Base Repair

[zeroc0o0l]

Newbie here...

 

Use to broad years ago, recently got back into things. Pulled the old board out it was TRASHED found a full set up on craiglist for good deal. I'm about 6'1 200lbs it is an Atomic Mugshot (163). Picked it up 3 weeks ago rode 2 weeks ago it was great. I took it out on this past storm we just had a rode it in a local park ( I know bad idea) bottom line is I scratched the base. So I'm heading out to camelback tom for the day and here's my question. Should I take this to a shop and have them do a base repair and wax (about 50 bucks) or should I try and do this myself? Any thoughts? I have seen a few videos and it does look TOO bad but maybe a little difficult the first few times you try it. Or do I save the 50 bucks ride the crap out the board till the end of this season and get something new next year. Thanks in advance.

[ectobar]

Ptexing isnt really possible without the proper tools. If theres a core shot and you care about the board, pry best to get it fixed.

If its just some scratching though, waxing it yourself isnt all that difficult.

[zeroc0o0l]

I don't think its down to the "core" I don't see any white or wood. It just looks like a few deep scratches will wax take care of that? So I should scrape off all the gashes and curly cue plastic near the gashes then wax them? Ill try and post pics later tonight and also of the process to see how bad I mess this up

[backcountry_rider]

If they're not too deep (not a lot of PTex has been removed) you can just try waxing. That will take care of the minor damage.

 

If they are deep (into the PTex) and you don't mind having a couple "battle scars" in your base, then you can save the money and Ptex it yourself ONLY if you have a waxing setup.

 

1. Clean up the base (some people look down on this, but Agent Orange cleaner can be used) so that the wound is clearly exposed without a wax covering (you may want to scrape around it with a knife and a VERY nimble touch or a good, sharp metal scraper).

 

2. Get a PTex stick and a good torch lighter (cigar lighters are good and powerful enough...I know somewhere out there an aficionado just cringed).

 

3. AWAY from your board start a good bead on the PTex with the lighter.

3. a. Once you have a good bead on the end, move to your board.

 

4. Gently keep heating the PTex over the wound and let it just start to drip. Place the bead low enough so that the PTex doesn't "drip," but instead maintains a connection with the wound. Move up carefully over the wound until it's full (a little over-drip is no big deal...neither is a little over fill, but get the over-drip off quickly with a plastic scraper).

 

5. Let it cool and harden (a good idea would be to let it go for the night, but an hour will be okay if you're really in a hurry).

 

6. With the PTex hardened, clean up any obvious overfill (where you can see it sticking out from the rest of the base) with a sharp knife and a LIGHT touch so that the PTex is more or less at the same level of the rest of the base.

 

**For the next part, I like to put some wax around the wound in the base and iron it in.

 

7. Warm the PTex SLIGHTLY with your iron (it should be malleable with pressure. It should not be soft at all).

 

8. Scrape it with a metal scraper and moderate pressure.

 

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 (one time) without putting more wax in and a lower heat setting on your iron. This time use a more flexible scraper to get the PTex flush with the base (I like to use a window vinyl squeegee)

 

10. Let the PTex cool and harden for at least fifteen minutes (it'll warm up again with the next step)

 

11. Wax your board. Scrape the board off and pay extra attention to the fresh PTex job--scrape this flush and then use your four brush progression (do NOT use one of those cheap bezel tool roller brush attachments). Let your board sit for the day with the base exposed.

 

Whew, that wasn't too bad, was it?

 

***NOTE***

do NOT stone grind your base during this process!!!

 

 

Now, before I catch shit for anything that someone might do differently, let me say that I've fixed two big core shots and a number of smaller, deep wounds on my base over the past five years and all the PTex has remained in place. I had a local repair shop guy ask me what my method was, so I consider it pretty damn good.

 

I prefer to use clear PTex to show off all those battle scars from taking on shitty conditions and dusted woods.

 

You can get PTex in clear, black, or really any basic color.

[zeroc0o0l]

THANK YOU Backcountry

 

http://www.rei.com/product/744891#customerReview

 

Is this kit good enough to get me started

 

# Kit includes: Edge tuning tool

# 10-inch file

# Wire file cleaning brush

# Metal scraper

# 10-inch wax scraper

# Pocket stone

# P-tex (2)

# All temp wax

# Scatchbrite pad

# Tuning instructions

[backcountry_rider]

You bet. You'll also want to see about picking up a set of brushes for post-scrape cleanup (you can usually find a good four-brush pack starting at wire and ending at nylon).

 

Be careful if you use that pocket stone. If you're good with it, it can be extremely beneficial. Otherwise you can f*ck up the base.

 

If you're not sure, just leave the stone be. I think I found some good waxing instructions, at least for skis...almost the same thing, but if you want more info when your kit arrives shoot me a PM.

[Tyler]

if they are just scratches dont worry about them, it happens. and if you want to buy tuning stuff by it from a fellow site member dr.d, www.racewax.com

[Santa Clauss]

I use a candle instead of a torch lighter, it gets the job done.

 

I never use base cleaner, maybe a little windex, when its just dust or surface dirt. I save the shavings and if the base is really dirty I just do a hot scrape, but this winter its been so good that I have not had to do this, why take off more wax than you need to?

 

with all those steps... just clean the scratch up with a razor, light your stick let it drip a couple times on the scraper, fill the scratch, wait 20 min, scrape it off, wax the whole board... that simple.

[method9455]

I use a candle instead of a torch lighter, it gets the job done.

 

I never use base cleaner, maybe a little windex, when its just dust or surface dirt. I save the shavings and if the base is really dirty I just do a hot scrape, but this winter its been so good that I have not had to do this, why take off more wax than you need to?

 

with all those steps... just clean the scratch up with a razor, light your stick let it drip a couple times on the scraper, fill the scratch, wait 20 min, scrape it off, wax the whole board... that simple.

 

Great post backcountry.

 

Yea I'd never use the base cleaner either, windex at most.

 

I use a razor blade instead of a knife because if you keep the edge against the base the whole way you don't create more gouges like you would with a knife.

 

I've use a mini torch and that is much more forgiving, but if you don't have that just light the end of the ptex (if its the thin kind) with a regular BBQ or cigarette lighter or whatever, and after it is lit it will start dripping. If you have the clear kind you will see all the black carbon when it lands which is bad, you don't want that on the base of your board so put a piece of thing metal or aluminum foil on the board next to the cut and drip it onto that, and bring the ptex closer and closer until it looks like a string between the ptex and the board, no dripping, very little flame or black stuff, just like melting onto the metal. Once you have that, just move slowly off the metal and onto the spot that you want to fix keeping the bead going the whole time, and then go back onto the metal at the end. This way you don't get the carbon at either end of the ptexing.

[jordan]

You only really need to fill core shots in order to keep water out of the core. Everything else is fine left alone. Unless you are a racer, you will never notice the increased drag associated with a scrape in the p-tex.

 

Jordan

[Papasteeze]

I use a candle instead of a torch lighter, it gets the job done.

 

 

thats too much work. for park boards just hot glue.

[method9455]

thats too much work. for park boards just hot glue.

 

I don't even do that for my park board. I'll obsess over my good bases but if you are going to take it over a rail whats the point of filling scratches at all?

[mollyskeez]

ive filled core shots with epoxy and it worked just fine. i had previously gotten the core shots p-texd and that fell out.

[jordan]

ive filled core shots with epoxy and it worked just fine. i had previously gotten the core shots p-texd and that fell out.

a bed of epoxy with p-tex on top works best. epoxy alone won't accept wax.