Stripping Old Wax Before a Base Treatment: Why and How

Phantom Glide is a permanent base treatment that goes on once. So you want the base it goes on as clean as you can get it. For best results, remove old wax and clean the base before you apply it.

Here's why that step matters, what you'll need and how we strip wax at home. The scraping and brushing come straight from our How to Tune and Wax Your Skis or Snowboard guide. That guide is written for skis, but the same process works for snowboards, with a couple of small tweaks we point out below. For the exact cleaning and application steps, your Phantom Glide kit's instructions are the final word.

Why the Old Wax Has to Go

Wax doesn't just sit on top of your base. When you iron wax in, the heat opens up the base and lets the wax soak in. Scraping takes off the excess, but the wax that soaked in stays behind. That's the whole point of a wax job. Before a base treatment, it's the layer you need to clear.

We say the same thing about base repairs: if you don't get all the wax off a gouge, the P-Tex won't stick.

Old wax carries dirt, too. Melted wax pulls dirt out of your base, which is why our Gearheads tell you to toss scraped wax instead of reusing it (yes, even if you're a dirtbag).

And dirt and other gunk hurt glide. A clean base is a fast base. The Phantom Glide: Single Base Clean Kit removes dirt, skin glue and other stubborn contaminants, and that sets the stage for a better application of Phantom Glide.

What You'll Need

You don't need a full tuning bench to strip a base. Here's the short list:

Safety first: follow the directions on the label.

How We Strip Old Wax

The best prep is a stone grind at a shop: Phantom Glide performs best on new or freshly ground bases. Doing it yourself? Here's the at-home route.

Step 1: Set Up

Clamp your ski or board in the vise, base up, so it can't shift while you work. Using books or boards instead? Make sure the bindings are raised off the surface.

Step 2: Scrape Off the Surface Wax

Put a storage coat on last spring? This is where it comes off. Hold a plastic scraper at a 45-degree angle and use firm pressure, working in long strokes from tip to tail. Shift your pressure so you cover the left side, right side and center equally.

Gearhead Tip: make sure your scraper is free from burrs and nicks before you start. On a snowboard, use a scraper wide enough to cover the whole board.

Step 3: Brush the Base

Brush from tip to tail with firm, even pressure. Brushing gets the excess wax out of the nooks and crannies of your base.

Step 4: Clean the Base

Now clean the base. For Phantom Glide prep, that's the job of the Single Base Clean Kit: a spray-on formula that removes dirt, skin glue and other contaminants. Follow your kit's instructions and the directions on the label for the exact cleaning steps.

Gearhead Tip: spot a deep gouge while the base is up? That's a repair job, not part of Phantom Glide prep. If a gash is exceptionally deep or right next to the edge, our tune guide says it's best to have a ski shop do the repair.

Then Apply Phantom Glide

With a clean base, you're ready for the treatment itself. That comes in the Single Application Kit: one application, for one pair of skis or one snowboard. The At Home Kit includes one too, along with a Base Cleaner and the Base Care Kit. See which kit does what.

For the application and cure, our guide to applying Phantom Glide at home walks you through it, and your kit's instructions are the final word.

Skip the Prep Entirely

Two cases don't need any of this:

• DPS skis come already treated with Phantom Glide, so they don't need it applied again.

• New skis from another brand, or a snowboard where offered, can get Phantom Glide: Professional Application Before Shipment ($129.95). Our technicians treat the base before your order ships, within a week of ordering. Here's how the two routes compare.

The Bottom Line

Scrape, brush, clean. Then Phantom Glide goes onto a base that's clear of last season's wax and grime, which is exactly what it needs. Your kit's instructions take it from there, and the deep gouges go to the shop.

Questions about prepping your base? Chat with a Gearhead.

Informative Links

• How to Tune and Wax Your Skis or Snowboard

• Phantom Glide: Single Base Clean Kit

• Phantom Glide: Base Care Kit

• Phantom Glide: Single Application Kit

• Phantom Glide: At Home Kit

• Phantom Glide Kits

• Phantom Glide: Professional Application Before Shipment

• Phantom Glide: Applied Before Shipping or at Home?

• Phantom Glide Kits Explained: Which One Do You Need?

• How to Apply Phantom Glide at Home

• Tuning Accessories