From: drew@caesar.cs.colorado.edu (Drew Eckhardt)
Subject: Re: Snowboarding notes and tune-up questions...
Organization: University of Colorado at Boulder
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 08:29:46 GMT

In article <1dmkdkINNq2r@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> bz754@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Derek J. Wojciech) writes:
>
>        Well, the boarding season is almost here (1 month!) and I have to get
>my board in shape.  I know a tune-up is recommended after each season.  

Not really.  Snowboarding is a year round sport if you live in the 
right part of the world :-)

>I
>think I can use a metal file on the edges, and maybe some sandpaper???
>What type of file (fine I assume?)  

For the edges, you need a file (or edge tool) and wetstone.  
A gummi stone works well if you let a little surface rust get on there or 
if you want your edges polished mirror smooth.

I use a Toko edge tool, it will put an 89, 90, or 91 degree angle on 
the edge. It's very hard to not get things right with one.  Down side 
is that they cost ~$25 - $30.  

Rock dings can be hardened, and won't file easily, so you want to 
use the stone on them first. 
  
Then file at a 90 degree angle to the side edges (For racing, 
you can use an edge tool to get an 88-89 degree ange on the side edges, 
with snowboards you have very short edges and don't want a positive
bevel) using long strokes the length of the board, even pressure.   

On skis, you also might want to do the bottom edges, but on a snowboard
chances are the file won't reach all the way across and you can't do 
them and keep a flat base.

When you think they're sharp enough, use a few strokes of the wetstone at 
a 90 degree angle to the board to remove any burs.  

  - <- file / stone -> pull 
/-------------
|   \   \     \
\---------------
 

I like my edges sharp (sharp defined as you can shave your finger nail
with it), and don't bother to detune the tip in tail.  However, 
if you don't detune the tip and tail, it can feel a little "hooky"
and they'll tend to grab edges.  

Normal practive is to detune to within 10-12" of the front and rear bindings.
Use either the wetstone under light pressure, or file UNDER ITS OWN 
WEIGHT at a 45 degree angle to the edge to detune.  DON'T use a file with
any pressure, you'll ruin things.

Your mileage will vary - experiment with it a little.

>My base is in okay condition.  Should I
>'remove' that wax I put on from last season?  How would this be done?  What

Snowboarders who wax their board once a season are the reason for 
skiers thinking that snowboards are much slower than skiis.  

I've snowboarded/skied with friends who wax once a season.  When 
we inevitably end up on the flat runs leading back to the lifts,
they pole (on skis) or walk and I glide right by them.

I really notice a difference after two days between hot waxings 
(with a sintered base).  Sintered bases will suck up lift 
grime and other nasties if you let them go dry, and will be 
less hard.

Since you haven't waxed it in a long time, it probably has a lot of 
dirt and lift grime on/in it, and you should use some wax remover 
on it.

>exactly does a base-grinder do for ya?  I assume it smooths the base, but
>that also thins out the base too?  

It smooths out the base and bottoms of the edges, and can also structure 
the base. Structuring puts microscopic grooves in the base, this tends 
to break up the suction that forms when you have wet snow.

>I have about 4 or 5 gashes in the ptex, but
>not very serious.  About 1-2 mm deep.  I also have a ptex stick.  I heard

If they're not aligned lengthwise, they will slow you down.  I don't 
wory much about lengthwise scratches (in fact, small, microscopic 
vertical grooves will break up suction and make you go faster), horizontal 
or diagonal slow things down.

Any gouge all the way through should be fixed immediately, if you don't 
water will get in, freeze, and your base will peel off.

>that you just melt the ptex onto the base and then sand it down.  



>So 3
>questions.  Does base grinding wear down the base thickness appreciably?

You don't do it often enough to.

>How is ptex repair done?  

To ptex, you need a metal scraper, a file, Ptex candles,
and a butane lighter or torch to light it.  Matches won't stay lit 
long enough, and you'll get carbon in your Ptex which looks nasty.  

Light the candle.  Initially, you'll have some smoke and carbon 
in it.  Wipe this off on the edge of your scraper so you get
clear repairs. (Unless you have a carbon base, and are using black
candles.).  

The carbon won't hurt anything, but it does look unprofessional.

Hold the melting end of the candle close to the base, ie almost touching.
If you drag it, the ptex will only be semi-melted and won't stick well,
if you hold it higher, it will have time to cool and won't stick as well.
Slowly follow the gash.  Note that if you stay in the same place too long,
your base will melt.  If the hole isn't filled, go over it a second time.

When you're done, put out the candle.  Be careful where you put it, it'll
be hot and will stick.  

Put an edge on your scraper with your file, perpindicular to the edge. 
Remove any burs you just made by filing it again, parallel to the edge 
on each side.  Hold it to an angle on the base, like this

      / <- scraper PULL -> -> YOU
_____/===________ 
^     ^
base  ptex 

Hold it with both hands, and don't pull too hard or it will bow and 
you won't get it flat.  You'll have to go over the ptex a few times,
and may have to resharpen your scraper.

Note that ptex candles won't stick to cold plastic, and have problems near
the edges since the steel conducts the heat away too quickly for it to
bond to your base.  Sometimes heating the base with a hair dryer makes 
things stick better.

Also, ptex sticks better if you've removed the wax.

