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Monday, 06 August 2007 |
| Good maintenance of your snowboard will help to keep you and you stick together for years to come. With that in mind, the following 5 simple steps have been created to keep your servicing money in your pocket and out of the shops! |
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Board Service
A well serviced board will have a waxed-sealed base that gives less resistance to the snow and glides smoothly and quickly, also sharp edges that increase edge control and allow for precise turning.
The board edges should be high grade metal and always buy a board with high grade p-Tex base.
It's not expensive to keep the old plank in tip top shape but you need to invest in a few basic tools for the job, and here they are:
1) An electric iron (try to get hold of an old one not steam, no holes in base)
2) Metal edge file (it is best to buy one with measures, it'll save heartache later!)
3) Flat edged wax scraper (you can by them but a de-icer scraper will do just fine)
4) Stiff wire brush
5) Wax !! (buy it from a snowboard shop...not Boots the chemist) |
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Step 1
If you are lucky enough to have a spare space in your house/flat (with a workbench) then that's fine, otherwise it's two kitchen chairs back to back (don't use the velor seats!).
Start by cleaning all of the old wax and residues from the base using a flat edge scraper, finishing off with a really stiff brush to get into the structure of the base.
Life can be made easier if you buy a wax remover and spray this onto the base. It breaks down the old wax for easy removal, follow the instructions on the can but don't forget to get an old towel to clean this off if you use it. |
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Step 2
Next get some wire wool or an old Brillo pad and clean the rust spots from the metal edges.
Take your funky new edge sharpener (setting instructions in package)and check that it is set to 2 degrees If your all about speed you may want to set it for less but be aware, this will make the edge dig in more easily (increasing the chance of falling over!).
Stroke it gently from tip to tail on both edges.
Reset the file and repeat on the base edge.
If you are conducting your board surgery in the kitchen remember that iron filings will fall on the floor so keep your slippers on and the vacuum ready. |
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Step 3
Heat the iron (too cool = wax won't iron on evenly too hot = the cheaper bases will melt/separate from topsheet).
Once you have found the optimum operating temperature for your baby, press the wax block to the iron and allow the melting wax to drip evenly along the length of the board. When you have finished this you can start to iron the wax into the base.
Try to get an even coating, remember, you love your board and want to be with it forever, spend the time, make it feel special, sometimes a quickie just won't do
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Step 4
The most tedious part of the process. One which results in most people sending their board off to be serviced professionally.
Take the edge scraper and scrape the base till all the wax is gone. The only wax left should be the stuff that was absorbed in to the base. The more effort you put in on this stage the better the finish. Don't worry, I know it looks like a waste of your precious wax! |
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Step 5
Take a soft cloth and give your freshly waxed board a good hard polish! If it's the end of the season and it's going into storage, then this probably isn't worth it.
However, if you're riding soon, sit back, relax and start dreaming of your next ride! |
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