What Do You Do if Your Snowboard Gets Rusted?

Snowboards are routinely exposed to snow, ice and wet conditions. These elements create an environment suitable for rust. Almost all snowboards use metal edges to help carve and shred in icy or hard-pack snow conditions. It's a good idea to check your snowboard edges after each session and wipe off any melting snow or ice to prevent them from rusting. If you have a snowboard with rust already developed on the edges, take some steps to remove the rust and restore the edges to full performance.

  1. Inspect and Secure

    • Inspect the edges visually for rust. In addition, run a finger over the edges, feeling for deep pits or divots in the edge. Check the wax along the edge on the bottom side of the deck. After the visual and fingertip inspection, secure the snowboard on a work bench using C-clamps or a vise.

    Rust Removal

    • There are many products available to remove rust. These fluids should be dripped onto a shop rag or cloth. Run the saturated piece of the rag up and down the metal edge, dissolving the rust from the metal edges. Take a dry cloth and wipe off the fluid and rust residue. Continue this process until the metal shines and the rust is gone.

    Sharpen the Edge

    • While you have the board on the bench, take advantage of it and sharpen the edges. Rust erodes metal and chances are good it dulled the sharp edge of the snowboard sides. When this happens, the snowboard has a tendency to wash out underneath you when riding. Sharpen the edges with a specialized snowboard edger or a flat metal-file. Use smooth, long strokes with either tool, making sure to go in one direction only.

    Check the Wax

    • Now that the edges are rust-free and sharp once again, check the areas along the bottom-side of the deck to ensure the board wax is smooth and there are no gaps between the deck and the edge. Heat a wax iron if you have gaps on the deck. Hold a block of snowboard glide wax to the iron's tip and drip it into the gaps. Let the wax cool and then use a horse hair brush or a wax cork on the bottom to smooth out the wax. After the smoothing, iron down the areas where wax was dripped using the wax iron.