How to Fix Rusted Rails on a Snowboard

Snowboarding is an intense sport played out on mountain slopes across the world. Snowboards are constructed from a combination of materials, typically consisting of a wooden core, fiberglass laminate resin, kevlar and steel edges or rails. Rails come in contact with snow and ice and are prone to rust. Once the rails become rusty, you need to remove the rust in order for the snowboard to maintain its ability to glide smoothly and slice through ice and snow.

Things You'll Need

  • Snowboard vise
  • Gummy stone
  • Flat file
  • Diamond stone
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Instructions

    • 1

      Secure the snowboard base side up in a snowboard vise. Ensure that the rails are accessible. Inspect the snowboard to target the rusty areas that need filing.

    • 2

      Run a gummy stone up and down the rails to remove rust spots and burs. Repeat the process with the gummy stone until no rust is visible.

    • 3

      Secure the board in a horizontal position in the vise. Repeat running the gummy stone on the sides of the rails until all rust is removed.

    • 4

      File to sharpen the edges using a flat file held at a 90-degree angle to the base of the snowboard from tip-to-tail. Ensure that you only file in one direction, not back-and-forth as with the gummy stone.

    • 5

      Perform Step 4 again using a diamond stone. This will finish the rails to a sharp finish. After using the diamond stone, dull the edges back down a bit using the gummy stone in a back-and-forth fashion. This will remove the knife-sharp edge produced by the diamond stone.