# Off season waxing questions



## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

I hot/iron wax all mine and friends boards. I have never waxed my board at the end of a season. I can see it help protect it if you store it in a non temperature controlled environment that humidity and moisture play a part.


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## Dekker (Feb 8, 2013)

It's a fun activity to do though and sets the mood for the season, waxing your board and cleaning up those edges right before the first day. But my friends, after the last day, will iron on an extra thick coat of wax on their base but won't scrape it. Just iron it on, cool and then store it in their case for the off season. Right before the first day they will take it out and then scrape scrape scrape that thick layer of wax off and with a little buff they're ready.

I do the same thing with putting on a thick layer of wax without scraping but when the season starts I scrape then brass brush the remaining wax off and put on a fresh coat. 

I don't think it matters though. Just think about all those boards that go unsold and spend months and months with the factory wax on it. Even after all that time you can take it out and ride as is.


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## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

Pkinsp said:


> So I have heard different off season waxing tips. Is it best to wax the board at the end of one season and then at the beginning of the next? Seems a little redundant to wax a board twice without riding, even if a whole season is in between. Does waxing the board prior to storing it for an off season protect the board during storage?
> 
> Also, I just got a new stick. If I apply a wax coat now, will be good in a couple months when I go for my first runs of the season?


should be factory wax on it now, no need to do anything till the season starts

---or---

wax it now, you just got it and there's no snow around so why not, new boards deserve it


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

I agree with them. Passion and excitement gets fed while waxing. But it's not gonna hurt your board to wait.


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## Pkinsp (Nov 15, 2012)

I'm asking not because I enjoy waxing. Honestly, I hate waxing the board and will sometimes go a couple riding days in between hot waxes. I work my ass off during the week and don't always feel up for waxing before my weekend mountain relief. I'd probably use the shop more, but I find that the board rides better after my own wax job. 

I am just thinking that it will be easier to wax the board before mounting the bindings, and I am very excited to switch up the bindings on my boards and play with the stances. So I'm wondering if I go ahead and wax my boards now, would that be sufficient for the first days of riding in a couple months. Do you think I will lose anything by waxing a board two months before taking it on the first ride of the season instead of the night before the first ride?

Any good waxes you can suggest, either for early season or in general? Any better wax for extruded bases v. sintered bases? Thanks for the replies.


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

If you wax now it will be perfect for the first ride. No sacrifice. I only hot wax when I can't find wax with scraping my finger nail across the base beneath my rear binding. Not an every trip basis. 

I use one ball jay all temp because it fits my temps and it has performed well for me. 

I'm interested in what others say as well.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

The first pre-season wax is a ritual. I get all the snowboarding equipment out, check it for problems, make sure my daughter can still get into her boots  , then I get the waxing stuff and a beer. Or two. Ipod on, with my riding music. Wax all snowboards and all skis, takes an hour or so. Then we're ready in case we get an early snowfall and want to hoof it up the mountain.


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## Fewdfreak (May 13, 2013)

Haha Donutz I agree about that waxing ritual--for me its a Red Stripe and some classic rock in the garage the night before you head out and you have like that nervous anticipation of what's to come like a little kid waiting for Santa... 

I wax all my boards even if they come with factory wax before I take them out. Most of my boards are used and come as is so those get cleaned up, little edge tune action, and waxed. Being summer here I have cleaned and waxed them all a nice heavy coat of cheap like "canning wax" for storage and letting them sit unscraped. When I am riding I usually use OBJ for my sintered boards (it smells so good!) and the cheap stuff on extruded base.

What I want to do this year is get like all my waxing supplies organized and set up a little mini shop for waxing and tuning in my garage so I can quit fooling around with old towels and pieces of cardboard on the floor and scraping on some rickety old saw horses.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

I've thought on occasion about building a waxing rack for the boards. The binding mounting bolts are a standard thread, so there'd be no problem getting some bolts from Home Despot. You don't even have to take the bindings off -- just bolt to some unused holes. Some kind of simple wood harness in two pieces that you bolt to the board then flip and put on a couple of sawhorses. Should be stable enough.

OTOH there are commercial products available and I've got to get over this DIY-at-all-costs attitude.


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## backstop13 (Jun 27, 2012)

I usually wax at the end of the year but don't scrape. When season is almost here I get everything out and go through it. Give the board a good scrape, but I don't re-wax it, unless I convince myself that I want another beer. Good tunes and a tallboy PBR and I'm all set!!


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## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

Donutz said:


> I've thought on occasion about building a waxing rack for the boards. The binding mounting bolts are a standard thread, so there'd be no problem getting some bolts from Home Despot. You don't even have to take the bindings off -- just bolt to some unused holes. Some kind of simple wood harness in two pieces that you bolt to the board then flip and put on a couple of sawhorses. Should be stable enough.
> 
> OTOH there are commercial products available and I've got to get over this DIY-at-all-costs attitude.


I bought some of these:

Amazon.com: Snowboard Vise SWIX SB031FX: Sports & Outdoors

You can put them on a work bench, or a table and you can put the board edge up for sharpening and lock it in. 

Handy for travelling too. Not cheap but I really like them, and with seven boards the family and counting they pay themsevles off fast vs shop tuning. 

My next purchase is a little bench that can fold up and travel easily.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Yeah pre-season is a bit of a ritual for me too. Gotta have beer, music, and the boards on the kitchen counter with my moms old iron...

