TLN Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Well, i told myself some day, that i start waxing my board by myself, once i get second board. I didn't get all the waxing stuff previous season, but really going to get for upcoming. ok, couple of boards: Prior 4WD and Donek Incline. And amateur rider that want to keep the speed, protect the base, and still save some money :rolleyes: I decided to go with Swix freeride/snowboard series and get fluorinated waxes: http://www.swixsport.com/ I got the idea of getting flourinated one, as they're faster. As the conditions are different, i decided to go with all the three possible waxes: XFF6, XFF8, XFF10. I already own a swix T76 iron (that's the simpiest one), it can get 150 deg.C and waxes need no more then 140, so it should be fine. And here's the questions: 1. Swix show XF180 and XF 88 base prep wax. It says that it's fluorintaed. I thinking of buying one of this and use as base wax.(one is mentioned as base wax, heh). I suppose this will be fine, and the one a bit pricey will perform a bit better, right? 2. hardest question: what brushes? there's lots of. some say i need bronze and nylon, some say nylon only. someone say combinated. The price really differs, i can get one for $19 and second stays 5 times more price. What is the minimum needed? 3. That Swix XF ain't a bad choice, right? ;) Overall, i'm not going to race, or bet a records. I just want something more advanced that usually shops provide and something better then rub-on waxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Budget wax gear - easy: - Pure white paraffin non-scented candle - Steel cookie cutter - Steel wire brush - A piece of cloth - An old domestic iron (can get away without one, too) Disclaimer: While the candle wax works great over a range of conditions, in our temps around 0C, it might decrease the performance in very low temps. It would still perform better then a miss-matched specialised wax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 (edited) If you're not racing I don't see the need for the brushes myself. Just iron it on, wait to cool, scrape it clean. With that simple process I find myself gliding past pretty much everybody there is on the flats, so plenty fast enough. I don't use any fancy fluorinated waxes either, just the appropriate temperature rated wax. Edited September 21, 2012 by Neil Gendzwill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLN Posted September 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Budget wax gear - easy: - Pure white paraffin non-scented candle - Steel cookie cutter - Steel wire brush - A piece of cloth - An old domestic iron (can get away without one, too) Disclaimer: While the candle wax works great over a range of conditions, in our temps around 0C, it might decrease the performance in very low temps. It would still perform better then a miss-matched specialised wax. usually temp here is close to -10C i believe (air temp is -15C). I've already traded 4 gigs of RAM for swix iron, so no need to ruin domestic. Actually i want sonething 1-2 steps advanced then your idea. Because i have a good board now, and time to wax it by myself, and i feel the difference between waxes (or i believe that i feel it =)) If you're not racing I don't see the need for the brushes myself. Just iron it on, wait to cool, scrape it clean. With that simple process I find myself gliding past pretty much everybody there is on the flats, so plenty fast enough. I don't use any fancy fluorinated waxes either, just the appropriate temperature rated wax. Well, i heard many times that florinated wax goes faster. I was also told that from the people already gave me tons of working advices. And, probably the price: set of LF waxes will cost me extra $30, compared to regular one. This is too small, compared to the cost of the gear, so why not give it a try? Anyway, the biggest question for me is about the tools: If i can do all right with 1 brush, and what it should be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrutton Posted September 22, 2012 Report Share Posted September 22, 2012 Anyway, the biggest question for me is about the tools: If i can do all right with 1 brush, and what it should be. You need a brass brush for old wax removal to expose the structure. You need a stiff nylon brush for post-waxing to again expose the structure. You can get a relatively cheap brush kit with 2-3 brushes in it. If you are taking this much care with pre-riding prep work, the next step is roto-brushes (to reduce time spent and improve finish), which is something I'm contemplating this year. It's lots of money though. Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael.a Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Ill be repeating what some people already said, but... Fluorinated waxes are faster, 0.0001% faster. They are a waste of money for everyday riding and in my opinion the entire ski wax industry is taking the piss when marketing fifty million different low fluoro high fluoro graphite top competition easy on easy off waxes for recreational skiers/snowboarders. These people sell spray waxes for gods sake... You need two/three dedicated temperature waxes (i.e., soft, medium and hard). A huge block of molybdenum universal wax (or graphite) for base cleaning and prep and summer storage. Your time/money should be spent on having the right tools, learning proper technique and waxing your bases after every couple days of use. If you ride offpiste then forget it, it isnt worth the time and money as youll rip up your base anyway, just slap on some universal wax and call it a day. Brushes, since youll be brushing a lot Id spend the time reading and seeing which would be the most comfortable for your hand. I