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Using P-Tex
to repair small to medium size scrapes
in the base of your snowboard.
Definition
- You use P-Tex (Polyethylene candles)
to fill in minor to medium scratches in the base of your board.
This allows you to once again achieve maximum speed and increases
the life of your board.
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Clean the old wax off.
Base Cleaner Citric Spray
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Prep -
Use a metal scraper to clean off all the old wax around
the wound. A bit of degreaser also helps.
The cleaner
the area the better the P-tex will hold to the base.
Use a sharp razor blade to cut out any chunks around
the scratch. You want to make a smooth valley in your
base where the scratch is.
Look for air bubbles
(outward bulges near the scratch) or areas that the
base material over hangs or flops over the scratch.
Be very careful
with the razor blade on your base, you don't want to
create extra work for yourself. |
Tools -
You are going to need a P-Tex candle, a
metal scraper, and something (like a blow torch) to light
the candle. If you don't have a torch available you can use
a just a household candle. BIC lighters are not recommended
because they are not suppose to be lit for over 30 seconds.
You also want to be in a well ventilated area, these fumes
will get to you.
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the candle. The fine art of a good P-tex is not
having carbon in it.
Carbon
is the little black flakes that you get in your melted
P-Tex. They cause a bad bond are not good when you are
repairing your base.
You
can use your metal scraper and back roll the P-tex candle
on it to eliminate the black carbon in the ball of it.
When you have a clear ball you are set. Don't let the
flame get big and yellow or you will end up with more
carbon in the ball. If this happens you will have to
start over to get the carbon out of the P-Tex before
you start.
When the ball
is burning blue you are doing well. It is easiest to
keep the ball blue by keeping it very close to the surface
you are working with (the scraper or the base of the
board.) It takes some time but the ball will slowly
drip. |
Light the Candle
Backroll off the carbon
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Drip it to the side of the scratch
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The trick
here is to drip the P-Tex to the side of the valley you
created with your razor blade. This will allow the drips
to bridge to the far side. This will also allow the liquid
P-Tex to puddle to the highest point over the middle of
the scratch. If you let it roll over on both sides then
the P-Tex won’t fill the valley the first time and
you will have to go back over the scratch a second time.
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If you have a scratch that
goes down to the core (like you can see the graphic on your
board scratched or see wood on the bottom) then you need to
have a professional at a local shop take care of it. Most
Shop Techs use a specialized tool and supplies. Some shops
will base their reputation on their work so listen around
and see who has the best guys fixing boards.
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dripping the P-Tex, let it cool to the touch. Take your
metal scraper again and using either forward or backward
strokes to scrape the excess P-Tex off. If one direction
is giving you a washboarding effect try scraping the other
way. You want it to be as smooth as possible since the
P-Tex will not retain wax. |
Scrap off the excess |
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After scrapping your
base go back over with your finger and see if there are any
places that it didn't fill.
Repeat this procedure
as many times as possible until all the holes in your base
are filled and your base is as smooth as a babies bottom.
Note on black bases - Carbon
is bad. Even if you have a black base and can’t see it,
the carbon doesn’t help the bond of the P-Tex with the
base. If you have a clear, non-carbon, drip of P-Tex then
it will have a better bond.
- Wright Hollingsworth
| Related Terms |
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| P-Tex |
Metal scraper |
| Wax |
Core Shot |
Did
we miss something? Do you have any suggestions for others? |
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Gear
Stuff to keep you riding day in and dayout.
Snowboard
Helmets
Snowboard Hip
Pads
Goggles
& Lens
Learning Aids
These books and vids can also help you master
all sorts of niftytricks.
Todd
Richards' Trick Tips, Vol. 1: Park and Pipe Basics
Todd
Richards' Trick Tips, Vol. 2: Park and Pipe, The Next Level
Learn To Snowboard DVD - Boarding Skool
The Illustrated Guide To Snowboarding
Snowboarding
Skills: The Back-To-Basics Essentials for All Levels
Snowboarder's
Start-Up: A Beginner's Guide to Snowboarding
(Sick)
: A Cultural History of Snowboarding
Blower
: Snowboarding Inside Out
Lost
in Transition
Learn the lingo
Learn what all those things they are saying
really mean
Fakie -riding with your opposite foot forward
Bail -give out or give up and fall while snowboarding
Battleship -rail that angles up then flattens out then angles down again
Betty -any girl who is only snowboarding for the attention
I-Beam -a strip of material that is put into the core of a snowboard
Avalanche -when a layer of snow is weak and can't support the weight of the snow that has fallen
Dump -amount of fresh snow that has or will fall
Helmet -protect a snowboarder's head
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