I need someone to settle a bet for me. My buddy and I have a longstanding argument that repetitive cleaning of a surfboard using acetone over time weakens the glass job. I don’t believe this to be true. I have a board the pretty much fell apart in about a year and a half. My friend says it is because I use acetone to strip the wax off I say it was just a bad glass job. Anybody have an opinion? Thanks SM
…Acetone breaks down polyester resin. …In the case of wiping down a board once and awhile with acetone and causing the tearing down of the glass job…All I have to say is, if the acetone does affect the structural integrity of a glassed/finished board(other than dull it),then it was a bad glass job to begin with.That is unless you’re soaking your board in it…then all bets are off.Herb
Most of the curing takes place before you ever put the board in the water, however it supposedly still hardens (cures) over time. I would say that once the board is cured (99%), Acetone wouldn’t have much effect on it. I have some cured pieces of hard resin/glass laying around, next time I think of it, I’ll put a piece in a jar of acetone and let is sit a week and see what happens. I doubt it will really do much, as once it starts to cure, it’s always too late to save a paint brush… I seriously think that unless you are using it every day, it wouldn’t have any effect on your board. On a side note, I just use a hair dryer on low and a bunch of paper towels to get the remaining wax off…
I’ll speak up for the ‘green’ side… before Greg L chimes in. Although I’d have to agree with Herb and SDS… save soaking your board in acetone, wiping isn’t going to do much… using acetone to clean wax is probably a waste, at least of money if nothing else. I’m a bit obsessive about it too; I probably clean off my main stick once a week. A quick once over with wax tool then clean up with a razor blade does a great job. Old boards with dents can be a bit trickier… Leaving the film on is usually a good thing if your just going to wax it back up, eliminates the need for basecoat. I’d only use a cleaner if I was selling the board or maybe transporting it.
Forget the acetone! Scrape off the chunks with a plastic bondon knife, spatula or wax comb. Buy a $0.35 bag of cornmeal (or foam dust works great!) and rub the rest of the wax off using the cornmeal, foam dust and an old rag or piece of carpeting. You won’t scratch your gloss finish as with a razor blade or metal tool and you won’t have to worry about all the negatives of acetone. Tom S.
Park it with the deck facing the sun for a little while on a nice day. When you notice the wax oozing off after twenty minutes or half an hour or so, it’s ready to be helped along with a plastic squeegee. No need for solvents or metal scrapers.
I’ve never had any luck removing wax with acetone. How about Coleman fuel? Works great for me.
I have a “pickle” that has been working really well for me. You could probably make one your self very easy its basically a pantyhose leg cut about 10" long filled with foam dust and knotted at each end. Scrape with comb, and then pickle off the rest. 
Here’s what you do. Get a flight to western Australia. Have your hot new girlfriend you met the night before turn your board toward the warm sun. After eating a couple of fresh prawns and a meatpie, have her rub the wax off using the pristine peach-colored sand from the dune the two of you are perched upon that overlooks the empty, perfect A-frame break. After a few minutes your board should be ready. I’ve tried it; it works INSANE! [wink]
A commom solvent called VMP Naptha (home depot $9.00 per gallon) will clean wax residue safely.Best to get the the thick stuff off first by leaving in the sun and scraping.Naptha is what antique furniture restorers use to clean wax off of expensive items.It will not harm the finish of a board. R.B.
When comparing the price of sovents (if you want to use a solvent) Acetone is on the high side. It’s also very bad for your health. A good all around solvent for wax removal is low-odor paint thinner. But that’s only for the final clean up of the fine wax film that’s left after some kind of mechanical removal. Good old sunshine or warm water will soften it up nicely for scraping. Acetone? I get dizzy just thinking about it. Doug
The best solvent for cleaning wax off surfboards is grease. Elbow grease… scrape off the chuncks with an old credit card or similar (geez, buy a 99 cent wax comb) & rub the rest off with a rag. Leave the chemicals for when they are needed.
I personally like Plus Ones method. Environmentally friendly too…
I agree with plus one and Greg. It’s the only method that makes anysense to me. If it’s winter time get a het gun out or a hair dryer out to soften the wax as you scrape it off with an old squeege or flat side of a wax come. Off to the fin shop, Rich
Mineral Spirits. Way cheaper copared to Acetone, and much more environmentally, and poeple friendly
I like to use old used power steering fluid;sometimes Dran-o mixed with battery acid gets it off pretty good. Can’t help to laugh, but I’ve never understood why people want to make taking their wax off so messy,with strippers and such.LET IT BE KNOWN FROM THIS DAY FORWARD:SCRAPE IT WHEN ITS WARM,THEN REMOVE FILM WITH FOAM DUST OR LIKE POWDERY SUBSTANCE. (and not in your bedroom, outside)