How To Use Your Snowboard Iron - By: Jim Garza

Of course, the primary tool that you will need in applying wax to your board is a serviceable iron. If you absolutely need to wax your board, but don't have a snowboard iron, you can use an old iron that you have laying around the house, as long as it doesn't have holes in the bottom. But, if you can afford it, it is best to get a snowboard waxing iron. These irons are calibrated and marked to give you the appropriate heat for the various types of waxes that you need.

Odds are that you will be able to purchase a proper snowboard iron for twenty five dollars or so. And if you can find a used one, you will probably spend even less. Having a proper iron will lessen the chances of you overheating and smoking the wax and ruining your wax job.

People gradually find their own methods of waxing their snowboard. But, there are basically two main ways of applying wax to your snowboard. Method number one is to place the wax against the warm surface of the iron. Then let the wax drip onto the base of the board. Try to get even coverage all over the board.

The second method of applying wax to the snowboard is to simply rub the board directly with the wax. Then, holding the wax to the iron, melt it just a little bit to soften it and lightly rub a second coat of wax onto the snowboard. Snowboarders who prefer the second way of waxing feel that you save a bit more wax that way. In addition, they believe that there is less chance of damaging the snowboard base. In order to find your own personal preference, try it each way to see which you like best.

When the board is heated, it becomes more absorptive. Being more absorptive means that it is much easier for the wax to fill in the tiny pores and crevices within the board's base.

Next you want to remove the excess wax from the board. This helps to obtain a smooth surface on the board. Hold your scraper with both and begin to scrape the excess wax from the board. Your strokes should be from back to front.

When your scraping is done, take a hard brush, again scraping from back to front, to smooth the board. And finally, use a soft brush to give it a fine finish.

The last step is polishing your board. To do this you can either use something like high density cork block which works well as a polishing tool. Or you can use something like a Scotch Brite pad.

When choosing a wax scraper, you basically have a choice between metal or plastic. If you have waxed your board before, metal is the obvious choice. It is much easier to scrape wax with metal than with plastic. As a result, your waxing will go much quicker. In addition, metal blades lasts much longer than plastic ones which tend to dull a lot quicker.

For beginners, however, it is probably better to start off with a plastic scraper. You won't damage or gouge your board with a plastic scraper. Whereas, if you are inexperienced, you can easily gouge your board with a metal scraper. Once you become proficient in the waxing process, then you can change over to a metal scraper.

About the Author

You can find additional snowboarding tips such as learn to snowboard and womens snowboards at our website.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Jim-Garza/22149

Additional Articles From - Home | Recreation & sport | Snowboarding