If you’ve been skating for a while you’re probably ready to start taking on rails and curbs. Grinding or sliding down a rail, curb, bench, ledge or other obstacles can be extremely satisfying. But grinding an entire rail or ledge isn’t easy without the assistance of stake wax. If you know how to make skateboard wax, this can save you a lot of money.
Skate wax, also known as skateboard wax, curb wax, or ledge lube, is paraffin-based wax that is used to smooth the surface of anything you can grind or slide your skateboard on. Nothing is more frustrating than approaching a rail or curb at full speed only to stall out because you can’t maintain momentum. Skateboard wax can prevent this because it smooths out the surface allowing for less friction between the board and the curb or rail you’re trying to slide on.
While skate wax is a versatile and essential accessory for any skater who’s looking to take on rails, curbs, and ledges, it can be pricey. Especially if you consider that you will need to re-buy it every time you run out. Luckily, there is a solution to saving money on the high cost of wax, if you’re willing to do a little extra work by making it yourself. In this post, we will go over how to make your own skateboard wax, which can save you a lot of money while you shred rails and curbs.
How to Make Skateboard Wax
As was mentioned earlier, skate wax can really come in handy once you’re ready to start grinding on rails or curbs. Not only can it smooth out the surface it is applied to creating less friction between it and the skateboard, but it can also protect your board from getting torn up after sliding on unwaxed surfaces.
Buying wax from your skate shop every time can be expensive and ultimately unnecessary if you know how to make it yourself. Thankfully, there are probably some wax materials lying around your house that you can easily convert to skate wax. Here’s how you can begin the process of making your own wax at home:
Preheat Your Oven to 150 degrees
To start the process of making your own wax, the first step is to warm up the oven. Let it heat up for about ten minutes and be careful not to set the heat on too high. Wax has a pretty low melting point and will not form if the oven temperature gets above 180 degrees. Keep the oven warm, but not too hot.
Gather Your Materials
Once you start preheating the oven you can begin to collect any old leftover candles you have laying around the house. If the candles are broken or you know you’re not going to use them, start getting them together and break them up while removing any wicks that might be attached. Aside from leftover candles, you can also use old crayons. Both of these items work great for skate wax. Once you’ve gotten all of that broken up, you will also need some olive oil or vegetable oil.
Place the Wax in a Safe Bowl
It is important to pick a bowl that is large enough to fit all the melted wax you plan on putting in your bowl. Aside from its size, you will also want to make sure that it is oven-safe. We recommend using a Pyrex brand glass bowl as an excellent option for melting wax.
Add the Oil
Once you’ve placed the wax pieces into your oven-safe bowl, the next step is going to be pouring one teaspoon of vegetable or olive oil into the wax. Doing this allows the wax to be more flexible and adaptable, making it easier to apply to your skateboard and any other surface you wish to use it on. Make sure not to use more than a teaspoon of olive oil, canola oil, or any other cooking oil as this can cause the wax to become overly soft causing it to crumble and not be applicable to your board, rails, or other hard surfaces.
Place Your Bowl of Wax and Oil in the Oven
Once you’ve gotten all your skateboarding wax materials together in an oven-safe bowl with a teaspoon of olive oil or veggie oil, you can now place it in the oven. Let this mixture in the oven melt for about ten minutes while you keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn.
After it has melted, remove it from the oven and place it in the refrigerator so that it can harden. Once solid, it can be applied on any skateable surface.
Making Skate Wax Using Paraffin and Beeswax
Now that we’ve gone over how to make skateboard wax from old crayons and candles, we’d like to go over another way of making wax that can save you a lot of cash in the long run. This method is similar to the first, but instead of putting the wax in the oven, you can let the wax melt in a metal pot over your stove’s burner.
Collect Your Supplies
For this type of skateboard wax, you’re going to want pure beeswax and paraffin. Once you’ve gathered these two types of wax, you will want to create a 60-40 paraffin to beeswax mixture. Too much beeswax can result in too soft of a wax which is not ideal for skateboard wax. Make sure to break up as much wax as possible into smaller pieces if the wax you got comes in big bars. This will allow the wax to melt faster.
Place the Wax Mixture Into a Pot for Melting
Once you’ve gotten your wax together, place both the beeswax and paraffin in a metal pot and set the burner on the low to medium setting. This will ensure that the wax doesn’t burn. Make sure to stir it frequently to prevent burning.
Pour the Wax Into Molds
After the wax has sufficiently melted, you can then begin to pour it into a mold. Once poured, it can then be placed into the refrigerator to harden. After it has solidified, it will be ready for use.
Summary
Having gone over two different ways to make your own skateboard wax, it has become clear that making this wax is a very easy process. Whether you’re looking to make it out of old candles or crayons or would like to make your own skate wax mold out of paraffin wax bars or beeswax, there is no doubt that making it at home can save you a lot of money over time.
Letting your wax melt in the oven or over the stove doesn’t take a long time, and can create a skateboard wax that is on par with anything you could buy from a skate shop. With that in mind, it almost seems like a no-brainer to make skateboarding wax.
If you’re looking for a cost-effective solution to help you take your skating to the next level, consider following the steps of this guide on how to make skateboard wax. These easy and effective methods can have you grinding rails, curbs, and ledges in no time without having to break the bank.