to the tail of the board. As with edging, it's generally advisable to scrape from nose to tail. The key is to keep the strokes long and overlapping. Even if you’re seasoned at waxing a snowboard, the wax will inevitably end up in places you don’t want it or glob on too thick in some areas. You can always scrape away the excess wax. We strongly urge you to buy a plastic scraper instead of using a metal one.
3. Continue scraping until the base is smooth and even, with no visible wax remaining. Continue until all the visible wax is gone and the surface is smooth and even. Don’t worry, the wax has still done its job even though you’ve scraped it off.

8. Clean the Edges

Use the notch at the end of your scraper to remove any wax from the edges. If the edges are fully or partially metal, you should still use a plastic scraper. Any wax left on your rails will render your edges pretty ineffective, so make sure to use the notch at the end of your scraper to remove any stray wax. Don’t forget your edges - they won’t grip the snow when they’re covered in wax. Most scrapers have a square cut out of the corners. Use this to run over your metal edges.

9. Structure the Base

1. Use a structuring brush to brush the base from tip to tail. Run the brush over the base, once again starting from the tip and working your way to the tail. Brush with some force here but don’t put in so much elbow grease that you risk damaging the snowboard’s pores.
2. Apply firm, consistent pressure to create a textured surface that improves glide. Why scrape and brush the snowboard wax from the tip to the tail, you ask?
3. This step also removes any remaining wax that wasn't removed during scraping. Second, if there was any wax you didn’t quite get during the last step, the structuring brush will remove it.
4. Optionally, use a scotch pad and wet sponge for further refinement. With this phase you can make your base shine and significantly increase its performance. Firstly, take your scotch pad and give each area of your base 3 or 4 hard strokes, to even out your scraping job. You’d have kicked up a bit of dust, so to finish the job take a wet sponge and give the base a wipe.

Additional Tips

• Edge Maintenance: Regularly sharpen your edges for optimal control. You should only sharpen the concave section of the edge. The file in your edge sharpener is probably one-directional. There should be an arrow on the side of the file that indicates the direction it should go. Arrange the file so that it is pointing in the right direction for you to stroke from nose to tail on your first edge - ideally most actions you take when waxing and edging go in one direction, from the nose to the tail of the board. Now apply pressure with the file on the side edge and drag it along the length of the edge. To test the sharpness of the edge, scrape your fingernail over it - your nail will peel if your edge is sharp. This isn’t 100% necessary, but it’s nice to do. Take your edge rubber, if you have one, and give it a few scrubs along each edge. If you’ve got a specialised waxing iron with a temperature gauge, look at the packet your wax came in and it should recommend a temperature to set the iron to. It’s likely that your edge sharpener has several angle options. 90 degrees is the standard setting for beginner / intermediate riding. 89, 88 and 87 degrees are progressively more advanced. Once you’ve decided on an edge angle, take a permanent marker pen and draw down your side edge. This technique is handy while you’re getting used to sharpening edges, but not always necessary.
• Rub-On Wax: In a pinch, rub-on wax can be used for a quick wax job. All you need is a sponge and rub-on wax and you’re good to go. The wax adheres simply and easily. If you forgot to wax your board and you want to go riding right then and there, rub-on wax is a good option.
• Safety: Be cautious when working with hot wax and a hot iron. Work in a well-ventilated area and wear protective gloves and eye protection if desired. The wax, at such high temperatures, could be nearly molten if the waxing iron is smoking. Working with hot wax can be dangerous, especially for a beginner.

How Often to Wax

The frequency of waxing depends on several factors, including the type of base (sintered or extruded), snow conditions, and how often you ride.

• Sintered Base: More porous and absorbs more wax, requiring more frequent waxing. A sintered base is more porous and therefore able to absorb more wax. Because of this, when a sintered board is waxed well it will run faster and smoother than an extruded base. However, an unwaxed sintered base will run slower than an unwaxed extruded base and therefore requires more waxing attention to keep it running fast.
• Extruded Base: Less porous and requires less frequent waxing.
• General Guideline: Wax your board every 3-5 days of riding, or whenever you notice it slowing down or the base appears dry. While some recommend that you should wax your board after every three days of riding, the frequency of waxing will depend on a few factors, including the construction of your base, the conditions you’ll be riding in and of course how often you ride.

tags: #how #to #wax #a #snowboard #step

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