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Self-maintenance


Guest vaguelyevilguy

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Guest vaguelyevilguy

What's the bare minimum of stuff I need to do my own edging and hot waxing. So far I've figured out:

1) Table/workbench

2) Iron (are normal ones ok?)

3) Hot wax

4) Edger- I got a cheap bakoda one but it doesn't seem like it does both base and side edge, plus it only has two settings. Any reccomendations on a reasonable base edge/side edge tuner? And do I need to buy separate stones?

5) Brushes/fibertex: I have no idea what these are or why I would need them, but I see them advertised a lot.

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the fact that there's a snowboard forum out there for people who care about more than how blinging their Burton bindings are.

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On the table/workbench, you will need some sort of snowboard vise, etc, so you can put the board on it top down to sharpen the base edges or hot wax it, and also top put the board in the "slots" on the vise to do the side edges. Basically, you need something that will allow your board not to mover around when tuning, which will be a frustrating experieince if you aree trying to tune a bord which is not nailed down.

As for Irons, like Gumby stated, try and find one without steam holes. What you really want is the oldest school and heaviest electric iron you can possibly find, not one of the modern teflon coated lighweight ones. Think of what June Cleaver would have use to iron Beaver's clothes on "Leave it to Beaver." The teflon coated ones will actually get scratched when they contact the edges too much, and will then drag on the base of the board. Also, the heavy weight irons retain heat and temperature more consistently as there is more metal mass to keep hot by the heating element. The modern irons just lose the heat too quickly which is frustrating. This is the iron to buy:http://www.blackanddeckerappliances.com/product_detail.asp?T1=APP%20F63D

I get a sharpie to mark the spot on the dial/lever which melts the wax without smoking, so I can find it everytime. Basically an idiots thermostat.

Make sure you are using an approriate temperature wax for the snow conditions, but as a new tuner, universal should work just fine for now.

Here's an example of a tuner/edger which will do side and base edges, and will have more increments than you have. now;http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7128171756

Stick with just an edger for now, uintil you get more experience I wouldn't bother with stones. let the angles built into the edger tool do most of the work for you.

Although on the other hand some edgers will hold a file or a stone, so you can play with coarse and fine file blades and coarse or fine stones to fine tune your edges.

A gouging tool to clean out the gouges a little better for better p-tex adhesion.

P-tex to fill in gouges.

A metal scraper to scrape the excess p-tex after repairing gouges.

A plastic scraper to scrape off the excess wax after applying hotwax, and for scraping crud and excess wax of your bases before hotwaxing.

Scotchbrite and nylon brushes to structure the base after scraping excess wax off.

Magnifying glass to examine the base structure.

Metal brushes may be used to structure the base before waxin, a little over the top for you right now.

Base cleaning liquid for removing schmutz and old wax from your bases before repairing base or waxing. A citrus based cleaner is the safest, if ther eis such a thing when dealing with these harsh chemicals.

Thick rubbber work gloves to keep the schmutz out of your skin and nailbeds, not to mention protection from cuts from edges tools and metral shavings, as well as keeping your skin from contacting harsh chemicals like your base cleaner.

A fan and or a well ventilated area to push fumes from Ptex and flourinated wax fumes and base cleaner fumes away from you rather than inhaling it.

On that note, if you wan to be extra safe or over the top, use a really nice mask and also eye protection.

Apron.

Crappy clothes.

Tuning book for reference like "Tuning skis and snowboards for dummies", or something along those lines.

Old cardboard boxes and newspapers. (I like to use newspapers on the bench and cardboard sectons on the floor when waxing to make cleanup esasier. Throw away the paper and cardboard rather than the PITA job of cleaning wax of the bench or floor)

Crappy boom box that you dont care if you get wax and shiznit splattered on.

Small dorm sized fridge for beer.

Toaster oven, microwave, and coffeepot.

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you forgot the kitchen sink

I gotta disagree about some of that stuff...a magnifying glass? sure..helpful, but...a recreational rider just doesnt need to get that technical!

theres a dude selling vises on FEEbay. I got one for a good price from him but now I realize it probably wont fit my bench. anyway...

if you wanted to try an alternative to iron waxing...check out www.alpinskituning.com and look at the wax whizard. Only thing is...wax removal...where youd usually hot scrape..not sure how youd go about that, but for application it seems like a darn good idea and gets good references

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Originally posted by D-Sub

you forgot the kitchen sink

I gotta disagree about some of that stuff...a magnifying glass? sure..helpful, but...a recreational rider just doesnt need to get that technical!

Hey, I had to put something over-the-top in there to make sure you were paying attention!

Good links from Pat too!

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I use a small "G" clamp that holds the board and a piece of wood with slots routed in it for the edging file and stone.

My Iron is an older steam unit but I've never plugged the holes.

Hard Perspex scraper

A couple of Pot scour pads, a Half an orange and some Isocol rubbing alcohol.

Works for me

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