cleaning the board.

[NoiseBomb420]

Get an aluminum board!    All I do is dry my wheels/bearings a bit. A little lube of some sort before you go out or after couldn't hurt.

I would probably dry the space between the base-plate and the board if it was wood.. But if it has a nice dry place to sit and a good wipe-down I would not worry to much!

[WORLDs]

Get an aluminum board!    All I do is dry my wheels/bearings a bit. A little lube of some sort before you go out or after couldn't hurt.

I would probably dry the space between the base-plate and the board if it was wood.. But if it has a nice dry place to sit and a good wipe-down I would not worry to much!

Yeah, aluminum is where its at for the winter. 

[sign guy]

agreed on aluminum board, gotta snag one....
i winter ride my first deck, old s9 bamboo pintail. not too concerned about damage.....on that note, is bamboo more resilient to water/salt damage than a maple ply deck?

good trick on popping bearings on axle, but dont you ride with a multi tool? mine has a lbearing remover built in.
just like every drummer has a key, every guitarist has a pick, you need one of these! always check your equipment

[NakedLongboarder]

Clean the bearings by using alcohol or something of that sort to take out all of the grime, but make sure that you re-oil after or there is a high chance that your bearings will rust.

if your gonna use alcohol, make sure its 100%. if its anything less then 100%, then its mixed with water. water is no good for your bearings. if you are gonna use something like 70% alcohol (30% water) then you MUST dry the bearings immediately after cleaning otherwise they will rust. whatever it is that your using to clean your bearings you ALWAYS have to be sure theyre completely dry, otherwise the oil/lube you add wont stick making the oil thin out quicker.   

agreed on aluminum board, gotta snag one....
i winter ride my first deck, old s9 bamboo pintail. not too concerned about damage.....on that note, is bamboo more resilient to water/salt damage than a maple ply deck?

i was also wondering about this. ive owned a few old s9 bamboo pintails and i noticed that they had vertical cracks on the board possibly from rain. so i could imagine that bamboo also gets water logged

[Shaun]

*Anything else you can use other than soap? An oil or lubricant of some sort?*

Cut a 1" circle of dryer sheet and center it on the pivit cup before you reinstall the hanger.

[justin]

even 100% alcohol will rust your bearings.
read up on some science. or the other thread i posted the info in...

[sign guy]

""if your gonna use alcohol, make sure its 100%. if its anything less then 100%, then its mixed with water. water is no good for your bearings. if you are gonna use something like 70% alcohol (30% water) then you MUST dry the bearings immediately after cleaning otherwise they will rust. whatever it is that your using to clean your bearings you ALWAYS have to be sure theyre completely dry, otherwise the oil/lube you add wont stick making the oil thin out quicker.  ""

and re oil before re assembly 

[NoiseBomb420]

Bamboo boards usually come with that stupid clear griptape that gets filthy and looks like shit. I don't know how they hold up to water/weather because I don't really ride them, just always see them all nasty lookin even in the summer.

A note on aluminum boards for the winter, they fuckin freeze your fingers to the bone. I wear a set of gloves under my work-glove style sliding glove just so that when I carry my board back up the hill my hands don't freeze.

[NakedLongboarder]

even 100% alcohol will rust your bearings.
read up on some science. or the other thread i posted the info in...

didnt know that. but i find that the 100% dries itself better than the 70%. i guess this is why...

whatever it is that your using to clean your bearings you ALWAYS have to be sure theyre completely dry   

[Compster]

you'd be hard pressed to find 100%... 99% iso from shoppers is the way to go... incase anyone confused.

[Wilcox]

you'd be hard pressed to find 100%... 99% iso from shoppers is the way to go... incase anyone confused.

[NakedLongboarder]

you'd be hard pressed to find 100%... 99% iso from shoppers is the way to go... incase anyone confused.

oh yeah, true that. thanks for making that clear 

[Compster]

but if you do tell me where! would make great hash oil...

[Joker540]

your best step for cleaning your board starts before you even mount trucks on  your deck.

Before you do anything to your skateboard go out and get a can of automotive clear coat from crappy tire. A lot of board makers use waterbased clear coats which thin over time leaving your deck exposed to the elements.   If your the type of person that stickers up a deck put them on before your clear coat. This way during the winter you can wash your board without harming your stickers or the wood.   For best results do the top and bottom as well as the sides/rails.   For a cheaper option you can use clear nail polish, but i dont really think it works as well as a proper or even half assed clear coat process.    If you really want a nice finish take it to your local auto body sprayer and see if they will throw a couple coats on it while they do a car. You would really be surprised what you can get done for free or very cheaply from autobody places.  If thats not an option then put a little bit extra clear coat on your deck then wetsand at a really high grit 200+ to get a good shine, then buff.   The key to a good clear coat job is patience, you cant just spray and ride. You need to do light tack coats so you avoid any pooling or drips, a really good clear coat job can take up to two days and up to 4 to cure, it all depends on the clear coat system so be sure to read the directions on the back and actually follow them.     

IF you have a clear sand grip job (like most arbors and some sector 9's) you can touch up or add more grit by sprinkling sand in the clear coat (be sure to use the right sized sand). To remove the grip just sand it off.     

BE AWARE, if your board is dirty and you clear over it, the dirt will be locked inbetween the board and clear coat and could cause the clear to come off or not cure properly, its really important to do this in the cleanest dust free area you can find. DONT CLEAR COAT OUTSIDE IN THE WINTER, your clear will never cure. Room temperature is best, but for trucks and smaller parts a heat gun can be used to insure proper curing.  Some clears need a uv light to cure them, others need high heat and most spray types (rattle can)  can be cleared at room temperature so read the labels.

Last thing, just because its dry doesnt mean its cured.  If your deck is really flexy you dont want very much clear coat because it will crack over time due to the flex.  If you board is stiff like a Dh deck your going to want as much clear as possible to keep water out during the winter.

If you do this process right you will literally be able to hose the deck off in your backyard (with the trucks and wheels off of course)

Enjoy the ride.

[NoiseBomb420]

Gud post.

If you really want a nice finish take it to your local auto body sprayer and see if they will throw a couple coats on it while they do a car. You would really be surprised what you can get done for free or very cheaply from autobody places.

Really good idea, I will have to try this some time. I've painted a few boards, I get a nice result, but never get the gloss I would like. Buffing would help, have you done this/what did you use? Power-drill with buffer wheel I suppose?