I never wax at the end of the season, just hang them somewhere dry until the snow flies again! :yahoo:


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Has anyone ever witness a base going bad without waxing it? I don't live in an extreme climate so I'm cool.


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## tanscrazydaisy (Mar 11, 2013)

Pkinsp said:


> I'm asking not because I enjoy waxing. Honestly, I hate waxing the board and will sometimes go a couple riding days in between hot waxes. I work my ass off during the week and don't always feel up for waxing before my weekend mountain relief. I'd probably use the shop more, but I find that the board rides better after my own wax job.
> 
> I am just thinking that it will be easier to wax the board before mounting the bindings, and I am very excited to switch up the bindings on my boards and play with the stances. So I'm wondering if I go ahead and wax my boards now, would that be sufficient for the first days of riding in a couple months. Do you think I will lose anything by waxing a board two months before taking it on the first ride of the season instead of the night before the first ride?
> 
> Any good waxes you can suggest, either for early season or in general? Any better wax for extruded bases v. sintered bases? Thanks for the replies.


You can always break up the waxing to 2 days. First night, clean the base & apply the wax.

Second night, scrape & buff.

Waxes? I personally use Racewax's FluoroMax All-Temp for general riding.

I also use their warm temp hydrocarbon wax for base cleaning.

This year, I'm gonna try mixing in their Moly wax as well, since I primarily ride on machine made snow.




jdang307 said:


> Has anyone ever witness a base going bad without waxing it? I don't live in an extreme climate so I'm cool.


I haven't seen the entire base, but, the base near the edges take the most wear and tear.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

I'm also one who like to put a thick layer on at the end of the year. Some years I forget or am too lazy and I don't notice any real advantage to be honest. 
But one thing I do notice is I am faster and wax lasts longer if I can wait at least 12 hours between applying and scraping. Thats bet case scenario, usually I don't plan that far ahead and scrape a few minutes after.
But yeah a few beers or bowls and tunes is a must.
Which reminds me I need to get a new scraper this year.


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## tanscrazydaisy (Mar 11, 2013)

freshy said:


> I'm also one who like to put a thick layer on at the end of the year. Some years I forget or am too lazy and I don't notice any real advantage to be honest.
> But one thing I do notice is I am faster and wax lasts longer if I can wait at least 12 hours between applying and scraping. Thats bet case scenario, usually I don't plan that far ahead and scrape a few minutes after.
> But yeah a few beers or bowls and tunes is a must.
> Which reminds me I need to get a new scraper this year.


There are a lot of theories (mostly with anal skiiers) about allowing the wax slowly cool down... something to do with how it recrystallizes.

It's been a while since I last taken material sciences.... maybe a materials engineer or some engineering student that has time for snowboarding can correct me.

iirc, if you allow a slow cooling, when the wax recrystallizes, the grain formation is finer, so that when you scrape it, more of it stays in.

A common thing I see in youtube videos is where people will rapidly "quench" it by throwing the snowboard outside in the freezing weather, the grain formation is much larger, since when you scrape, less if it stays in.


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## DaveMcI (Aug 19, 2013)

I hot wax at the end of season and donot scrape. Also with hot wax on my fingers I seal the edges in wax during the off season. Helps prevent rust on the edges


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## tanscrazydaisy (Mar 11, 2013)

DaveMcI said:


> I hot wax at the end of season and donot scrape. Also with hot wax on my fingers I seal the edges in wax during the off season. Helps prevent rust on the edges


many skiiers don't recommend it, as, you can also be sealing in moisture in the process, which promotes rusting on the edges.

Stainless steel edges are also nice in this regard.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

No wax for storage here. You don't know what the temperature will be on the first day we'll use them. December can be very cold or rather warm here so chances are high that you had chosen the wron wax... 
Some years the boards are stored at home under the bed and thus wont rust,, some years they spend off season in the shed of the alpine cabin with humidity and temperature changes and get rust :dunno: 

However, they'll get hot waxed the night before the first use, with the appropriate wax for the temperatures expected for the next day


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## DaveMcI (Aug 19, 2013)

tanscrazydaisy said:


> many skiiers don't recommend it, as, you can also be sealing in moisture in the process, which promotes rusting on the edges.
> 
> Stainless steel edges are also nice in this regard.


I never thought of that. thanks for info


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## aiidoneus (Apr 7, 2011)

poutanen said:


> Yeah pre-season is a bit of a ritual for me too. Gotta have beer, music, and the boards on the kitchen counter with my moms old iron...
> 
> I never wax at the end of the season, just hang them somewhere dry until the snow flies again! :yahoo:


We should have a beer and wax night pre season, between us, AsrenalFan and your boards think we have a couple dozen boards.

As for me I put a nice solid wax layer on end of season. Kind of my way of saying thanks for the season to my boards.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

aiidoneus said:


> We should have a beer and wax night pre season, between us, AsrenalFan and your boards think we have a couple dozen boards.


Yeah yeah! I wanted to do a Brazilian at the same time but I suppose that's a faux pas? :dunno:


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## aiidoneus (Apr 7, 2011)

poutanen said:


> Yeah yeah! I wanted to do a Brazilian at the same time but I suppose that's a faux pas? :dunno:


It's only wrong if you don't post it on youtube


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Has somebody got a good garage for waxing and beers? If not you guys could head up to Airdrie...


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