Snowboard Tune-Up and Hot Wax

Since we will be going to Park City next weekend, I thought I'd give the snowboards a minor tune-up and hot wax to get ready for the trip. I have a Burton Custom 160.5 while Lediya has the Burton Troop 154.

This year I decided to give the boards a minor tune-up because the side and base edges were getting dull and rusty. I also wanted to deburr the front and rear edges just to clean them up a bit. I do it all myself because a minor tune-up can easily cost $50 at REI while a machine hot wax can set you back at least $20.










The materials that I used were: an FK side/base edge pocket tuner ($20), a deburrer ($10), a Toko plexiglas scraper ($5), Scotch-brite ($2), One Ball Jay wax, and an old clothes iron. Here is somewhat of a step-by-step guide to a minor tune-up and hot wax:

EDGE MAINTENANCE:

1. Clean the snowboard with a soft cloth and a neutral cleaner (water or 409) to remove loose dirt and grime.

2. Use the Scotch-brite to also remove loose dirt from the base.










3. To sharpen the side edges, use the tune-up tool and choose how much bevel you want on your edges. I chose a 1 degree side edge bevel and a 1 degree base edge bevel. Note: Be sure to push or pull the file only in the direction of the file.










4. Use the deburrer around the front and rear edges to remove rust spots and to manually sharpen the edges.














HOT WAX:

1. Use the middle setting on the iron, then invert it so that the pointed end is pointing towards the board base.

2. Take the wax and place it on the hot iron. Distribute the hot wax uniformly around the base, paying special attention to the edges and the area under the bindings.

3. Let wax cool and re-harden for 10 minutes.










4. Place the iron bottom down on the base to re-melt the wax. Move the iron in the direction of the snowboard (leading edge to rear edge). Make sure all the wax melts to ensure consistent distribution on the base surface. Let cool for another 10 minutes.










5. Use the scraper, starting at the leading end of the snowboard, to remove excess wax. A thin layer of wax should be left.










6. Finally, use the Scotch brite to buff the wax starting at the leading end and finishing at the rear end.

7. Enjoy the ride on a newly tuned and waxed snowboard!