Inspired by Kokua’s & Doc’s comments relating to hotwaxing in another thread, and to perpetuate a tradition I’ve never relinquished…WHO STILL HOTWAXES THEIR BOARDS??
Kok, Doc, you gave it up? Youse too old to retain fine motor control? Tired of the “old lady” slappin’ you upside the gulliver for ruining the cauldrons? You spend all that time applying a “bump” coat, then a “sticky” coat, contending with the “oh, shiite, I missed a spot(s)?” KISS, guys!
THE PROCESS: mine anyway… coffee can (metal only, kids), containing nowadays a chunk of “bumps”, a chunk of “sticky” and, in tribute to tradition, a chunk of Gulfwax paraffin, placed into the inch+ of water boiling in the best pot she’s got (use a piss-pot if you’re puss-whupped). Ratio the ingredients to your personal taste.
When the concoction’s melted insert a decent 2" paintbrush, stir and then precisely, judiciously, apply to the stick’s deck. I go lightly tail-to-nose, with a light 2nd diagonal applique on the tail half. Clean-up consists of putting the can containing the excess and brush on a workroom shelf.
AND…while you’re on the beach obsessively waxing and combing, I’m surfing, not needing to touch-up the wax job, having roughed it up with a handful of sand in the shallows.
It works for me. And the gods are appeased and pleased.
I had never heard of hotwaxing a board until they mentioned it. It seemed like a good way to get a base coat to me, but it must have been more drama that it was worth (or not?)
Oh wow, yeah - remember those who didn’t use a water bath around their coffee cans? NICE little fires…
And a cheat if you’re a semi-bachelor like me is to use a 1 lb coffee can inside a 2 lb coffee can rather than the best saucepan in the house. Not only do ya have no worries about having to find said saucepan when you’re in a rush, you don’t have to explain to the ladyfriend du jour why there’s those odd, chewy lumps in the chicken gravy the next night.
I had forgotten all about hotwaxing, I really had. But it’s a really great way to get a nice, even coat on, maximum results and minimum weight and a texture that’s as custom as you want to make it with a wax formulation that’s custom too.
Fine motor control for me is prolly toast, and being a kneelo ( with shot knees) I just went with those rubber pads…makes it sooo much more pleasant if I don’t scream too much, y’know?
I always used to wrap my mom’s iron with foil to cover the holes…hold the iron point-down over the board, and press the canning paraffin against the hot iron.
Moving the iron around the board, I’d get the best, almost-permanent bumps upon which to stand in summer or scratch early sex-wax in winter.
Jeeze, that was more than 20 years ago.
Gave up the electricity-dependence when they started making basecoat…
Howzit Laconic, The reason I stopped hot waxing is the new waxes have more grip to them then parafin does. But I like the mixture you’ve come up with which would have more grip to it. Nothing wrong with fine motor control, can still lay down one heck of a pin line or do airbrush tape offs with the best of them. Another way I used to do it was melt the wax, brush it on the board and while it was still some what liquid I’d use one of those sprinkler hoses with the holes and hit the deck with water, it would leave a milion little pits in the wax and left a texture that had a great grip to it. Then there were the guys that used crayolas for a colored hot wax design. Ah the good old days. Aloha,Kokua
benny - i’ve had that same idea for a while but been too scared to try it. is there any possibility of delam or any other ill effects from putting hot wax onto your board?
The wax nowadays is so good and also pretty cheap. I wouldnt think melting the wax would be worth the trouble. If you have any contests near where you live you can probably stock up on wax for free. I would spend the time surfing or shaping.