Skateboarding
Skateboarding
How To Make Skateboarding Wax: A Detailed Guide For Beginners
Here's a easy to understand guide for how to make your own skateboarding wax.
Skate wax, skateboarding wax, curb wax, ledge lube, they all refer to the same thing: a wax product to prep your skate surface for tricking, sliding, grinding, and boosting traction. Skate wax can get pricey, though, but you can make your own in a few simple steps.
What Exactly Is Skateboarding Wax?
Skateboarding wax is usually made from a paraffin base, and it helps reduce the friction you get when you slide or grind down rails, curbs, and other hard surfaces. Naturally, slides and grinds create friction, which can slow down the speed of your trajectory, making it more difficult to execute. This is where skate wax comes in. The wax will fill in tiny cracks and imperfections to smooth out the surface of what you're grinding on, so you can pull off your 50-50s without stopping short.
Whether you're buying your first board or you're getting into tricks for the first time, you're going to need a skate wax that protects your board and keeps it sliding as smoothly as possible. Just keep in mind that smoother surfaces tend to be more slippery when you apply skate wax, so it's a good idea to test the areas you're skating so you don't make it too slippery.
How to Make Your Own Skateboarding Wax With Leftover Candles and Crayons
Buying skate wax on a regular basis can get expensive, but you can make your own using a couple of different methods. Here are the steps for using leftover candles and crayons:
1. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees
Let your oven warm up for 5-10 minutes. Most waxes have a low melting point, so try not to let your oven temperature get hotter than 150-180 degrees.
2. Gather your supplies
Collect any leftover candles or crayons you have (like those old, broken ones you just knew you'd eventually have a use for) and break them up if they're not already. Remove any paper and wicks. You'll also need some vegetable or olive oil.
3. Put your wax pieces in an oven-safe bowl
The container you use should be big enough to hold the melted wax. Glass bowls, like the Pyrex brand, are oven-safe and great options for melting wax.
Shredding at Sunset
© Loic Benoit
4. Pour in the oil
Add one teaspoon of vegetable or olive oil to the wax. This makes it more pliable and easy to apply to your board. Don't add more than a teaspoon, though, or your wax will be too soft and crumbly.
5. Put your wax in the oven
Melt your mix for 10 minutes. Watch your wax as it melts to make sure it doesn't burn. Once it's melted, take it out of the oven and put it in your refrigerator to harden. Once your wax is solid, you can remove it from the container and use it on the surface you want to smooth.
How to Make Skate Wax From Paraffin and Beeswax
Here are the steps if you're using paraffin and beeswax:
1. Gather your supplies
You'll want pure beeswax and paraffin for this method, along with a metal pot and a mold to pour your wax in. If you're using wax bars and large pieces, break them into smaller chunks. This helps the wax melt faster.
2. Put your wax in the pot and melt
Add both the beeswax and paraffin to a pot. A ratio of 60-40 paraffin to beeswax is your best bet because more beeswax will make the mix too soft. Set your burner to a low to medium setting and place the pot of wax on the stove. Let the wax melt, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn.
3. Pour the wax into the molds
Once the wax is totally melted, remove the pot and pour it into the mold. Cool the wax in your refrigerator until it's solid. Once it's hard, it's ready to use.
To sum it up, you can easily make your own skate wax by melting leftover candles and crayons, but we recommend you use the paraffin and beeswax combination because it tends to make a better wax that's closer to pro brands and what you can find in stores. As for application, we recommend you use your wax whenever you plan to practice your grinds and slides, and only apply it to the surface you plan to skate on. With this easy DIY, you can make as much wax as you need for a fraction of the price.