You want to pull with the scraper angled as shown above , if you pull it the 
other way

\ -> 
 \ 

you can catch on the ptex repair an pull it out, the scraper can 
vibrate some and make horizontal scratches, etc.

>Can I fix up my base without taking it to the shop?

Yes.  If the bottoms of the edges are dinged up, I'd take it in and 
get a base grind.

If the gouges are too deep, or are next to an edge, you might
need to use an extruder gun, or basewelder.  

As far as waxing :  

You need an iron, plastic scraper(s), and wax.

Wax choice : 

This is a very religious issue.  Basically, there are temperature 
specific waxes (Some times mixed together, in a pot or you use two
bars together) and all-temperature waxes.  Except for very extreme
conditions, IMHO for the recreational skier/border there is very little 
difference between a temperature specific wax for the right temperature and 
a good all temperature.

However, when you compare an all-temperature wax, to not waxing 
or the wrong temperature wax, there's no question that the 
all-temperature stuff is better.

IMHO Hurtel Super Hot Sauce works well, so does Toko.  Toko has the advantage 
of coming in packs of three large bars (this lasts me a season, season
defined as waxing once a week from next week through mid june).

Rub-on waxes are virtually worthless, they'll rub off after a few 
runs.  The same thing can be said for spray ons.  If you want 
it to last, hot wax.

Buy yourself a $5 goodwill iron, hopefully without any holes (they'll
clog up).  Don't use a teflon iron, teflon will come off and screw 
things up.  Don't use a clothes iron, it will be ruined for that 
purpose. 

You'll also need a plastic scraper.  Any plastic straight edge 
will do (even a credit card), although snowboard shops will be more than
happy to sell you an "official" burton scraper for $7.  

Also, if the board is dished (many boards tend to get concave 
in the nose), you'll have problems scraping it off with the wide scraper,
and may find that a narrow scraper is also good to have.

Temperature setting is a little tricky - you want it hot enough to melt the 
wax, but not hot enough for the wax to decompose, at which point its 
properties will change.  If the wax smokes, you're too hot.

"standard" practice is to drip small beads, spaced ~ inc apart, the length
of the board, and come back over them and iron them in.  The problems
with this method are that 

- The first few times, it's very hard to judge how far appart to put 
	things, you'll use too much, and  80% of your wax will end up on 
	the floor when you scrape it.  

- The wax melts once, and then gets melted again.  If the base is 
	concave (many boards get concave in the shovel), you'll
	have a hard time remelting the wax in the middle. 

So, I run a line of beads across the board, and then iron while 
they're still melted.  When the wax "runs out", I apply another
line of beads and iron them.

Always iron lengthwise, using slow, even strokes, applying some 
pressure.  DO NOT let the iron sit in one place to long, the 
base will melt.  

Bases, especially the sintered kind, will absorb wax.  If any areas 
soak up all the wax on the surface, apply more.  

Wait for the wax to harden some.  I like to scrape it when it's still warm,
because it will still stick around on the surface of the board 
and your scraper, where you can grab it and mold it into a little 
ball that's easy to dispose of.

If you wait until it cools all the way to scrape it, it will blow off 
on your floor.

Besure to scrape the edges - most scrapers have a notch in the 
corner 

|
-
 |___

that works well.  An edge basically cuts a groove in the snow, with the 
back of the edge following the same groove.  Any bumps (like wax, etc)
on the edge will knock it out of the groove, and you'll skid.

After scraping it, you want to use a Fibertex (sp?) pad (like for 
scrubbing pots), or if that isn't available, newpaper, to rub the
board down lengthwise.  This will remove any wax scraps that are 
still there, and will force the wax to conform to your structuring.

Note that many ski-shops and clubs have tuning clinics, held by 
professional ski mechanics that will teach you what to do.

The first time you wax, you'll waste 90% of the wax.  

After you get the quantity right, you'll be able to do 4 or more snowboards 
per Swix sized bar (A dry sintered base can drink up a whole bar, 
so we're talking about for your weekly waxing).... 

Needless to say, cleanup gets easier as you get better.

>ps - There is a newsgroup ***  REC.SPORT.SNOWBOARDING  ***
>     It does exist.  I'm crossposting this note.

PPS.  It's bogus.  

>     If you can't get it, maybe we should start crossposting from there.
>     What do you all think???

It's a bogus group.  The general consensus in rec.skiing is that 
snowboarding and skiing share so much common information (like this 
post) including tuning, snow conditions, avalananch and other 
back country information, lift prices, housing, etc that they 
should use the same group. Every so often, the question comes up 
and there are many flames both ways...

>
>pss - I was at a ski show this weekend in the DC area and they had a
>snowboard trampoline exhibition.  A couple of guys from the local surf shop
>were jumping but they wouldn't let me try (insurance crap arrrrrggghhhh)
>Looked like a great way to practice airs and grabs.  Anyone try this??????

Yes.  Really lets you get lots of air time, will make any flaws in 
your style apparant, and it's very aerobic.  Just get permission 
first so you don't get busted for tresspass, and duct tape your 
edges so you don't cut the tramp.

-- 
Boycott AT&T for their absurd anti-BSDI lawsuit. | Drew Eckhardt
Condemn Colorado for Amendment Two.		 | drew@cs.colorado.edu
Use Linux, the fast, flexible, and free 386 unix |  
Newsgroups: rec.skiing