use the oval Toko brushes. It depends what waxes you use, but in the beginning Id get what scrutton mentioned, a brass and stiff nylon brush. Later on Id get a copper and fine steel brush and stop using the brass one. No need for a horsehair fine polishing brush. You need a big snowboard scarper and a small one and a scraper sharpener, you can either buy some fancy tool, a simple plastic sharpener or glue a piece of sandpaper to something 100% flat. What else... gasoline or some wax solvent, you can buy base cleaner but never use it on your base... and of course snowboard vises plus a proper work table. The rest is technique. Thats only waxing btw, how about sharpening? A million more tools to buy then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keenan Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Reliable Racing and Donek both have tuning instructions on their sites. I use a stiff nylon brush to prep the base and a Scotch Brite pad to buff the wax after scraping. Most manufacturers recommend loosening your binding inserts before waxing which can alleviate dimples in the board where the wax collects, I find this too time consuming, the Scotch Brite pads are good because you can work them into the dimples under the bindings and remove the excess wax that the scraper doesn't pull off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp1 Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 Rays Way & Hot Rod wax. Rub wax on, work it in with Rays Way, brush it & ride Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lafcadio Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 (edited) Rays Way & Hot Rod wax. Rub wax on, work it in with Rays Way, brush it & ride +1 for Ray's Way waxWHIZard! It won't replace hot waxing a few times a season, but it's super quick and easy to use, even after every ride. And since it's mess free, it's the best option for travel. It's cheap, easy, and the pros like Mike de Santis also recommend it for regular waxing. You can't go wrong with Ray's Way. Edited September 23, 2012 by lafcadio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted September 23, 2012 Report Share Posted September 23, 2012 I'm a Ray's Way fan too. http://www.tognar.com/wax-wizard-rub-in-ski-wax-no-iron-repl-covers/ It seemed too good to be true. The snow/ice in my region is very abrasive, so I burn the wax off the area 1/4" to 3/8" in from edges every day. That Wax Wizard takes a fraction of the time of hot waxing and it's easy to just do the base near the edges. Plus I use some crazy hard Swix wax that's designed for -30 snow that you need to get really hot to iron in. It works great in all snow if you only use it on the edges. I only hot wax the middle of the base when the temperature changes dramatically. The only times my wax really matters is in slushy snow or if I go to an area where there are flat-ish cat tracks. Typically it's just not a factor - I just don't want to burn the base near the edges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael.a Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Yea the wax whizard is a great addition to one's toolbox esp. when travelling but I dont know why its being recommended here instead of a proper iron, scraper and set of waxes. Again, the right tools for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Really easy: Lay your board outside on a sunny day - base up. This works especially well with a black base. Let the sun warm the base and crayon on some wax. Let it sit for a while longer to allow the wax to spread out. When the entire base is nice & shiny, take it out of the sun & let it cool. This is very easy, uses very little wax and seems to last a long time because the whole board gets warm (instead of just the base). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeho730 Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 (edited) If you can find a shop nearby that offer toko thermo bag waxing... http://www.tokous.com/thermo_bag.htm Was thinking about buying one meself (apparently some racers have their own) but I'm not willing to spend 3000 plus on that bag... Edited September 24, 2012 by leeho730 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surf Quebec Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 I do as ursle, I'm a fan of the wax whizzard. It's faster, cheaper (a lot less wax is used) and also you can do it almost anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLN Posted September 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2012 Guys, i really appeciate all yours answers, and will defintely get into this later. I'm now travelling US, staying in Vegas and going to Californnia next, so i'd get my waxes a bit later =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarvingScooby Posted October 1, 2012 Report Share Posted October 1, 2012 Budget wax gear - easy: - Pure white paraffin non-scented candle - Steel cookie cutter - Steel wire brush - A piece of cloth - An old domestic iron (can get away without one, too) Disclaimer: While the candle wax works great over a range of conditions, in our temps around 0C, it might decrease the performance in very low temps. It would still perform better then a miss-matched specialised wax. +1 Agree. Funny moment season 10-11 on the last day of Whistler when snow start about to get slushy in the afternoon other borders with $$$ of wax start to get jammed some almost flew over the handle bar on a steeper slope and give up earlier....me with my old Prior 4WD on a CAD3.75 paraffin non scented flying by no problemo....(Thanks to BlueB) (One cent): One or two boards on $$$ wax maybe ok but what to do when you mutiply those board number by 10 or more... ;] RT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.