Tips on How to Maintain Your Snowboarding Gear

LETCHWORTH, U.K. - Oct. 12, 2013 - PRLog -- A soldier relies on his weaponry in combat, in the same way a snowboarder relies on his board. For a passionate snowboarder, the board is an extension of him and he pays extreme attention to intricate details. But a board, through constant use, can be damaged, ranging from minor scratches to major cuts, blunt edges, and rough underneath. This is why it is important to be careful. To help you in this regard here are a few tips that will help you keep your board in prime conditions.

Tune it Yourself
For common and minor injuries to the board, you can easily repair it yourself if you posses a tuning kit. However, if the board has some major damage like gouges at the underside then it is imperative that you get professional help from a shop.

The Base is Important
The base of your board is one of the most important part of your board and needs to be as level and frictionless as it can be. This eases the comfort level when gliding on snow. To clean your base, use a piece of cloth and apply a specific type of base cleaner to the underside of the board. Now rub the cleaner all over the underside with a piece of cloth. Once you are done, wait 20 minutes for the cleaner to evaporate.

For gouges at the underside of your board, use a P-Tech candle. Light the candle and fill the gaps with the wax, then use a scraper to level the wax and make the board smooth again. However, only try to fix small gouges by yourself and leave the bigger ones for an expert.

For waxing the base put the wax against hot iron at a temperature so that the wax melts and doesn’t turn to gas. Now let the wax drops fall on the base. Once you are content that enough wax has fallen, iron the wax all over the bottom and let it get absorbed by the board. Like in previous steps use a scraper to level the board. It is vital to remember that even brand-new boards produced by latest technology require waxing sometimes.

Edge Tuning
A snowboard with round edges will be slower on turns as compared to one that has sharp edges. A board with sharp edges will help you make ridiculous turns and give you a better feeling of control on the ice. Eventually after sometime the board develops round or burred edges. You can use the following methods to cure this ailment.

Use a diamond stone and stroke it along your board’s edges, from the tip to the bottom and back again. Increase the force and rub it harder until eventually all the burred and rotund edges are gone. Tune the metal edge at the base of your board, called base edge by using a file or carborundum.

However, while filing be careful you do not file excessively. Now use the file to sharpen the side edges. The smaller the file the easier it is to grind the side edges accurately. Once all this is done, check your board so that you have not excessively tuned it. Once again smooth the edges using a scraper or file. Your snowboard is first-class and raring to go.

The main thing in this case is to be careful and use your board properly.