# Need advise



## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

I suggest you delete your question about off season waxing or give it it's own thread, it's endlessly debated around here. 

Heres a really good article on tuning:

Tuning - The Carver's Almanac

There are lots of YouTube vids on how to wax and sharpen. 

Waxing is dead easy and almost impossible to do permanent damage. 

Sharpening isn't much harder as long as you get some decent instructional vids and follow them, but if you just go buy some files and have at it you can screw up your board.


----------



## justMessing (Feb 11, 2015)

Can anyone vouch for the equipment in those links? 

I'm basically in the same boat as geekmedic was a year ago. I'm looking to start tuning up my board from home but want to make sure I'm getting good materials to do so. 

What do you guys prefer? I was going to buy a Dakine kit off Amazon just to make my life easy, but after seeing threads about it (and price) I was a little deterred.

From just some very basic research I've been doing I know I'll need an iron, wax, brushes (2 or 3?), edge tuner, and file. If you guys have any 'brand' preferences or advice, I'd love to hear! In the meantime I'll be reading that alpinecarving link from Lamps.

*Also, if this helps - I board in Southern California, so warm temps. I'm pretty balanced between the park and riding (love bombing hills)


----------



## augie (Mar 14, 2012)

I have a much older version of this dakine tuning kit. 

comes with everything you need to get started. Iron, plastic and metal scrapers, scouring pads, edge sharpener (88 and 90 degrees), file, ptex, gummy stone and the bag.

The iron has held up for years and years. I have replaced the plastic scraper and scouring pads a few times. 

I have a couple saw horses I use to wax the board on. Don't waste money on a board table/mount thing.


----------



## Snowster (Nov 26, 2013)

So my budget setup is as follows. For my stand i use 5 gallon paint buckets. I have an old house iron for wax (find the right temp to melt was but not burn and keep it there). Wax is super hot sauce which probably has 10-20 waxes with it and only 1/4 gone. Scotch brite and the occasional wire brush to groove the wax. $7 ptex off amazon to fix any chips or scratches in my base. Marine epoxy, sandpaper, and spray paint to fix any topsheet chips. Bastard file with a few wraps of electrical tape for angle selection. Anything else just ask. Probably totals $25 with the wax.


----------



## Snowster (Nov 26, 2013)

Forgot about the scraper. I use the cheapest one i could find on amazon. If you are crafty you could also take a 1/4 piece of plexi and use that, which is what they are made of anyway. I wax my board and Dad's skis at the very end of the season. Dont want my bases to dry out and saves me hastle the next season with the first time out.


----------



## Fielding (Feb 15, 2015)

The dakine super kit has the basics you'll need. If you get into it then you'll probably want more and better tools. Amazon actually has a lot of nice brushes and files.


----------



## SkullAndXbones (Feb 24, 2014)

i use the burton hotstick iron, a one ball jay scraper, a nylon brush, and a rag.


----------



## neelmehta (Mar 12, 2015)

*no idea...........sorry.*

no idea...........sorry.


----------



## WhiteOwl (Mar 29, 2015)

Nice thread! That "carvers almanac" has everything you need. 

I have one other really noob question that I didn't see mentioned in there:
Does it matter which color plastic wax scraper I choose to use to take the wax off? For example, if I use a blue plastic wax scraper on a snowboard with a light colored base (white or yellow), will the blue color rub off on to the base of the board?


----------



## Fielding (Feb 15, 2015)

I'd like to revise answer above. For $100, I don't think the dakine kit is the right move.instead buy:

Cheap Walmart iron $10
Block of hertel hot sauce $20
Dakine scraper plastic $10
Racewax set of 3 brushes, copper, nylon, horse: $50

I recently bought the racewax 3 brush kit and it's nice. Save your base and get a sweet luster. Brush more and scrape less. Amazon has all this shit if your favorite local shop doesn't. I know mine doesn't.


----------



## DevilWithin (Sep 16, 2013)

WhiteOwl said:


> I have one other really noob question that I didn't see mentioned in there:
> Does it matter which color plastic wax scraper I choose to use to take the wax off? For example, if I use a blue plastic wax scraper on a snowboard with a light colored base (white or yellow), will the blue color rub off on to the base of the board?


You have nothing to worry about...just scrape away. I have a blue, clear, and black wax scraper. In all honesty, once you figure out how to scrape you'll likely want to move away from the plastic scrapers and use a metal one. They are quicker to use and don't dull as fast as the plastic ones. The downside is you can scrape into your base if you aren't careful.


----------



## DevilWithin (Sep 16, 2013)

One other tip: if you can wait, keep an eye on Whiskeymilitia for wax kits / irons. They seem to have them posted every two months or so for about 50% off. The wax irons are better with regulating temps and you don't have the steam holes to worry about. Definitely not necessary though...first world problems. You can always get a thrift store clothes iron to do the trick. Just make sure you don't have the temp too high to cause the wax to smoke. 

There is a sticky thread in the boards section with general maintenance tips and some waxing tutorial video links. Tons of good videos showing you how on YouTube. 

I personally don't use base cleaner. I just use a soft wax when I get pollen, oil, etc on the base and do a hot scrape to clean. You just apply the wax and scrape it immediately, rather than waiting for it to cool down. Then follow up with your regular coat of wax.


----------



## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

I wouldn't worry too much about the brushes. Wax, iron, scraper, and a scotch bright pad are all you need. The pad does pretty much the same thing a brush anyway. 
Even a workbench/sawhorses can be omitted, I have scraped many a board just on the ground. Nice thing about that is you can just straddle your board and get really good scraping leverage. 

+1 on the Hertel hot sauce, shits amazing.

As for waxing in the off season it's not a bad idea to throw a coat of wax on but don't scrape it till next season. Theory being it won't let the base dry out. I also think it's better to let your wax sit for as long as possible to let it soak in or whatever it does. You wanna wait at least 20 Min's to scrape, overnight is better, when your wax sits for 6 months I personally notice a huge difference in speed. 
You can also rub wax on the edges to keep away the rust over summer. 

Umm yeah that's about it from me.


----------

