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gen. maintenance tips

311K views 475 replies 141 participants last post by  Etienne 
G
#1 ·
boarder or anyone else-

i think a good sticky would be a general maintenance thread of how to keep up your board. there's a lot of noobs on here (including myself) that could benefit from having that info all in one spot. stuff like how & how often to wax your board, how often to get the edges done, what that entails, how to store your board in the off season, etc.

just a thought. i know it'd be a lot of info to type up, but it would be beneficial to many new people that are otherwise lost on the matter.
 
#407 ·
Hi.

Last year in Austria I managed to scratch my board every possible way. Took it to professionals last week. They sanded it and hot waxed it. (I told them to do everything to get the stick as goos as possible) So I got it back today and don't know what to think. Scratches are all parallel to edges. Few are pretty deep even after waxing. Pictures below:

http://www.upload.ee/image/5409345/1.jpg
http://www.upload.ee/image/5409367/2.jpg

Should I be worried?
 
#410 ·
Would it be better to go with a dedicated angle file guide or to do a multi-edge file guide?

I'm looking at picking up a SKS multi-edge tuner(also comes with three DMT diamond stones) that does both the base and side edge. I'm guessing the dedicated angle guides will be a little better but wasn't sure how much of a difference it would make if I wanted to save a little bit of money.
 
#411 ·
I do my boards/skis at 88 degrees side and 1 degree base bevel (FK SKS vario) but I'm over 50 so mainly ride as a mountain carver. Variable edgers will give you the ability to change which I can do with my Toko edge tuner pro but I keep these angles set so I could use a fixed guide. Diamond stones mainly help you polish the edges back through the grades 100 - 1500 and will give you a brilliant mirrored fine tuned edge. You will need a file in the edge guide to start if you catch a rock etc to repair and clean up the edge up.
 
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#423 ·
Hello Ladies and Gents

I'm taking my first adventure into board tuning.

My board is currently a perfect 90 deg. There was no tune to the side edge or base edge (confirmed by manufacturer).

I ride in the ice coast (Ontario). I was considering a base bevel angle of 1 deg and a side bevel angle of 87 (would that be considered 3 deg?). If it's considered 3 degrees that would give me 90-3+1=88.

For the side edge would 87 degrees be ideal for my riding conditions?

As for tools, I'm currently mulling over two different tuning items. I have a set of DMT Diamond Stones ready to go.

1) FK SKS Multi Tool



2) Fixed Angle Method for Side Edges and Beast Base Bevel Guide for Base Edge



Now I hear some people vouch for the FK SKS Multi Tool and others against it claiming accuracy issues. What are your thoughts on the two different routes for tuning?
 
#427 ·
K... a base maintenance question

Recently adjusted my Spark G3 skins to a new splitboard, and while doing so, I thought of wasn't there something the dude in the shop told me to don't use them in warm temps..? Too late. I adjusted them in the appartment, the glue glued heavily, to my hands, hair... and board base. Lots of excess glue left on the base after taking them off.

No worries, I thought, that'll come off while riding. I did skin and ride meanwhile, 6000ft downhill on crusty snow... no abrasion of that sticky stuff which is still glued on the base. How to get rid of it? Scraping only further spreads it. Petrol?
 
#436 · (Edited by Moderator)
Rotobrush

Just grabbed a Toko snowboard and a Toko Ski roto brush with white nylon heads for the first time to do my boards and ski's. Have been using a combination of brushes copper/nylon/horsehair for the last a few years.
Wow..., they are initially expensive $$$ but are absolutely brilliant and so quick.:bravo2: The base looks fantastic after a couple of light passes with structure lines running from tip to tail. :thumbsup:
Well worth the acquisition if you're fully into tuning.
 
#437 ·
my board is described as: the Freestyle Edge Bevel is a 2-degree edge holding tune throughout the key parts of the sidecut moving to a 3-degree bevel between the feet
How should I proceed when sharpening edges? Should I have different angled file guides for different parts of the board? Thanks!
 
#440 · (Edited)
It is a Salomon board. Same description for both the Sabotage and Villain boards (freestyle park boards).
I guess the description is about the base edge.
I don't plan on changing the base edge, I just thought it needed some sharpening sometimes.
Since it is a freestyle oriented board then I guess the side edge is 90' degree?

I'm just trying to figure out which edge tuning equipment I need to keep the board in good condition.
 
#441 ·
Basic edge tool for the side jobs. Most can be set at either 90 deg. or somethin like 88 deg., some fancier ones have more settings. Like Hound says, this is likely all you would need to do occasionally to keep edges fresh.

Straight file for base, with tape wound around to get desired angles.
 
#443 ·
For people that wax with your bindings on (gasp!) what do you set the board on? I was setting boards plastic buckets, but noticed they are leaving marks on the top sheet.

Bindings flat on the table and be gentle and balanced, or did you make something so then board sits flat?
I used to use my summer tires before I made a stand. I'd recommend loosening the bindings before heating up the base, but that's really up to you.
 
#458 ·
do you guys subscribe to Angry Snowboarder's theory that wax comes off the first few runs and base-grinding actually does more than wax?
To each his own, Avran is a knowledgeable lad but with his personal nuances. One of those might be the above statement. I see it this way: a board with not so good structure but properly waxed would ride better and last longer than a board with good structure and careless approach to waxing, for this reason.

I think it depends not only on snow conditions but the wax itself (type of temperature). I rarely use high-temp wax (like -5+5 or even -10). I prefer universal all-temp wax. The downside is, it's pretty hard, and gets 150 Celcius to melt it, and once it drops it hardens in an instant. But once applied, it holds great and lasts me long.
Don't get me wrong here, iI don't cover the board with 1-2 mm thick layer! I use fiberlene (like XC skier servicemen usually do) so the layer is thin, and even after that I brush all the extra stuff away. Base needs wax, or it gets dried ("whitens") and rides poorly.
 
#457 ·
Definitely agree that base structure will be huge, especially in wetter snow, but overall does a lot. This will be more obvious on newer boards, used bases tend to retain more wax and release it better IMO. But wax doesn't come off that fast, it's very depended on the snow, but even on early season ice groomers, the sides near the edges (where it comes off the quickest) will start to dry out at least at the end of a full day.
 
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