How to Wax a Snowboard
Tune up your board with some wax for a faster, smoother ride.
Up next in How to Ski & Snowboard (6 videos)
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You Will Need
- A snowboard
- A solid wax cake
- A workbench
- Tuning vices
- A waxing iron
- A drop cloth, sheet, or newspaper
- Base cleaner
- Paper towels
- Denatured alcohol
- A wax scraper
- A towel
- A nylon wax-structure brush
Steps
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Step 1
Choose wax
Choose the correct wax. You can select a temperature-specific wax that matches the weather conditions at the area where you’ll be boarding, or universal wax for a broader range of temperatures and conditions, which is a good option if you’re not as concerned with speed or don't know what the weather conditions will be.
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Step 2
Mount your board
Choose an area to work on your snowboard, like a workbench or a pair of saw horses. Secure your tuning vices to the workspace, making sure they’re spaced on the outside of the board's bindings so that your board remains stable while you tune. Secure your snowboard with the tuning vices so that the base – the side that touches the snow – faces up.
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Step 3
Set up the workspace
Plug in your waxing iron close to the snowboard and set the temperature according to your wax type. Then, place a drop cloth, sheet or newspaper under your work area to protect the floor from stray wax.
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If you’re using a temperature-specific wax, check the package directions for the correct iron temperature. If you’re using universal wax, set the iron to medium heat, around 230 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Step 4
Clean the base
Wipe down the base with the base cleaner and a paper towel. Then, wipe the board with denatured alcohol and a towel to remove the cleaner.
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Step 5
Melt the wax
Hold the iron vertically over the base, and apply wax by placing the cake of wax against the iron, and allowing it to melt and drip off the iron onto your base, making sure that you cover the length of your board.
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Dripping too much wax on the base means extra wax that you will have to scrape away later, so aim for one drop per every two inches.
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Step 6
Iron the wax
Place the iron on the base, and starting at the nose, move the iron smoothly toward the tail. Repeat until the wax has melted completely and evenly, so that the whole base is covered. Keep the iron moving at all times. If it sits in one spot, it can damage your base material.
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Step 7
Let dry
Let the wax dry and the board cool to allow the wax to penetrate the base. For most waxes, about one hour does the trick, but letting it dry overnight is best.
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Step 8
Scrape the board
Once it's dry, scrape the excess wax off the board by starting at the nose, and pushing the scraper toward the tail with both hands, using firm pressure. Scrape along the length of the board until you can’t remove any more wax. Wipe the board down with a towel.
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Step 9
Brush the board
Using the same motion you used to scrape your snowboard, brush the board several times from nose to tail until you can see shallow grooves in the board's base, which allow it to slide, rather than sticking to the snow. Now you're ready to shred!
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Waxing regularly not only keeps your snowboard running smooth and fast, it will protect your base and help your board last longer.
