How to Hot Wax Your Snowboard

How far can you glide on your snowboard on the flats these days? How easy is it to skate in the lift line? Is the bottom of your snowboard looking really white? If your snowboard is exhibiting these symptoms, it might just be time for a wax job. Not just any snowboard wax job, but a nice hot wax.

There are a number of waxes that can be used on snowboard bases these days - paste wax, rub-on wax, and hot wax. Paste and rub-on waxes work great in a squeeze but nothing cleans, and lasts like a nice snowboard hot wax. Depending upon snow conditions, a good hot wax can last for number of days not just a few runs like other waxes.

Before you can get started, here's what you'll need:
- a well ventilated workspace
- an assortment of snowboard hot wax rated for cold, warm, all-temperature
- wax iron with multiple temperature settings
- base cleaner (citrus or solvent based)
- snowboard vises, sawhorses, or chairs.
- wax scraper
-Snowboard horsehair brush
- an old bedsheet

Workspace
Hot waxing a snowboard is messy and produces noxious smells. It's best performed in a well-ventilated workspace. Place the bedsheet over the space where you plan to work. Set the sawhorses on top of it. Then place the snowboard upside down on top of the sawhorses. They should rest under the tip and tail of the snowboard.

Clean the snowboard base
Clean the base of the snowboard with Citro-Strip citrus wax remover or remover from Swix, Toko, or Holmenkol. The remover will rid the base of dirt and residual wax. Wipe with a clean cloth and allow the base to dry. The base is ready to be waxed after 30 minutes. Do not allow the cleaned base to sit without wax overnight.

Choose the wax
Hot waxes are rated for use at specific temperatures. Determine which wax will be ideal for your day on the slopes. Cold waxes are typically blue or green. Warm waxes are red or purple. Universal wax is typically colored yellow. Consult with a snowboard wax buyers guide to determine the best wax.

Apply the wax
Plug in the wax iron and set it to the correct temperature for the wax being applied. Once warmed up, hold the bar of wax against the bottom of the iron. Hold the wax about 6 inches above the base of the snowboard. Drip the wax along the entire base of the board. The drips should be spaced around 2 inches apart.

Distribute the wax
Rub the wax iron over the wax drops. Spread the wax evenly over the snowboard base. If the wax starts smoking, turn the heat setting down on the iron. Do not let the wax iron sit on any snowboard area too long. Occasionally check the temperature of the snowboard from the topsheet with a finger. If the topsheet is hot, stop ironing and let the snowboard cool down. Don't risk delaminating the snowboard.

Cool the wax
Let the snowboard wax cool down for 30 minutes to an hour. If you plan on storing the snowboard for the summer, this is a good place to stop and store the snowboard.

Scrape the base
Take the wax scraper and start removing the excess wax from the snowboard base. This is extremely messy. It's good to have a trash can nearby to put the wax shavings in. Keep scraping till hardly any wax comes off. Be sure to remove any wax covering the edges.

Structure the base
Increase the gliding properties of the wax job by structuring the base. Firmly grasp the horsehair brush and move it lengthwise down the snowboard. Do this from tip to tail. This will put small grooves in the wax that will prevent suction and help the snowboard glide. Wipe the flecks from your snowboard and it's ready to ride.

Nothing beats the feel of a freshly waxed snowboard. The snowboard turns predictably and glides on the flat cat tracks. If your snowboard seems like it's behaving a bit sluggish these days. Give it what it wants - a nice hot wax job.

Source:

Personal experience