Sharkey Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 I have a pretty dated education on ski tuning, roughly 12 years. Maybe the bases of current skis and boards are different, but i'm not sure. Last year I bought an F2, and it has the dimples in the base. I can assume this is another attempt at limiting the 'suction' factor. Anyway, I've waxed this thing a few times, but the base isn't really absorbing any wax. If I recall correct, we were told that a base will actually allow material (wax/dirt/etc) in over time, and every time the base heats up these pores continue to open up. The wax will sort of fall to the bottom, and the dirt and junk will more/less float up, and then it (hopefully) gets scraped off. Is this true? My friggin base will show white with wax after a couple hours, and you can see where it gets scraped off on the snow. It leaves it in a very "dry skin" like condition. Am I not taking enough off during scraping? Not heating up the base enough? I use alot of brushes and have all the equipment, but for some reason this thing just doesn't seem to be the same as what i'm used to..... ???? If it matters, I have ZERO issues with performance, and am pretty happy with it on most days, no matter what wax i'm using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 From what I understand...the white "dry skin" look is from a base that was allowed to sit for an extended period without wax. try hot scraping numerous times with a nice soft base prep wax perhaps? a light sanding might help (but can leave hairs) OR you might end up needing a base grind. Ive had a couple boards that "went white" on me and I always just rode em anyway, but its a bit of a pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 I didnt know they made boards with the dimples. I remember a couple of years ago, i was surfing and the kid next to me had like an $800 boogie board cause it had dimples and i tried it out, and it was amazing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 use shorter screws or water got under the screws when you mounted the bindings and when it froze expanded, in my shop days I saw this happen a couple times. the dirt should come out easily in most cases, sometimes a warm scrape can help. if you wax a board a few times before you ride it then wax it very often once you start riding it your base will not get dried out as fast, at some point bases do get to a point where they don't hold wax well, I am told sunlight speeds this up as does not waxing regularly. hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkey Posted December 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 thanks guys. I think what i'm hearing is making me think I haven't put the effort into getting this thing up to par. I remember High school, tuning my skis once or twice a week, and i've probably only done my new board twice in one year.... cheers. oh, and the dimples are, uhhhhh, in. The screw thing I read about before assembling the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 The bases on F2's are super soft, at least the ones I've had. They asorb a ton of wax when taken care of. The most probable reason you have white near the edges after riding is that the base was left without wax for some time and it oxidised (sp). This is very common, when a base does this the best cure is to take it to a shop, have them lightly grind the base, just enough to take off the oxidation, but not enough to ruin you structer pattern, a fine grit belt with light weight on the feed wheel will do this. Next step is to go to the dominator wax site and get some of thier renew base prep wax. This is a super soft wax made to penetrate deep into the base, it works wonders and dosen't cost that much. Wax and scrap with this a few times, then wax with the approite temp wax. Be carefull to use the correct wax for the conditions after this to prevent it from happening again. If you use too soft a wax for the temp the agressive snow crystals will pull it out of your base easier, then if you leave your board laying around for a week or so you'll get the same problem. If you have doubt on which wax to use for the day, error on the harder side, not the softer side. Sometimes it works well to use a harder wax on the edges and a softer wax in the middle. If you are using this tech, make sure you use that renew wax every now and then because harder waxes don't penetrate as deeply as a softer wax. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy T. Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 I have an Arbor A-frame which has a structurn base. This could be the same thing as the dimples you describe. Here is some info about their structurn base. StrucTurn* StrucTurn is a micro-oval pattern stamped evenly onto the base. It decreases friction, which increases speed, allowing more snow to pass under your board with less resistance in a wide range of snow conditions. You've seen the dimples on a golf ball, right? They allow the ball to slice through the air at high velocity by decreasing friction on the surface of the ball. StrucTurn creates the same effect where the base meets the snow, no matter the direction of travel. Traditional base finishing methods offer some benefits, but have limitations as well. Belt ground bases work well on hard snow - not so well in loose or wet conditions. Stone ground bases have benefits in wetter snow conditions. Also, while stone ground bases accelerate well going straight, they create drag and reduce maneuverability while turning. StrucTurn combines the best of both worlds by providing optimum results in all kinds of snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 This "white skin" thing you're talking about sounds like you aren't scraping off enough wax. You need to scrape until nothing comes off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toddflyingdog Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 seems like you are talking about the structure of your base. those dimples are high tech and you will miss them when you've had to grind your board and they are gone don't have time to explain why but structure can be as important as wax... I have to aggree with whomever suggested Renew zoom from dominator, I have probably waxed each of my Doneks with that 20 times just to get them happily absorbing wax. (soft wax absorbs best) but short of suggesting the lengths I take, maybe check into having the deck done in a "hot box" which is what racers use if you are totally hooked up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toddflyingdog Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 re-read your first post. definitely think your deck needs a night in a hot box. which is basically a tempatur controlled waxing oven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Winters Posted December 2, 2005 Report Share Posted December 2, 2005 I have the A-frame too>>(Thank you Snowboard Journal). But what about waxing? Do you just scrape and then brush out the dimples? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy T. Posted December 2, 2005 Report Share Posted December 2, 2005 I have the A-frame too>>(Thank you Snowboard Journal). But what about waxing? Do you just scrape and then brush out the dimples? Dave, I got an a-frame last year and the structurn dimples were so small you couldn't really see them. I just waxed that board like any other and it was fine. Now I have a brand new 06 a-frame (exchanged it because of a crack in the top sheet) and the dimples are large and deep, much different than last years board. I have not waxed the new board yet so i'm not too sure how it's going to work. Do you have the 06 model? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Winters Posted December 2, 2005 Report Share Posted December 2, 2005 Yeah, and I just did a hot scrape and then hot wax last nite. The wax doesn't stay in the dimples like I thought it would, and after scraping and brushing it seems fine. Taking it out today for the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy T. Posted December 2, 2005 Report Share Posted December 2, 2005 Dave, let me know how the wax job is after you ride. I just checked out your web site, no wonder you own an a-frame. Your work is beautiful (just like arbor boards). Did you see this beauty from the virus thread? sweet wood boards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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